Everton face Crystal Palace in their next PL match.placeholder image
Everton face Crystal Palace in their next PL match. | Getty Images
Everton are aiming to return to winning ways against Crystal Palace this weekend
After seeing their fierce rivals fall to defeat last weekend, Everton will be the next team to try and crash the party of the division’s longest unbeaten side when they play host to Crystal Palace this weekend.
It’s now been nearly half a year since the Eagles suffered a 5-0 defeat away to Newcastle United in April, and Palace are now currently unbeaten in 19 matches across all competitions, including 12 when focusing solely on matches in the Premier League. Oliver Glasner’s side are on the longest unbeaten run in their 120-year-history and remarkably find themselves in third position heading into matchday seven after an impressive start which has seen the capital side continue to pick up points despite the departure of Eberechi Eze and the uncertainty surrounding the future of Marc Guehi following his failed move to Liverpool on deadline day.
Everton, on the other hand, are anything but consistent at present. They’ve won two, drawn two and lost two in the league so far, leaving them in ninth position but only three points behind the top four at this early stage.
The Toffees have had six days to prepare for this match following their 1-1 draw with West Ham while Palace have a much quicker turnaround after travelling to Poland to face Dynamo Kyiv in the Conference League. But will Everton’s fresh legs give them an advantage or will in-form Palace continue their stellar run? Here we take a look at the view of BBC Sport pundit Chris Sutton.
Chris Sutton shares Everton worry ahead of Crystal Palace showdown
Sutton, who scored 83 times in the Premier League, says he’s concerned about Everton’s lack of firepower heading into the match against Crystal Palace. He has backed Oliver Glasner’s side to become the first team to beat Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium and believes the away side’s momentum will carry them to a vital 2-0 victory.
Sutton said: “This should be a good game, and a real test of whether Everton's new ground is actually the 'fortress' my 606 co-host Roman Kemp describes it as. Everton are still unbeaten there but they've drawn two out of three games so far and the handbrake is still on, isn't it? Maybe's Roman's definition of a fortress is just different to most other people's.
“There will be no gung-ho tactics here, either, because this is going to be a really tight affair between two very clever managers. But after watching Palace last week I have to back them really. Oliver Glasner's side were quite direct against Liverpool and it will be a good battle if they do the same here.
“I enjoy watching Everton and, in particular, Jack Grealish, but I worry about their firepower up front. If they had a goalscorer I would probably say they would get something, but instead I am going with Palace to keep a clean sheet and to take home the points.”
Everton must improve in the final third
Strikers Beto and summer signing Thierno Barry have been sharing the striker duties for Everton so far this season, but neither of them have done enough to prove their the guaranteed first choice striker at present.
Beto has scored once in six appearances so far for Everton and that came in a 3-2 triumph over Wolves. He’s started five matches so far and has appeared as a substitute on two occasions. He also scored against Mansfield Town in the League Cup but failed to make an impact in 45 minutes during the following cup game with Wolves.
Barry has had an underwhelming start since joining from Villarreal and is yet to score in six games. The France Under-21 international started in a 2-0 victory over Brighton but has had to settle for appearances from the bench in the fixtures that have taken place since then.
“I think Thierno just needs that first goal, it would help him massively. We’ve seen glimpses of what he’s about in training and what he can bring to the team with his power and his finishing, and he can also be very difficult to play against,”said Michael Keane via the Liverpool Echo.
“He’s shown that in some of the Premier League games he’s played, but a goal will help him. Like any striker, when you’re not scoring, it can be tough, sometimes all you need is a tap-in, your fortunes can change and you feel more confident.
“I think he’s settled in well. He’s a good guy and although he’s pretty quiet and keeps himself to himself, he talks to the French-speaking lads and has got a lot of support from us within the group and I’m sure he’ll come good.”
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