Everton will kick off their Premier League season with the visit of Fulham to Goodison Park. Four months after defeating the Toffees 3-1 on the road with goals from Harrison Reed, Harry Wilson, and the since-departed Daniel James, the Cottagers go to Merseyside.
Preview (Everton vs Fulham)
Everton, along with Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool, is still one of the six clubs. After succeeding Frank Lampard as manager in January, the Toffees finished 17th and two points above the bottom three in May thanks to a sensational Abdoulaye Doucoure goal. Sean Dyche successfully led the team to safety.
Eleven weeks after their Goodison Park victory on the last day, Dyche is gearing up his team for their season opener against Fulham. Dyche is hoping to have a successful first full season as Everton’s manager. They attempt to escape another difficult relegation struggle. But if they don’t strengthen their roster by the transfer deadline next month, it might be difficult. In fact, the cash-strapped Toffees have only added Arnaut Danjuma on loan and 38-year-old Ashley Young this summer while observing a number of their Premier League opponents bolster in a variety of areas. However, at the time of writing, teenage forward Youssef Chermiti is nearly ready to make a commitment to the blue side of Merseyside.
Dyche’s team enjoyed an undefeated preseason. They won four and drawing two of their six friendlies. These results included a narrow 1-0 home win over Sporting Lisbon last weekend. Thanks to a first-half goal from Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Everton enters the new season with a smaller squad than the one that avoided the drop last season. Everton has won their last two home games against the Cottagers. They have only lost one of their last 11 opening games in a Premier League season. They have also given up five goals in those two defeats.
With only one victory in their last eight games played on opening weekend and three losses in a row in the Premier League, Fulham has a bad tendency of getting off to a sluggish start in league play. Although the Cottagers’ record of three victories in their last five Premier League games with the Toffees augurs well for the match on Saturday, they have lost their only two previous meetings with Everton in the opening match of a top-flight season.
Team News
Dwight McNeil (ankle), Seamus Coleman (knee), and Dele Alli (hip) are all out for Everton due to injuries, and Danjuma and James Tarkowski — the latter of whom hobbled off toward the end of last weekend’s victory over Sporting — are both questionable. risky of injury Calvert-Lewin continued to improve his fitness by playing for 45 minutes against Sporting. It is unlikely that he will play the entire 90 minutes against Fulham. The striker should be able to lead the line right away. Young, a recent addition, might start at left-back though.
James Garner was intriguingly used by Dyche in a hybrid wing-back/midfield role against Sporting. The Toffees manager may contemplate using him in a similar manner against Fulham. Meanwhile, it is unclear whether Demarai Gray will play given the Cottagers’ rumored interest in luring him away permanently. Key midfielder Joao Palhinha of the guests suffered a shoulder injury in a preseason victory against Brentford last month. Despite Silva’s confirmation that Palhinha has started ball work on the training field, the Portuguese is not anticipated to make a comeback until the end of this month. Sasa Lukic may replace Harrison Reed in center-midfield. In case Tom Cairney and Joao Palhinha are both absent due to injuries to their muscles.
Everton 1 – 1 Fulham
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