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Premier League Predictions: Liverpool set for derby glory, City to pile misery on Arsenal

/ Louis East / Leave a comment

The international break is over. Premier League football is back and what a weekend we have in store, starting with the Merseyside Derby on Saturday lunchtime and ending with a huge game at the Emirates as Arsenal welcome Manchester City on Sunday afternoon.

There are also crucial clashes at the bottom of the table, with Swansea hosting Middlesbrough on Sunday after Watford face struggling Sunderland on Saturday afternoon. It should be another thrilling weekend of action so read on for all our Gameweek 30 predictions…

Liverpool 3-2 Everton 

The Merseyside Derby is always a big occasion and that will be no different on Saturday. Liverpool need to win this to keep their top four hopes alive and should be able to edge past an Everton team who have only won one of their last five away games in the Premier League. The Toffees are unlikely to end their 18-year winless run at Anfield here.

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Chelsea 2-0 Crystal Palace 

Premier League leaders Chelsea are ten points clear of the chasing pack. They face a Crystal Palace side who are looking to grind out results to ensure their survival. The Blues know what they need to do to win the league from here on it and Antonio Conte will expect nothing less than a win.

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Burnley 0-1 Tottenham 

Burnley have made Turf Moor a fortress this season. They have the fifth-best home record in the top flight but are facing a Spurs side that are still fighting for Champions League football. Tottenham haven’t been great away from home, winning just two of their last ten on the road in the Premier League but should be able to win by the odd goal here.

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Hull 2-2 West Ham 

Hull City come into this tie off the back of a 4-0 thumping before the international break. West Ham are going through a difficult patch so Hull will see this as a game they have to pick up points in. Unless The Tigers can put a string a positive results together they look set for the drop. Score draw.

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Leicester 3-0 Stoke

Leicester have been resurgent since Craig Shakespeare took over from Claudio Ranieri and the Foxes don’t look set to slow down here. They have won four in a row in all competitions and have rediscovered their goalscoring form. Stoke on the other hand can’t seem to score on the road, having failed to do so in their last three away games. Should be a routine home victory.

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Manchester United 2-0 West Brom 

Jose Mourinho knows his side have to win this game. West Brom shocked everyone before the international break with a stunning 3-1 win over Arsenal but a winning two on the bounce is a big ask. United are still pushing hard for a top four finish and they look capable of doing so.

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Watford 1-1 Sunderland 

This is a massive game for Sunderland if they are to keep their survival hopes intact. They need to start winning games to have any chance of pulling off another great escape but they haven’t scored in four games and are taking on a Watford side that have only lost one of their last five at home. It should be tense and we can’t see either side leaving with all three points.

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Southampton 3-1 Bournemouth 

Southampton host Bournemouth in a south-coast derby on Saturday evening and will be looking to keep their unbeaten home record against the Cherries going. Bournemouth have lost four of their last five away games but having been scoring goals. The Saints won the reverse fixture 3-1 and the same scoreline could well be on the cards here.

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Swansea 2-0 Middlesbrough 

This is a huge game at the bottom of the league. Swansea are working their way towards safety under the guidance of Paul Clement but there is still plenty of work to be done as they are just three points above the drop zone. Middlesbrough look destined for a return to the Championship unless they can turn their fortunes around. They’ve won the least amount of games in the league this season, just four.

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Arsenal 1-2 Manchester City 

The pressure is on Arsene Wenger to deliver in this one. His Arsenal side have lost four of their last five Premier League games and face a continually improving Manchester City. Pep Guardiola’s side are 12 points off the top and will be looking to keep chasing with a win here. They haven’t conceded in their last three away league outings.

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Orlando City star linked with £2m move to Everton to replace Lukaku this summer

/ Louis East / 2 Comments

Everton are looking across the pond to Major League Soccer as they line up a summer move for Orlando City striker Cyle Larin, who the Toffees see as an ideal replacement for the seemingly outgoing Romelu Lukaku, according to the Sun.

