Everton vs. Burnley
Venue: Goodison Park
Kick off: 6:30PM
Everton will be aiming to return to winning ways in the Premier League when they welcome Burnley to Goodison Park this evening.
Both sides failed to win against London clubs last weekend, with the Toffees losing to Chelsea – their first away defeat in the league since November – and the Clarets claiming their fifth successive home draw, this time against Arsenal.
Carlo Ancelotti’s hopes of bringing Champions League football to Goodison Park are still in sight, despite Everton losing 2-0 to top-four rivals Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Monday night.
An own goal from Ben Godfrey and a penalty converted by Jorginho either side of half time helped Thomas Tuchel’s team claim another victory in the capital, ending the Toffees’ run of eight league matches on the road without defeat.
Everton are in sixth place, four points adrift of the Champions League places but with a game in hand on Chelsea, Leicester City and Manchester United, who all currently sit in the top four.
Despite defeat to Chelsea last time out, the Merseyside club boast the fourth-best away record in the Premier League – having won six out of their last nine on the road – but their recent home form in England’s top flight has been disappointing, suffering defeats in four of their last six league fixtures at Goodison Park.
Victory against Southampton earlier this month did, however, end a run of five matches without a home win for Ancelotti’s side, with Richarlison’s ninth-minute effort sealing all three points.
Everton’s home record against Burnley will give them confidence heading into this weekend’s clash, having won five of their six Premier League home games against them (83%) – only against Fulham (93%) do the Toffees have a higher win rate against a top-flight side after facing them at least five times at Goodison Park.
Ancelotti will be hoping talisman Dominic Calvert-Lewin can regain his early-season form in front of goal as he has failed to score or provide an assist in any of his last four matches.
The 23-year-old has been a pivotal figure in the Toffees side this campaign, scoring 13 Premier League goals, which have been worth 14 points to Everton, more valuable than any other player in the competition so far this term.
Calvert-Lewin scored when Everton played out a 1-1 draw at Turf Moor in the reverse fixture earlier this season, but the Toffees will want to claim all three points on home soil today and show more consistency at Goodison Park heading down the home straight.
Burnley are to face their fourth successive match against a top-10 side this weekend and despite failing to win any of the previous three games, Sean Dyche may feel that his side have picked up two points more than many would have expected them to claim in draws against both Leicester City and Arsenal.
A 1-1 draw against the Gunners last time out means that five of Burnley’s last seven Premier League games have ended level, although all of these draws have been at Turf Moor – setting a new top-flight club record. In contrast, the Clarets have won two and lost four of their last six away league matches.
Dyche’s side remain in a battle for survival as victory for in-form Fulham away at Premier League champions Liverpool means that the Clarets are just four points clear of the bottom three with 12 matches left to play.
Burnley were in ninth position and one point above Everton at this stage of last season, but this campaign sees them sit in 15th place, 16 points behind the Toffees having played a game more.
The Clarets have a mixed record against the Merseyside outfit in recent years, winning four and losing four of their last nine meetings, with their last victory at Goodison Park back in October 2017.
Scoring goals remains at a premium for Burnley and only basement club Sheffield United (16) have registered fewer than Dyche’s side (20) so far this campaign, although the Clarets have won their last three away league games in which they have found the net.
With a match versus Southampton next week, as well as fixtures against Newcastle United, Fulham and Sheffield United still to play later this season, a positive result at Goodison Park would ease the pressure on Dyche heading into those six-pointers and should give his side plenty of confidence that they can escape from danger.
Everton possible XI: Pickford, Holgate, Godfrey, Keane, Digne, Davies, Allan, Gomes, Sigurdsson, Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison.
Burnley possible XI: Pope, Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee, Pieters, Gudmundsson, Brownhill, Westwood, McNeil, Rodriguez, Wood.