View: Everton predicted XI vs West Ham
Frank Lampard is expected to ring the changes when Everton travel to the London Stadium to take on West Ham this weekend.
The Toffees earned a huge win over Newcastle in their last Premier League outing to put three points between themselves and the bottom three, but they suffered a crushing 4-0 loss to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup just before the international break.
After such a defeat, Lampard is likely to wield the axe on his team to try and get a big result against a West Ham side with one eye on the Europa League.
Jordan Pickford will almost certainly be selected in goal as the first-choice stopper, despite having missed the win over Newcastle through illness. He returned for the FA Cup tie and Lampard will stick with his best shot stopper for the run-in.
Lampard has gone with a back three on several occasions but it’s quite clear the players aren’t comfortable with it so expect a back four for this game.
Ben Godfrey has filled in at left back on several occasions and done well, so he should continue there while Michael Keane and Mason Holgate continue in the centre with Yerry Mina still recovering from injury.
At right back though there could be a huge change, with captain Seamus Coleman underperforming recently and so Nathan Patterson should get a chance to prove himself.
In midfield Abdoulaye Doucoure is likely to start in a more defensive role with Allan suspended following his controversial red card against Newcastle.
Donny Van de Beek is expected to be available again after missing the game with illness, and should slot in alongside him in a pivot role.
Anthony Gordon and Richarlison are essentially guaranteed starters at this point but it’s more a question of where they start in attack.
Gordon is likely to line up on the right wing, with Andros Townsend ruled out for the next nine months or so with a cruciate ligament injury picked up against Crystal Palace.
With Dominic Calvert-Lewin expected to be fit after training throughout the international break, he should start through the middle which would see the Brazilian moved to the left-wing ahead of Demarai Gray.
Behind them in a supporting role, Dele Alli deserves to be given his first start for the club to prove he isn’t a flop.
Something needs to change in the final third for the team, so why not finally include the January signing who was brought in to do exactly that?
Predicted XI: Pickford; Patterson, Keane, Holgate, Godfrey; Doucoure, Van de Beek; Gordon, Dele, Richarlison; Calvert-Lewin
In other Everton news, ‘Go down’ – Darren Bent destroys Everton ace: ‘What Premier League club would buy him?’
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