Everton scouts have been watching Larin take MLS by storm since joining the league with Orlando in 2015. He’s scored a total of 34 goals in 61 regular season games and has added three assists in that time.

At 21, Larin is clearly a player with a big future ahead of him. Orlando fans would love to think they could hold onto their prolific frontman for the foreseeable future but interest from a Premier League club like Everton will have to be taken seriously by both the player and the club itself.

Larin is expected to cost around £2 million if Everton firm up their interest in the coming months, but that would surely only happen if Lukaku does indeed depart at the end of the season.

The Belgian forward has refused to sign a new five-year deal as he wants to play in the Champions League for one of Europe’s elite clubs. He is currently the Premier League’s top goalscorer after netting 21 goals in 28 appearances so far this season – the best tally of his career.

A return to former club Chelsea is on the cards as it appears increasingly unlikely that the 23-year-old talisman will be plying his trade at Goodison Park next term.

The Toffees might well look to Larin if they lose Lukaku but they can expect competition, with European rivals Besiktas, Celtic and Benfica also reported to be circling around the Canada international.

Would Cyle Larin be a good signing for Everton if they lose Romelu Lukaku? Is he ready to leave MLS for the Premier League?

Chelsea star’s departure will pave way for return of Lukaku this summer

/ Lewis Addley / 1 Comment

Everton fans are devastated at the news that Romelu Lukaku will not be signing a new contract with the club. The Belgian is looking to play at the highest level and is hungry for silverware. A return to Chelsea would provide Lukaku with what he is looking for in terms of elite football but it is only an option for him if Diego Costa departs the club in the summer transfer window. Lewis Addley explores the potential of a Chelsea return…

Lukaku was never given the chance to showcase his talent in his first spell at Chelsea but it is quite clear the goal-machine has exactly what it takes to thrive at the highest level. It would be a complete role reversal if Lukaku replaces Costa this summer, as his move to Everton in 2014 provided the funds and space for the Spaniard to make the move to West London.

Costa has netted 49 Premier League goals in 79 games for Chelsea, while Lukaku has scored 47 in 100 games across the same amount of seasons. It’s clear Lukaku has had better luck with injuries in that time and he could have potentially scored more if he had been receiving the same level of service as Costa from the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Eden Hazard.

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There isn’t much doubt Lukaku would be a success at Chelsea, he has a similar powerful approach to Costa, arguably more pace that all-important eye for goal.

But a move back to SW6 only makes sense if Costa does actually leave the club. Chelsea are quite clearly opting for just one striker and you only have to look at how limited Michy Batshuayi’s playing time has been this season to know Antonio Conte likes to keep his side settled.

A whole host of clubs across Europe will be battling to sign the 23-year-old forward but a Premier League move would be favourable, his style of play suits the league and he’s proven he can cause any side trouble.

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The Chinese Super League looks a likely destination for Costa if a new contract isn’t agreed with Chelsea but the trail has gone a little more quiet since the club were able to rebuff a world-record offer from Tianjin Quanjin in the winter window. Potential suitors will no doubt try to tempt Costa away from Chelsea in the summer, with his future far from certain at Stamford Bridge.

Would Lukaku move back to Chelsea? Should The Blues go in for him if Costa leaves this summer?

Premier League Predictions: Liverpool revenge over Burnley, six-pointer between Hull and Swansea

/ Louis East / Leave a comment

It’s a quiet weekend in terms of Premier League action, with just the four games to savour over Saturday and Sunday as a result of FA Cup quarter-finals taking place. But that doesn’t mean the top-flight action will be any less important to the eight teams involved, particularly for Hull and Swansea who go head-to-head in a relegation six-pointer on Saturday afternoon. Liverpool host Burnley in Sunday’s only game and will be looking for revenge over the Clarets from their shock early-season loss at Turf Moor back in August.

