Everton hosts Luton Town with both teams stuck at the wrong end of the Premier League table. The Toffees and the Hatters had quite different outcomes in the third round of the EFL Cup last week. The former defeated Aston Villa and the latter fell to third-tier Exeter City.
Preview (Everton vs. Luton Town)
There is still a lot of ambiguity around Everton’s ownership situation. Toffees supporters have had a lot to cheer about on the field. They watching their team follow up its first Premier League win with advancement in the EFL Cup. Abdoulaye Doucoure, James Tarkowski, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored for Sean Dyche’s team. On Wednesday, the latter scored once more along with James Garner. The Toffees defeated Aston Villa 2-1 to set up a fourth-round matchup with Burnley at the end of October.
In order to grind out back-to-back victories, Dyche has emphasized the “relentless” mindset of his players. Dyche intends to build on those triumphs going into upcoming favorable home matches against Luton and Bournemouth. It will mark his 500th game as a manager. Everton will be looking to improve their home form in the upcoming weeks. They have only won one of their past eight Premier League games in front of their own fans. The Toffees haven’t lost their first four home league games since the 1958–1959 campaign. No English top-flight team has ever lost their first four home games without scoring.
While Luton is still looking for their first Premier League victory since winning promotion last season, Everton finally opened their account for the new season with a victory last weekend. However, Luton did at least earn their first point in a 1-1 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers at home last Saturday, salvaging a share of the spoils with a contentious penalty. The Hatters were unable to build on that successful outcome, however, as League One team Exeter defeated them 1-0 on Tuesday thanks to a goal from Demetri Mitchell in the 83rd minute. This ended the Hatters’ chances of completing a 16-year wait to go to the EFL Cup fourth round.
Team News
In addition to left defender Vitaliy Mykolenko, who will be evaluated before kickoff, Seamus Coleman (knee), Andre Gomes (calf), and Dele Alli (groin) are all still in the treatment area, according to Everton manager Sean Dyche. For a starting spot on the wings against Luton, Jack Harrison will compete with Arnaut Danjuma and Dwight McNeil after making his Toffees debut in midweek. It is uncertain if Calvert-Lewin will be able to start consecutive games up front. Beto, a summer addition, is a potential alternative to lead the line. Doucoure, Idrissa Gueye, and Ashley Young will also be vying for the starting spot after coming on.
Albert Sambi Lokonga of Luton has a hamstring injury that could keep him out for up to two months. He will join Gabriel Osho (knee), Jordan Clark, and Dan Potts (both ankle) on the sidelines. Ross Barkley missed the previous three games due to a thigh injury. Reece Burke, Tom Lockyer, and Amari’i Bell are all expected to join forces in a back three between wing-backs Issa Kabore and Alfie Doughty.
Marvelous Nakamba might be replaced by Tahith Chong, Luke Berry, or Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu in the starting lineup for the center of midfield position. Jacob Brown and Chiedozie Ogbene could replace Cauley Woodrow and Elijah Adebayo in the starting lineup for the attack. Both sides will be conscious of the significance of claiming the most points in their effort to raise morale and climb the table, even though Saturday’s match cannot be viewed as a must-win at this early point in the season. A Luton team that is eager to get their first Premier League victory will benefit from Everton’s poor home record. We think the Goodison Park supporters will cheer the Toffees to a narrow victory.
Everton 2 – 1 Luton Town
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