Michael Owen predicts the result of Everton clash against Brighton
Everton are finally back in action after having their last two games postponed, and a win against Brighton on Sunday will be good.
The Toffees host the Seagulls at Goodison Park on the second day of 2022, and Michael Owen has tipped them to begin the new year on a winning note.
Rafa Benitez is set to be armed with some of his best players who had been unavailable due to injuries and Covid-19, and the former Premier League star is predicting a 2-1 victory for the hosts in his BetVictor column.
Owen said: “I’m expecting Everton to return with a good performance. They’ve had the longest break out of anyone, so they should be fresh.
“They were having to rely on youngsters in their last few games who performed well, but Rafa Benitez will be hoping to get some senior players back for this, most notably Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
“Brighton completely deserved that point against Chelsea. I’m a huge fan of Graham Potter and think he gets absolutely everything out of his team. With a few more additions, Brighton could challenge for a spot in the top eight.
“Everton went through a difficult spell at the start of the month and the enforced break will do them some good. They’ve got a good run of fixtures now, and I think that will start with a 2-1 win here.”
Huge game
Calvert-Lewin is finally set to return to action having featured in only the opening three league games of 2021-22, and the fans will be looking forward to seeing him back at Goodison Park.
The England international striker will want to hit the ground running and resume with a bang, and that is very possible against Brighton.
While Potter’s side are above them on the table, they have won the same number of games (five), and Everton will fancy their chances of edging this one out.
Having scored just 17 times, Brighton clearly have a problem in front of goal, and the fact that the Merseysiders have bagged 21 goals despite having their number 1 unavailable for 14 games speaks volumes.
DCL will be back on Sunday and many will be tipping him to wreak havoc.
He has had enough time to recover and get back to full fitness, and the visitors’ defence will need to be at their best to keep him quiet.
Everton have managed to pick up four points in their last three games, and landing another three this weekend will help keep their European dreams alive.
In other Everton news, the Toffees are plotting January loan-to-buy bid for centre-mid hailed by Jack Grealish last month.
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