The other two fixtures come on Saturday as Everton host West Brom, while West Ham travel to Bournemouth. Read on for all of our Gameweek 28 predictions…

Everton 3-0 West Brom

Everton lost their first Premier League game of 2017 at Tottenham last Sunday and will be desperate to bounce back in front of their own fans after a surprisingly lacklustre performance. Ronald Koeman’s side sit one place above West Brom but are four points clear of the Baggies, who themselves look to be in a bit of limbo. They appear to be guaranteed a top-half finish but don’t seem to have much to play for. That was proven with last week’s 2-0 home loss to Crystal Palace. Tony Pulis needs his players to turn up to stand a chance, but they look like they’re already on the proverbial beach so it could be a long afternoon on Merseyside…

Hull 1-1 Swansea

This is an absolute must-win game for Hull City. They are 19th in the table, four points from safety and need to win this to reignite their faint survival hopes. Marco Silva’s men looked to be on a resurgent run of form a month ago, but they’ve now taken one point from their last three games and are missing defensive leaders Curtis Davies and Michael Dawson. Swansea have picked up since Paul Clement took over. They are now five points clear of the drop zone but must avoid defeat here to stay on the survival path ahead of winnable fixtures against Bournemouth and Middlesbrough next.

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Bournemouth 0-2 West Ham

This is a tough one to call because neither side is in any kind of good form and both look like they have very little to play for over the final 11 games. Bournemouth haven’t won in eight PL games and are sliding down the table at a rate of knots. They aren’t yet in major relegation trouble but will be if they can’t pick up. West Ham fell 2-1 at home to Chelsea on Monday night and have now gone three games without a win themselves. They are still a better side than Bournemouth though, and look much more likely to take all three points here.

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Liverpool 2-0 Burnley

Liverpool’s 2-0 defeat to Burnley back in August came as a real shock, especially considering Liverpool had beaten Arsenal 4-3 the weekend beforehand. Jurgen Klopp’s men have continued to struggle against the so-called ‘smaller’ sides in the league this season, while coming out on top against their top six rivals. They are a much better side at home though and look poised to get revenge over the Clarets, who have still not won an away game in the league this season. Sean Dyche’s men have been excellent at Turf Moor, with their home form the reason for their 12-placed position in the table. But they are the league’s worst away side and are unlikely to find any joy at a ground they haven’t won at since 1974.

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Premier League Predictions: Chelsea to extend lead at the top, Bournemouth’s woes to continue

/ Louis East / Leave a comment

The Premier League returns this weekend after a two-week break for European and FA Cup commitments for a number of top flight clubs. Others have had two full weeks to recover and will hope some warm-weather training will help inspire them to three points this weekend.

Sunday will also see Manchester United and Southampton go head-to-head at Wembley in the EFL Cup Final. Arsenal and Manchester City will not be in action, as a result of Sunday’s final, but read on for all of our Gameweek 26 predictions…

Chelsea 3-1 Swansea

Chelsea face a Swansea side who have dramatically improved since the appointment of Paul Clement. The reverse fixture was filled with controversy as Chelsea felt hard-done by to not come away with all three points. They’ll be looking to make amends here and extend their lead at the top with both Manchester United and Arsenal not playing in the league this weekend.

Crystal Palace 1-1 Middlesbrough

Crystal Palace in are in trouble. They need to get a positive result out of this one otherwise Middlesbrough will open the gap between themselves and the bottom three. A win for Sam Allardyce’s side could potentially take them up to 16th and could help to inspire them to get on a run. Middlesbrough know they have to avoid defeat to risk potentially being dragged into the relegation zone, so a draw looks likely.

Everton 3-1 Sunderland

Everton are on an eight game unbeaten run in the Premier League. They’re still in the mix for a European placed finish so have to fight hard to cause the sides above them problems. Sunderland’s so-called revival looks more like a one-game wonder as they were thumped 4-0 having dished out their own four-goal haul the game week before. This looks like a foregone conclusion but you can’t rule Sunderland out of scoring with Jermain Defoe leading the line.

