It is right here. Matchweek 5. Will Everton overturn the woes of the opening month of the 2024/25 marketing campaign, or will Sean Dyche‘s maintain on the managerial place at Goodison Park devolve into one thing extra tenuous?
The blue facet of Merseyside has grow to be a hotbed of distress and fear after 4 successive Premier League defeats to begin the season off. The Toffees have held two-goal benefits in every of their earlier matches however misplaced each.
Now, in opposition to newly-promoted Leicester Metropolis, one thing wants to vary. After crashing out of the Carabao Cup in a penalty shootout loss in opposition to Southampton on Tuesday night, Dyche is aware of that he wants to show issues round – even when the board have expressed their backing of the 53-year-old.
He enforced a sweep of adjustments for the midweek tie, however might now revert to one thing extra common, with as many as eight tweaks being made – fairly a reshuffle.
1
GK – Jordan Pickford
He hasn’t been in the very best of kind just lately however Jordan Pickford continues to be the most effective goalkeepers within the Premier League and can show himself as soon as once more quickly.
Leicester have but to win within the high flight this season, and Pickford’s sharp positioning and consciousness might be referred to as into play in opposition to the evergreen Jamie Vardy.
2
RB – Ashley Younger
Ashley Younger will in all probability be named in Dyche’s beginning line-up, with Seamus Coleman and Nathan Patterson each struggling on the sidelines.
The 39-year-old is sort of clearly previous his greatest however does supply expertise and command at a time when the Toffees backline must rally.
He’ll need to make amends after lacking the penalty that misplaced his facet the shootout in midweek.
3
CB – James Tarkowski
Everton’s rock-solid skipper has struggled this time period, however then James Tarkowski is but to fuse with Jarrad Branthwaite, who continues to languish within the restoration room.
Nonetheless, the 31-year-old is a wonderful defender and might be the person to subdue Vardy and co. As per Sofascore, he is nonetheless gained 59% of his duels within the 2024/25 Premier League season, averaging 3.3 tackles, 1.8 interceptions and two clearances per sport.
4
CB – Michael Keane
Michael Keane has stood in for Branthwaite this season and is but to overlook a minute throughout the Premier League and Carabao Cup, scoring and aiding one purpose apiece.
He’ll proceed to carry down the fort. The 31-year-old is actually not excellent however he is dominant within the air – although has gained a measly 44% of his floor duels to date.
5
LB – Vitalii Mykolenko
Vitalii Mykolenko missed out earlier this week because of the sickness that had swept virulently by means of the Everton squad. He is hopefully okay now, and might be wanted for the conflict this weekend.
With Younger at right-back, Mykolenko might re-establish some sort of steadiness down the left flank, having been benched for final weekend’s conflict in opposition to Villa too.
6
CM – James Garner
The experiment to place James Garner in a makeshift right-back position final day out within the Premier League did not work, so he should return to the center of the park.
The previous Manchester United youth is a dynamic and multi-functional midfielder. He is additionally been hailed for his “phenomenal” playmaking previously by pundit Trevor Sinclair, which might be key in opposition to a shaky Foxes backline.
7
CM – Tim Iroegbunam
Signed from Villa for a reported £9m charge in the summertime, with Lewis Dobbin going the opposite method, Tim Iroegbunam has began life in Liverpool with promise.
The up-and-coming midfielder is so athletically sturdy – and tenacious apart from. Having began all 4 of Everton’s league matches, he is averaged 7.3 profitable duels, eight ball recoveries and three.8 tackles per sport. Some outstanding numbers, there.
8
RM – Jack Harrison
Jack Harrison has had an detached begin to the season, his second as an Everton loanee from Leeds United, however he is been quietly efficient with out notching a purpose contribution, energetic in his ball carrying, frequent in his dribbling and combative in his defensive work.
He’ll change summer time arrival Jesper Lindstrom, who was energetic in opposition to Southampton however was branded with a 4/10 match rating by Liverpool World’s Will Rooney after a wasteful show.
9
AM – Abdoulaye Doucoure
Dyche mentioned final 12 months that Abdoulaye Doucoure is the “catalyst” of Everton’s assault, and whereas that will not be the case any extra, the skilled ace continues to be an invariable purpose risk.
Certainly, he opened the scoring in opposition to the Saints and might be hoping to make his mark as soon as once more and get the Blues’ season up and working in Leicester.
10
LM – Dwight McNeil
Dwight McNeil scored and assisted as Everton stormed into the lead in opposition to Aston Villa, although the Merseysiders have been felled by a capitulation late on.
The winger’s significance should not be understated. It generally seems like he is escaped from a bygone period of soccer, with conventional mechanics to his craft.
Dwight McNeil: Premier League Stats 2024/25 | |
|---|---|
Stats (*per sport) | # |
Matches (begins) | 4 (4) |
Targets | 1 |
Assists | 2 |
Pictures (on track)* | 1.0 (0.5) |
Move completion | 76% |
Large possibilities created | 5 |
Key passes* | 4.3 |
Dribbles accomplished* | 1.0 |
Ball recoveries* | 3.3 |
Tackles + interceptions* | 1.8 |
Complete duels gained* | 3.3 |
Stats through Sofascore | |
However that is hardly to say that he is been ineffective. Certainly, as you may see above, McNeil has been in kind that is becoming for any high Premier League outfit throughout these opening fixtures.
11
CF – Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Dominic Calvert-Lewin‘s resurgence all through 2024 has been one of many brighter sparks in Dyche’s facet’s travails. He is began the present marketing campaign with aplomb, insofar as ‘aplomb’ could be attributed to a participant in a group beset with the worst begin to the season all through Europe’s top-five leagues.
The towering striker is out of contract on the finish of the season, however maybe it will work in Everton’s favour (within the quick time period). He is taking part in to impress, and with two objectives and an help from 4 video games, he might be essential in turning this factor round.
Predicted Everton line-up in full: (GK) Jordan Pickford; (RB) Ashley Younger, (CB) James Tarkowski, (CB) Michael Keane, (LB) Vitalii Mykolenko; (CM) James Garner, (CM) Tim Iroegbunam; (RM) Jack Harrison, (AM) Abdoulaye Doucoure, (LM) Dwight McNeil; (CF) Dominic Calvert-Lewin
