Following an embarrassing defeat at the hands of Arsenal, Everton will look to bounce back to form when they host Crystal Palace at the Goodison Park this weekend.
The Toffees are currently sitting 10th in the Premier League table, with 31 points in the bag. Even though they have managed to turn around their woeful start to the season, the Merseyside giants still have hefty expectations, meaning this weekend’s encounter against Crystal Pace could be pivotal for Sam Allardyce’s men.
Crystal Palace, on the other hand, are still trying to recover from their horrid start to the season. The Eagles have improved a lot in the offensive department and could pose a tough challenge to the Everton defence, which will definitely be under the cosh following an awful outing last weekend.
Sam Allardyce will be without the services of defenders Ramiro Funes Mori and defender Leighton Baines. The English left-back is still recovering from his knee problem and is expected to be sidelined until April. Midfielder James McCarthy will also be out with a broken leg.
After slumping against Arsenal last week, Everton head coach Sam Allardyce is expected to revert back to his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation, meaning there’s a stark possibility that we could see Gylfi Sigurdsson back in the starting lineup this weekend.
English youngster Jordan Pickford will be starting as the man between the sticks for Everton. The former Sunderland keeper couldn’t help his side against a ruthless Arsenal attack but will be hoping to bounce back against a lowly Crystal Palace this weekend.
We could see Everton’s revered fullback Seamus Coleman back in the starting XI once again, replacing the young Jonjoe Kenny, who looked hapless against the Gunners. Coleman will definitely be an important cog in Everton’s defensive department.
Despite being substituted at halftime last week (and for good reasons), Michael Keane is expected to start as the right-sided centre-back for Everton this week. The 25-year old’s defensive contribution will be vital as Everton seek their first clean sheet in 8 matches.
Veteran defender Ashley Williams should partner alongside Michael Keane in Everton’s central defence. New signing Eliaquim Mangala is expected to be benched following a horrendous debut last week.
The former Southampton defender was actually one of Everton’s best players against Arsenal, providing the assist for the Calvert-Lewin goal and could once again make the starting lineup this weekend.
Idrissa Gueye should once again be deployed in central midfield. The Senegalese international will be an important cog in the Everton midfield as they seek to dominate their opposition.
Schneiderlin’s presence could be crucial against the fluid Crystal Palace midfield. His defensive contribution and impressive positional sense could help him complement the work of Idrissa Gueye in the middle third of the pitch.
Theo Walcott was excellent playing against his former club last week before he was surprisingly substituted in the second half. However, the English International will be raring to perform better this weekend. His sheer pace could prove to be a handful for the weak looking defence of Crystal Palace.
Iceland superstar Gylfi Sigurdsson could finally make his comeback into the starting lineup, after being benched for the game against Arsenal. The former Spurs midfielder has failed to hit the ground running after making his big move from Swansea but this could be a chance for him to make things right!
Although ineffective for the most parts of the game against Arsenal, Yannick Bolasie is still expected to start against Crystal Palace. The Congolese winger will be keen to perform well against his former club.
Bulky forward Oumar Niasse should lead the charge for Everton this week. His strong physical prowess would be useful against the highly competent Crystal Palace defenders. It will be interesting to see if he can notch up a couple of goals after scoring one goal in his last three Premier League outings.
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