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Hull 2-2 Burnley

Hull City look capable of staying up this season but they have to make their home form count. Burnley cannot buy a win on their travels and despite their commanding position over their opponents here it looks like that unwanted run will continue. Hull have managed to pick up seven points from the last 15 on offer, so a draw here wouldn’t be the worst result.

West Brom 2-0 Bournemouth

West Brom are unbeaten in four and looking as solid as usual ahead of what looks a very winnable fixture against a Bournemouth team that are seemingly in freefall. The Cherries have lost three in a row and conceded six in their most recent away game at Everton. Eddie Howe’s men are out of form but will hope they are clear enough of the bottom three to be fully dragged into a relegation scrap.

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Watford 2-2 West Ham

Both these sides have had two full weeks to prepare for what is a big game for both sets of players. Watford have only lost two of their last 11 at home and are a tough unit to break down, but West Ham have been playing with more belief of late and goals are to be expected in what should be an entertaining game.

Spurs 2-1 Stoke

This is a massive game for Tottenham after their disappointing midweek Europa League exit to Gent at Wembley. Mauricio Pochettino knows his players need to bounce back straightaway, but the fact that his first-team played on Thursday night could play a major role in the outcome of the game. Stoke have been inconsistent all season but will fancy their chances after an extended break. They don’t do well in London though, having only won one of their last 20 trips to the capital…

EFL Cup Final – Manchester United 2-0 Southampton

Jose Mourinho loves playing cup finals at Wembley. He’s only lost one of 11 finals during his managerial career and has his United team firing on all cylinders ahead of Sunday’s clash. It’s a huge game for the Saints, who have never won the League Cup in their history, but they are up against it and it’s tough to see any other outcome than a United win.

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Premier League Preview and Prediction: Everton vs Manchester City

/ Lewis Addley / Leave a comment

Competition: Premier League – Everton vs. Manchester City

Venue: Goodison Park – Sunday, January 15 – 13:30 GMT (08:30 ET) 

Match Odds: Everton 16/5 – Draw 14/5 – Man City 4/5

Match Preview

Everton play host to Manchester City on Sunday with The Toffees looking to extend their Premier League unbeaten run to four games.

This is going to be a test for Ronald Koeman’s men, they face a Manchester City side who will be desperate for a win, but they will know they have the ability to upset anyone at Goodison.

Everton are on a three-game unbeaten Premier League run. That recent run of form looks to have them back on track in the league after a difficult spell. They did however exit the FA Cup last weekend in a disappointing home loss, so a response is needed.

This is Everton’s second league home game in a row, they demolished Southampton 3-0 last time out and they have a great chance of a positive result if they put in an impressive display like that again.

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Manchester City have won three of their last five away games. Their last league game was a 2-1 home win against Burnley, an unconvincing performance intensified the pressure on Pep Guardiola.

While Pep is not one to panic, he is in new territory in his managerial career and needs to find a way to silence his doubters. A win here at a ground renowned for being difficult for the top sides to take points from would be a step in the right direction.

City have won five of their last six games in all competitions, including progressing in the FA Cup with a ruthless 5-0 win away against West Ham. The squad should be fresh as their last game will have been nine days previous by kick off on Sunday.

Guardiola’s side have work to do to close the gap at the top of the league. A loss here could potentially see them drop out of the top four and then the alarm bells would certainly be ringing amongst the fans. They need a big performance.

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Team News

Everton’s squad is littered with injuries, they could be without as many as eight players for this tie. Yannick Bolasie, Dominic Clavert-Lewin and Muhamed Besic are all out, while Maarten Stekelenburg, James McCarthy, Bryan Oviedo and Matthew Pennington are all doubts. Idrissa Gueye is on international duty at the African Cup of Nations.

