Three things to watch for in Everton clash v Tottenham
After four Premier League games with out a win, Everton will be desperate to put things right when they face Tottenham on Friday.
Chelsea, Burnley, Crystal Palace and Brighton have all denied Everton three points, and with the race for European football heating up the Blues are running out of time to climb the table.
Tottenham are winless in two, having lost to Manchester United last week after being held to a 2-2 draw with Newcastle in the fixture prior, and so they will be equally keen to get back to winning ways.
Ahead of the clash on Merseyside we at Goodison News have picked out three things that fans should watch out for in this upcoming encounter.
Midfield solidity
Tom Davies was the only midfielder passed fit to start against Brighton last week but Carlo Ancelotti teased a return for Allan against Tottenham, with the Brazilian having trained throughout the week.
Everton’s midfield was almost non-existent against the Seagulls so the Toffees will hope to be much more compact and tactile with Allan back playing.
Forced defensive reshuffle
Ancelotti will once again be forced to rotate his defensive options against Spurs following Yerry Mina’s injury against Brighton.
The Blues have rarely been able to maintain a consistent backline this season, with injuries and Ancelotti’s penchant to rotate disrupting positive momentum.
With Mina ruled out we’re set to see yet another attempt at finding the winning formula at the back.
Injection of creativity desperately needed
Alex Iwobi was forced to sit on the bench against Brighton as the sole substitute with first-team experience, watching Gylfi Sigurdsson cut a meek figure in midfield for the Blues.
Though the Nigeria international isn’t naturally suited to playing in central midfield Everton lacked his creative edge against the Seagulls, and it wasn’t until his introduction that they began to liven up ever so slightly.
With Ancelotti there are no guarantees, however Iwobi could be handed a start against Tottenham as the Italian looks for an additional spark of creativity, with Sigurdsson dropped in the process.
In other Everton news, an ‘outstanding’ star is keen on signing for Everton as Marcel Brands is given price to seal big deal.
Be sure to follow Goodison News on Facebook and Twitter for 24/7 updates on Everton and more exclusive interviews with Kevin Campbell.