Match Preview: Everton

GOODISON PARK | 19:00 KO | PREMIER LEAGUE

Image: Everton FC

This Sunday is Valentine’s Day, and Fulham could reignite the spark within people’s hearts for the team as we search for a first-ever league win at Goodison Park on our 27th trip to L20.

Fulham will be buoyed by the fact they played well against West Ham and picked up yet another point, in this case probably the right result. Everton come into this game off the back of two games that saw 15 goals shared between them. A last-minute Dominic Calvert-Lewin equaliser snatched a point away to Manchester United, before a crazy FA Cup tie against Tottenham resulted in a 5-4 win for the Toffees- the sweetest of victories.

Fulham go into the game knowing the only acceptable result will be three points, given the gap between them and 17th place Burnley is now 8 points. Should the three points stay in Liverpool, Everton will be sat 5th on goal difference with a game (against Man City) in hand, however both Chelsea and West Ham play on Monday so they may not be there for long.

The woes are still found in front of goal for Fulham, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek spurning another gilt-edged chance against West Ham. Fans across the world will be hoping deadline day recruit Joshua Maja can find his shooting (and scoring) boots quickly. Everton have only conceded three less than us this season, so it’s not impossible to score against them. That said, they’ve scored double the amount we have this season- so if we go ahead it could prove to be a busy night for plumbers in Liverpool as the kitchen sink is thrown at us repeatedly, but with star-striker Calvert-Lewin out who knows what might happen?

PREDICTION: EVERTON 0-1 FULHAM

Yes, I really said it…

PREFERRED LINE-UP: 5-3-2


HEAD TO HEAD

LEAGUE RECORD (OVERALL)

  • GAMES PLAYED – 54
  • FULHAM WINS – 15
  • DRAWS – 10
  • EVERTON WINS – 29
  • GOALS SCORED – 55
  • GOALS CONCEDED – 93

LEAGUE RECORD (AWAY)

  • GAMES PLAYED – 27
  • FULHAM WINS – 0
  • DRAWS – 4
  • EVERTON WINS – 23
  • GOALS SCORED – 17
  • GOALS CONCEDED – 65

LAST 5 GAMES

  • FULHAM 2-3 EVERTON
  • FULHAM 2-0 EVERTON
  • EVERTON 3-0 FULHAM
  • FULHAM 1-3 EVERTON
  • EVERTON 4-1 FULHAM

BIGGEST WINS AT GOODISON PARK

  • EVERTON 5-1 FULHAM (1967/68)
  • EVERTON 4-0 FULHAM (2011/12)
  • EVERTON 4-1 FULHAM (1962/63, 2006/07, 2013/14)
  • EVERTON 3-0 FULHAM (1961/62, 1963/64, 2007/08, 2018/19)

LEAGUE FORM 

  • EVERTON – DWLDW
  • FULHAM – DLDDL

COLLINS JOHN’S VIEW

Image: Javier Garcia/BPI/Shutterstock

I thought we played well against West Ham and deserved the three points, but we lacked the ability to convert chances into goals, something that I find myself repeating every week now.

Our record at Goodison Park is scary which isn’t ideal as every game is a must win in our position. I would like to see Josh Maja start and more crosses put into the box. The service to the striker hasn’t been good enough and whilst we pass, pass, pass our way to the 18 yard line, nobody in the team seems to know what to do next.

Maybe having no fans in the ground will remove the home advantage and give us our best chance of breaking the Goodison curse, especially after Everton’s 5-4 win over Spurs went to extra time in mid week. Sadly, I think they will still be too strong for us to beat and this will be another draw.

PREDICTION: EVERTON 1-1 FULHAM


BATTLE TO WATCH

JAMES RODRIGUEZ VS ANDRE-FRANK ZAMBO ANGUISSA

The latest test for Anguissa, who’s had a wonderful season in the middle of the park for Fulham, will be to nullify the fleet-footed Colombian, James Rodriguez, who can create a chance out of nowhere. In 15 matches this season, Rodriguez has 8 goal contributions (5 goals, 3 assists) and it’s almost unthinkable that the 90 will pass by without him creating a few chances. But, if there is anyone capable of stopping him, it’s Anguissa.

Despite being quiet of late, Frank still has a massive presence at the heart of the midfield. He’s made 54 tackles this season from central midfield, the most by any Fulham player this season, and the 9th most in the league. In terms of the squad, he’s 23 tackles clear of Antonee Robinson (ex-Everton) who has 31.

James has been dispossessed 28 times this season, second only to Richarlison in the Everton side so Anguissa may find some success in the duel if he can prevent Rodriguez from moving forward before using his own pinpoint passing skills to start counterattacks from the heart of midfield. It’s certainly a pairing I’ll be keeping my eyes on throughout the game.


LAST TIME OUT

Image: Fulham FC

FULHAM 2-3 EVERTON (22/11/20)

Our last game against Everton got off to the worst start imaginable, as we conceded after just 41 seconds, Calvert-Lewin ramming home following yet another bizarre defensive episode. Fulham grew into the game following the horror start, and Bobby Decordova-Reid finished off a well-worked counterattack to bring us level with quarter of an hour gone. Yet just 20 minutes later, the game was all but finished as a quickfire double from DCL and Abdoulaye Doucoure meant the score was 3-1 with a little more than half an hour played. In the second half, our horrendous penalty hoodoo continued, Ivan Cavaleiro the latest man to add his name to the illustrious list of players who’ve missed a Premier League penalty for Fulham following a comical miss which involved slipping upon contact and firing the ball over the bar. If you’re going to miss a penalty, you might as well do so in style, am I right? Just ask Ademola Lookman, he’ll agree with me. Ruben Loftus-Cheek did score his first goal for the club soon after the penalty miss, further proof of the fact that every cloud is indeed lined with silver. I’m not sure we’d have been presented with that opportunity to reduce the deficit had Cav scored. We pressed well and with intent in the closing stages, but it was another painstaking case of too little too late as Everton took the three points and left us wondering what might have been if we’d been switched on from the start.


PLAYERS IN COMMON

Image: Fulham FC

Peter Beardsley, Paul Bracewell, John Coleman, John Collins, Olivier Dacourt, Simon Davies, Luke Garbutt, Marcus Hahnemann, Johnny Heitinga, Andy Johnson, Ademola Lookman, Brian McBride, Mark Pembridge, Gerry Peyton, Terry Phelan, Tomasz Radzinski, Antonee Robinson, Louis Saha, Phillipe Senderos, Maarten Stekelenburg.