By Sam Stone

30th Mar, 2023 | 11:52am

Paul Merson predicts result of Everton Premier League fixture v Tottenham

Paul Merson has backed Tottenham to beat Everton 3-1 when the two sides meet at Goodison Park on Monday evening.

Spurs head to Merseyside under the stewardship of Cristian Stellini after Antonio Conte was sacked on Sunday (26 March).

Merson feels it’s a “hard” game to predict but claimed Spurs’ threat on the counterattack could give them the edge on Monday night (3 April).

“This is a hard game, and you’ll know if the players are behind their manager this weekend. It’s going to be a battle on Monday night – Everton will make it one. We’ll see if Tottenham are up for it,” said Merson (Sportkeeda predictions, 30 March).

“This game is a punter’s nightmare. If Everton won, you wouldn’t be shocked. If Tottenham won, you wouldn’t be shocked.

“If this game was a draw, you definitely wouldn’t be shocked. Tottenham can be lethal on the counter so believe it or not, I’m going to back Tottenham to win this game. Everton 1-3 Tottenham Hotspur.”

Bad time

Could this be a bad time to face Spurs? We often see players play with the shackles off when a manager departs and this could well be the case for Tottenham after Conte’s exit. Had the Italian still been in charge, Everton would’ve really fancied their chances of picking up a win.

Nevertheless, Sean Dyche will still feel his team can pick up what would be a vital three points against Stellini’s men. They’ve been impressive of late and are coming off of a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge. It will be interesting to see who starts up front for the Toffees.

Ellis Simms was the hero against Chelsea and is probably deserving of being given a chance from the outset. The youngster showed he can mix it with some of the Premier League’s best at Stamford Bridge and could cause Spurs’ fragile defence plenty of problems if given the chance.