Vincent Kompany and Ilkay Gundogan remain long-term absentees for Manchester City, while Leroy Sane is a doubt. Fernandinho is also unavailable for selection as he remains suspended.

Key Points

Everton’s last five: W/L/W/D/W

Manchester City’s last five: W/W//W/L/W

Key Stat: Everton are unbeaten in 12 of their last 13 Premier League games at Goodison Park.

Key Player: Sergio Aguero – The Argentine made the difference in City’s last Premier League game. A lot is going to be expected from him over the second half of the season given his side trail top spot by seven points. He can remind everyone that City are well in the title race by contributing to an impressive away victory here.

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Score Prediction

Everton 2-2 Manchester City – An action packed draw. Everton have caused plenty of the big sides trouble at Goodison down the years and City could fall victim to that fate once again here. City’s defensive issues have been well documented, it would be a surprise if they keep a clean sheet this weekend, given Everton’s free-flowing attacking play.

Premier League Preview and Prediction: Everton vs Manchester United

/ Louis East / Leave a comment

Competition: Premier League – Everton vs. Manchester United

Venue: Goodison Park – Sunday, December 4 – 16:00 GMT (11:00 ET) 

Match Odds: Everton 13/5 – Draw 12/5 – Man United 21/20

Match Preview

Everton welcome Manchester United to Goodison Park on Sunday afternoon in what is a hugely important game for two sides struggling form as we head towards the busy Christmas period.

Everton are winless in three and fell 1-0 at Southampton last weekend. They remain seventh and just one point behind United, so this is a big game for the home fans as they look to get back on track.

Ronald Koeman needs to get his side playing better football if they are to challenge for European football and Sunday offers them a great chance to prove their worth.

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United aren’t in much better form and find themselves 11 points behind league leaders Chelsea going into the weekend.

They were held to a 1-1 draw at home to West Ham last weekend but did beat the Hammers 4-1 in the EFL Cup on Wednesday evening to lift spirits.

United won their last away game at Swansea and would be delighted if they can leave Goodison Park with all three points for the second-straight season.

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The Red Devils beat Everton 3-0 in the corresponding fixture last year before completing a double over the Toffees with a 1-0 win at Old Trafford in April.

These two sides also met in the FA Cup semifinal back in May, with United coming out 2-1 victors on their way to lifting the trophy.

Team News

Everton remain without Muhamed Besic and Matthew Pennington. Tyias Browning and Arouna Kone are doubts, while James McCarthy is in contention to start after returning to training in the week.

Manchester United remain without Chris Smalling, who is still out with a broken toe, while Eric Bailly will miss out again despite returning to training. Wayne Rooney will miss the game at his former club as he is suspended. Luke Shaw is a doubt after picking up a knock in the EFL Cup win over West Ham on Wednesday.

Key Points

Everton’s last five: L/W/L/D/L

Man United’s last five: L/D/W/D/D

Key Stat: Everton are unbeaten in their last nine home games in the Premier League.

Key Player: Zlatan Ibrahimovic – The powerful United frontman scored two in the midweek win over West Ham and will be looking to add to his Premier League tally of seven goals at a struggling Everton here.

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Score Prediction

Everton 1-1 Manchester United – There is little to suggest either of these sides has enough quality to go and win Sunday’s clash. Everton are really struggling for form but are a well organised unit at home and have yet to lose at Goodison this season. United will hope their League Cup win over West Ham can be the start of a change of fortunes, but Jose Mourinho’s side have not shown any consistency in the league as of yet, so this one looks set to end all square.

Premier League Preview and Prediction: Chelsea vs Everton

/ Lewis Addley / Leave a comment

Competition: Premier League – Chelsea vs. Everton

Venue: Stamford Bridge – Saturday, November 5 – 17:30 GMT (13:30 ET) 

Match Odds: Chelsea 8/15 – Draw 16/5 – Everton 19/4 

Match Preview

Chelsea welcome Everton to Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening in a fixture that has produced some classic matches full of goals in recent times.

