Paul Merson predicts result of Everton clash against Burnley
Everton travel to Turf Moor to face Burnley on Boxing Day and will be hoping to pick up all three points in order to get their campaign back on track.
The Toffees have won one and drawn one of their last three Premier League games in 2021-22, but Paul Merson sees them losing against Sean Dyche’s men, predicting a 1-0 defeat while previewing the clash in his Sportskeeda column.
Everton only have nine senior players available due to Covid-19 and injuries, and that could really deal a blow on their chances of getting a win on Sunday.
The Sky Sports pundit said: “Burnley need to start winning Premier League matches. For the first time, I’m starting to get a bit worried about them. They’re quite reliant on (Maxwel) Cornet – if he gets fit, they’ll stay up.
“If he doesn’t , this is the year they’ll go down. This is a massive game, especially for Everton. They’re struggling in the Premier League.
“If Chelsea had put their chances away the other day, they could’ve been blown away. Burnley will likely bombard them in a similar fashion and could potentially nick a victory here.”
Tough clash
Rafa Benitez is set to finally have Dominic Calvert-Lewin available for the clash, and while he will not likely start, the England international striker could influence the game.
However, whether the Toffees have enough depth in their rank to get a win given their Covid-19 situation remains to be seen.
On a good day, the Goodison Park outfit are favourites against a Burnley side that have won just once all season, but that is no longer the case after their request to have the game postponed was rejected.
Everton have some quality youngsters crying out for chances, and Benitez could now be forced to field a lot of them.
Should they turn up, just anything is possible, but the Clarets would see this as a chance to get their second league win on board.
Three points will lift them out of the relegation zone, and that could be massive for their campaign.
A tough clash could be on the cards, and with a lot to play for, both sides will be giving their all on the pitch in a bid to emerge victors.
In other Everton news, the Toffees are plotting January loan-to-buy bid for centre-mid hailed by Jack Grealish last month.
Be sure to follow Goodison News on Facebook and Twitter for 24/7 updates on Everton and more exclusive interviews with Kevin Campbell.