Everton: Mark Lawrenson predicts slender win v Crystal Palace
Everton will be hoping to end a three-game losing streak on Saturday (22 October) when they welcome Crystal Palace to Goodison Park.
It will be the Eagles’ first return to Merseyside after the Toffees secured survival against them last season to spark controversial scenes involving their manager Patrick Vieira.
Everton were subsequently fined for the pitch invasion that occurred but all attention is on right now as Frank Lampard tries to get back to winning ways.
“Everton are not conceding many goals but they’re not scoring many either,” Lawrenson said to Paddy Power.
“I’ll go for them to win this though on the basis that they need to start picking up wins. They had a good run and have fallen off again but I think at home they’ll edge this. Everton 2-1 Crystal Palace.
Palace come into the game having just beaten managerless Wolves and have not lost in their last three matches since a narrow defeat to Chelsea at Selhurst Park.
Good omens
Not only does this game bring back some fantastic memories for Evertonians, but there is also one very good omen that could give the Toffees that bit of encouragement to go out and win.
Crystal Palace are yet to win a Premier League game away from home so far this season despite a trip to strugglers Leicester City but they have only played a small number of games on the road.
Lampard has to put that fact in front of his players on Saturday and demand that they keep their record intact because this is the sort of game they have to be winning.
Even after three successive defeats, Everton should be getting a positive result from this sort of home fixture where their opponents are not expressly better than they are.
It will require a typically vocal Goodison Park crowd and a top performance in front of goal but the ingredients are all there for a good result, it just needs to follow the recipe to happen.