Antonio Conte’s side continued their winning streak last weekend with their 2-0 victory over Southampton, it was their fourth consecutive Premier League win without conceding a goal.

If history is anything to go by we could be in for plenty of action in this one as there have been 23 goals in the last six meetings between the sides in all competitions.

Chelsea will want to go into the international break preserving their defensive record and will see this as a chance to increase their winning run to five games.

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Everton ended their four-game winless run with their 2-0 victory over West Ham last time out, but they know they have a tough game on their hands here.

Ronald Koeman’s side trail Chelsea by just four points heading into this one. They have had a strong opening ten games (W5-D3-L2) and look capable of pushing for the top six this season.

Everton have struggled for positive results at Stamford Bridge, they have failed to win away against Chelsea in their last 22 attempts. This would be an ideal time to put that unwanted run to an end.

The Toffees can take heart in the fact that they have scored at least twice in their last three matches against Chelsea. If they can breach the three-man backline they will be within a great chance of picking up a favourable result.

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Team News

Conte is likely to be without four players through injury as Cesc Fabregas, John Obi Mikel, Kurt Zouma and Marco van Ginkel remain in their recovery period.

Everton’s injury list seems to continue to worsen as Leighton Baines, Arouna Kone, Muhamed Besic, Tyias Browning, James McCarthy and Matthew Pennington are all expected to remain out. Idrissa Gueye is serving his one-game suspension.

Key Points

Chelsea’s last five: L/W/W/W/W

Everton’s last five: L/D/D/L/W

Key Stat: Chelsea are unbeaten in their last 22 home games against Everton in all competitions.

Key Player: David Luiz – Much was made of Chelsea resigning Luiz. The Brazilian has played an integral role since Chelsea switched to 3-4-3 and looks a far more mature player since returning to the club. The fan-favourite is showing both leadership qualities and passion that Chelsea lacked last season.

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Score Prediction

Chelsea 1-0 Everton – The Blues have been on an incredible run of form in the Premier League. They have looked far more resilient defensively and have the ability to make it five clean sheets in a row this weekend.

Premier League Preview and Prediction: Everton vs Crystal Palace

/ Louis East / 1 Comment

Competition: Premier League – Everton FC vs. Crystal Palace FC

Venue: Goodison Park – Friday, September 30 – 20:00 BST (15:00 ET) 

Match Odds: Everton 4/6 – Draw 29/10 – Crystal Palace 19/5

Match Preview

Everton take on Crystal Palace under the lights at Goodison Park in this week’s Friday night Premier League clash in a battle between two sides that have started the season well.

Both teams come into the game inside the top seven and so an exciting contest is expected here.

Everton will be desperate to bounce back from a shock defeat at Bournemouth last weekend. That was their first loss under Ronald Koeman and they need to show that was just a blip, rather than anything more serious at this early stage.

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The Toffees had won four in a row before that 1-0 loss and strolled past Middlesbrough in their last home game. They are expected to win Friday’s game but Palace look like they mean business.

Alan Pardew’s men showed incredible character to come from two goals down at Sunderland to win 3-2 last weekend. They have now won three on the spin and are looking for a third away win of the campaign.

Few would have expected the Eagles to be in the top half of the table after they took just one point from their first three fixtures but something has clicked and the arrival of Christian Benteke has giving them a focal point to build from in attack.

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This will be the 15th Premier League meeting between the two sides. The worry for Everton is that they have failed to beat Palace at home in their last three league games (D1 L2) so the pressure is on the hosts to put on a show for the home fans.

Team News

Everton have four players ruled out of this one, with Muhamed Besic, Tyias Browning, Matthew Pennington and James McCarthy all unavailable. Leighton Baines is a doubt and could miss a second-straight game, while Darron Gibson isn’t expected to feature.

