Can Everton Begin To Climb Away From The Bottom Three?
- Spirit of The News
- Dec 4, 2024
- 3 min read
A huge game early on in the season as Everton host Wolverphamton Wanderers to Goodison park. Both teams are lingering around the relegation zone at the moment, with a Wolves victory meaning the Blues drop into the bottom three whilst Wolves climb out.
The pressure is on for both Gary O’Neil and Sean Dyche to get a result here due to the fact that the win here could be massive in terms of survival come the end of the campaign.
The star man for Wolves this season has been Portuguese striker Matheus Cunha:
Matheus Cunha Stats Premier League 24/25:
Appearances: 13
Goals: 7
Assists: 3
Yellow Cards: 1
Red Cards: 0
It’s a completely different story for Sean Dyche’s side in terms of goals. The last time Everton scored a goal was in October in a 94th-minute equaliser by Beto in a 1-1 draw against Fulham. Possibly negative tactics or a lack of confidence have affected many expected goalscorers, especially Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Everton’s number 9 seems to be not his usual self lately; two goals this Premier League season has brought Dyche to the decision to give Beto a run out, which is what occurred against Manchester United at Old Trafford last weekend.
Beto Everton Stats:
Appearances: 48
Goals: 7
Assists: 2
Yellow Cards: 2
Red Cards: 0
Ruben Amorim’s side cruised past Everton as Manchester United won 4-0. Within the first half hour, Everton were on top. A high-pressing style was implemented, and it was clearly working. However, the Toffees weren’t able to get the goal to go ahead. Against the run of play, Manchester United were able to go ahead. The confidence has crumbled, and United took advantage of this, evident from the resulting scoreline.
Last weekend, Wolves were also the victims of a 4-goal thrashing. A 4-2 loss at Molineux Stadium against Bournemouth, with Cherries player Justin Kluivert becoming the first Premier League player to score a hat trick through penalties!
After going four games unbeaten in the league, this result made Wolves boss Gary O’Neil furious with his team’s errors that could have simply been avoided easily. Many fans were calling for the sacking of the manager, but for now O’Neil is safe.
Gary O’Neil Wolves Stats:
Matches: 60
Won: 20
Drawn: 11
Lost: 29
Win Percentage: 33%
Similar to Sean Dyche, many have been wishing for the coach to be sacked. Right now, Everton are in a period of transition of ownership to current Roma owners, The Friedkin Group. Current owner Farhad Moshiri has reportedly expressed he still has the backing of Sean Dyche, believing he is, currently, the right man for the job. Though it is hard to believe for some, his experience in these situations is fantastic, with his reputation complying with that as well.
Sean Dyche Everton Stats:
Matches: 78
Won: 25
Drawn: 21
Lost: 32
Win Percentage: 32%
The Toffees’ December fixture list looks extremely rough, emphasising the importance of a positive team performance against Wolves. With the Merseyside Derby on Saturday, there isn’t much of a turnaround, adding to the pressure of this eerie upcoming set of games.
Everton December Fixtures:
Everton vs Wolves
Everton vs Liverpool
Arsenal vs Everton
Everton vs Chelsea
Man City vs Everton
Everton vs Nottingham Forest
Dyche, in his press conference, has said that Albanian loanee Armando Broja is in contention to make it into the matchday squad. Could he be the problem solver for the Toffees’ lack of goals?
For Wolves, Santiago Bueno has been training with no issues, and the defender is more than likely to return to the squad. Same as Pablo Sarabia, who has been injured since the international break, is now ready to return from a calf strain after being on the bench for their loss against Bournemouth.
Matchday 14:
Tuesday 3rd December:
Ipswich 0-1 Crystal Palace
Leicester 3-1 West Ham
Wednesday 4th December:
Everton 19:30 Wolves
Man City 19:30 Nottingham Forest
Newcastle 19:30 Liverpool
Southampton 19:30 Chelsea
Arsenal 20:15 Man United
Aston Villa 20:15 Brentford
Thursday 5th December:
Fulham 19:30 Brighton
Bournemouth 20:15 Spurs
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