Chris Sutton predicts result of Everton showdown v Crystal Palace for BBC Sport
Chris Sutton has predicted that Everton will extend their unbeaten run to four matches in all competitions, when they face Crystal Palace on Saturday 11 November.
The BBC Sport pundit believes that the Toffees will build upon their 1-1 draw with Brighton last time out and continue their recent upturn in form, suggesting that Sean Dyche’s side will share the points in a 0-0 draw at Selhurst Park.
Roy Hodgson’s side haven’t been the most prolific in the Premier League, only scoring 10 goals in their opening 11 matches, while Everton have only managed to find the net 11 times and Sutton believes that gives this clash a “really strong stench” of a draw.
Writing in his BBC Sport Premier League predictions (9 November) he said: “I went for Palace to get a point at Burnley last weekend but they ended up taking all three, just by doing what they do well – defending well and then taking their chances.
“This feels like it’s going to be another close game, partly because Everton are definitely improving, but also because of the way both teams play. Neither of them really want the ball too much, or ever score many goals.
“It ended 0-0 when they last met, at Selhurst Park in April, and I’m going for the same outcome this time. This game doesn’t just have a whiff of a draw, it is more a really strong stench.”
Positive steps
Everton for the first time in several seasons are beginning to look up the Premier League rather than behind them at the relegation zone as Dyche appears to have finally got his side playing well and picking up results in the quest for Premier League safety.
The gap between the Toffees and the drop zone currently sits at five points and while three more wouldn’t go amiss at Selhurst Park on Saturday, you would imagine that the Blues boss would be happy to take a point before a ball was even kicked.
Palace are by no means an easy side to face, especially at home where they make it incredibly hard for the opposition to break them down. But Everton do the exact same and that is while a stalemate seems the most probable outcome from this clash.
But Dyche’s side have shown in recent weeks that they are more than capable of finding the net and did score three against both Bournemouth and Burnley. Should the Toffees find their groove going forward, they have more than enough attacking quality to test Palace. The question will be whether they can contain Hodgson’s impressive attack themselves.
In other Everton news, sources close to 777 Partners have insisted that they hope to complete their takeover by the end of the year