Crystal Palace will be without key defender Scott Dann, while Pape Souare is a long-term absentee. Loic Remy remains out, while Wilfried Zaha is a doubt after missing last week’s win with a hamstring problem.

Key Points

Everton’s last five: W/W/W/W/L

Crystal Palace’s last five: L/D/W/W/W

Key Stat: Leaky – Crystal Palace have not kept a clean sheet in 11 consecutive Premier League games.

Key Player: Idrissa Gueye – The Everton midfielder has been excellent since signing from Villa in the summer and has made the most tackles in the Premier League so far this term. He will need to break up play here to give Everton the best chance of success.

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Score Prediction

Everton 2-1 Crystal Palace – Palace have been on an excellent run but Everton will be fired up for Friday’s game. The home support should help the Toffees edge this one, while the absence of Scott Dann is a worry for the Eagles backline up against Romelu Lukaku. Everton to win it by the odd goal.

Premier League Preview and Prediction: Sunderland vs Everton

/ Louis East / Leave a comment

Competition: Premier League – Sunderland vs. Everton

Venue: Stadium of Light – Monday, September 12 – 20:00 BST (15:00 ET)

Match Odds: Sunderland 12/5 – Draw 12/5 – Everton 11/10

Match Preview

Sunderland host Everton in this week’s Monday Night Football clash at the Stadium of Light, with the Black Cats desperate for a win after another slow start to the season.

David Moyes will need to rally his troops to try and beat the club he managed for 11 years and their 1-1 draw at Southampton two weeks ago should inspire some confidence.

Sunderland have scored in every game so far this term, but their only home game ended in a very disappointing 2-1 defeat to local rivals Middlesbrough. A much better display is needed here.

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They will be confident of getting a result against the Toffees here, given the fact they’ve only lost one of their last seven at home to Everton in the top flight.

Ronald Koeman has started life on Merseyside well, picking up seven points from their opening three games. They come into Monday’s game off the back of the 1-0 home win against Stoke and will be looking for three more points here.

The Toffees faithful are not best pleased about their transfer business this summer but they now need to focus solely on picking up results. They may have lost John Stones, but keeping Ross Barkley and Romelu Lukaku is a huge boost.

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Koeman could become the first Everton manager since 1919 to win his first two away games in charge, with Thomas McIntosh the last to do so 97 years ago.

Last year’s meeting at the Stadium of Light ended 3-0 to Sunderland, with Everton winning the reverse fixture 6-2, so another goal fest could be on the cards here.

Team News

Sunderland’s record signing Didier N’Dong is in line to make his debut but may have to come off the bench after playing 90 minutes for Gabon on Tuesday. Jan Kirchhoff is available for David Moyes for the first time this season, while Seb Larsson, Vito Mannone, Fabio Borini and Billy Jones are all out. Lee Cattermole is back in training and may start.

Everton could start with Seamus Coleman for the first time this season, with the Irish fullback fit again. Tom Cleverley and Darron Gibson are doubts, with James McCarthy, Tyias Browning, Matthew Pennington and Muhamed Besic all sidelined. Deadline day loan signing Enner Valencia is set to be in the squad.

Key Points

Sunderland’s form: L/L/D

Everton’s form: D/W/W

Key Stat: Sunderland have not won a Premier League game in the months of August or September for four years, losing 13 of the 22 games in these months since a win over Wigan in 2012.

Key Player: Jermain Defoe – The Sunderland striker has already scored twice this season and is the home team’s biggest goal threat. He has five goals against Everton in the Premier League – all of which have come at Goodison Park – and will expect to add to his tally here if the hosts are to get anything out of the contest.

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Score Prediction

Sunderland 1-1 Everton – There is little to choose between these sides ahead of Monday night’s clash but the home side will setup to avoid a second home defeat of the season against an attack-minded Everton team. Both look set to score, though they could play out a draw, on what could be a nervous encounter.