Everton host high-flying Crystal Palace in a huge Premier League clash at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Victory will lift Everton up to seventh in the table, whilst Palace can climb to second with a win.
Team News
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is suspended for Everton following his fifth booking of the league campaign in their 1-1 draw against West Ham.
Jarrad Branthwaite (hamstring) and Merlin Rohl (groin) remain absent.
Palace could be without Will Hughes after he suffered a minor quad injury in their UEFA Conference League victory away to Dynamo Kiev in Lublin, Poland.
Cheick Doucoure, Chadi Riad (both knee) and Caleb Kporha (back) remain sidelined.
When is Kick-Off?
Everton host Palace at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday 5 October at 2pm BST, live on Sky Sports Premier League in the UK.
Stat Attack
- Everton have avoided defeat in their last seven league meetings against Palace (W5, D2).
- Palace are winless in their last 10 league visits to Everton (D4, L6), although this is their first trip to the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
- Everton won both meetings against Palace last season by 2-1 results.
- James Garner and Iliman Ndiaye have both produced more shots on target than any other Everton player this season, having both put four shots on target in six appearances.
- Palace have used the 4-2-3-1 formation in five of their 11 matches in all competitions this season.
Prediction
Having failed to build upon their first-half opener and conceded a sloppy equaliser in their draw against West Ham, Everton now need to just reset but finding plenty of goals does seem to be their weakness at present especially up front centrally.
Palace on the other hand are full of confidence across the pitch in terms of goalscoring threats and unbeaten in 19 games after a clinical display at a lacklustre Dynamo Kiev, although I do expect them to face a trickier test against a more resilient Everton defence.
Oliver Glasner’s Eagles will also have to deal with the start of their hectic Thursday-Sunday routines coming up regularly – having got a taster in August, so this will be an early eye-opening test of their ability to deal with that routine so a draw might be a decent safe call,
The prospect of going second though might just give Palace that crucial motivation to go for the win.
Prediction: Everton 1-2 Crystal Palace
Result: Everton 2-1 Crystal Palace
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