The ECHO's Everton FC reporters consider how they would approach the game against Manchester City
Beto celebrates after scoring in the Merseyside derby. Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images
Beto celebrates after scoring in the Merseyside derby. Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images
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Everton head into their penultimate home game of the season with a huge challenge if they want to keep their European dreams alive.
The Blues are at risk of being cut adrift by their rivals and to avoid that fate will have to find a way to derail Manchester City’s title bid.
How would they be best-placed to do that? Everton writers Joe Thomas and Chris Beesley consider how they would line up.
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Joe Thomas
The results of the weekend were not ideal for Everton’s pursuit of Europe. Bournemouth and Brentford winning meant the clubs, alongside Brighton, have daylight to the Blues. That being said, Brighton’s defeat meant they did not push beyond reach and Fulham and Crystal Palace’s losses and Sunderland’s draw were useful.
The result is that an Everton win would put them in an incredible position, moving them among that clutch of clubs that has surpassed the 50 point mark with some relatively promising fixtures to come. Failure to win would not mean there is no chance of Europe but would leave a lot of work to do.
So how do you approach this match? It is a tough one. Manchester City are so dangerous and in such good form it would be foolish to deviate from what has worked best for David Moyes this season. Everton must improve on a lacklustre display at West Ham United though.
The obvious change is to bring back Beto. Thierno Barry was unfortunate to see his header rebound off Tomas Soucek and onto the bar but he has not made a serious bid to stay ahead of Beto now the in-form forward is set to return from concussion. That will help Everton and Beto did cause problems in the early stages at the Etihad, he just could not finish the chances Iliman Ndiaye created for him.
The other change I would make would be to see Dwight McNeil drop to the bench. His creative output has been limited after a good run and, good as his work rate is, he made the fatal error for Liverpool’s first goal in the Merseyside derby and was then part of a right side of the team that struggled to deal with West Ham’s superb left flank. If he is neither creating nor stopping opponents, it makes sense to try something different. This is by no means a perfect solution but I would start Carlos Alcaraz there instead. It is not his preferred position but it would allow Ndiaye to stay on the left and provide more experience than starting with Tyrique George or Tyler Dibling. Alcaraz was good when he came on last week, works hard and can produce moments of inspiration going forward.
That is not ideal but every other approach I consider involves moving James Garner out of the midfield and I think he is just too good in that role at the moment to sacrifice.
My team: (4-2-3-1): Pickford; O'Brien, Keane, Tarkowski, Mykolenko; Gueye, Garner ; Alcaraz, Dewsbury-Hall, Ndiaye; Beto
Beto is back training and in contention to face Manchester City after missing the 2-1 defeat against West Ham United with concussion and should go straight back in to spearhead Everton’s attack for their penultimate home game of the season at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
After a mid-season upturn in his fortunes, netting five times in nine games in a period during December and January, fellow frontman Thierno Barry, who instead led the line in the stoppage time loss at London Stadium, has drawn a blank in his last six outings and has just one goal in 11 matches. In contrast, it’s four strikes in his last three fixtures for the Guinea-Bissau international, who also helps out at the other end with his aerial prowess when defending corner kicks, something that the Blues have missed during his absence against both the Hammers and when he was forced off against Liverpool.
I’d also make an additional change out wide for this fixture. Dwight McNeil held his hand up for the mistake that resulted in the Reds’ first goal in the Merseyside derby and he was also below par last weekend, so I’d drop him to the bench. While Tyrique George has enjoyed lively moments coming on as an impact substitute of late, I think it might be a bit cavalier to start with either him or Tyler Dibling for such a tough test against Pep Guardiola’s title chasers.
Therefore, I’m going to deploy another youngster, Harrison Armstrong on the right wing because the talented teenager is earning a reputation for his tactical nous and ability to take on instructions from manager David Moyes which could be crucial in a fixture of this magnitude.
My team (4-2-3-1): Pickford; O’Brien, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko ; Gueye, Garner; Armstrong, Dewsbury-Hall, Ndiaye; Beto.