Paul Merson moots Everton ‘X factor’ live on Sky Sports in relegation fear for Burnley after 3-2 win at Crystal Palace
Everton are not going to be in danger of relegation this season because they can get “X factor results”, according to Paul Merson.
The pundit gave his assessment of the teams at the bottom of the Premier League live on Sky Sports Soccer Saturday on 12 November, after the Toffees had recorded a vital 3-2 victory away at Crystal Palace.
Merson was evaluating the struggles of the teams near the foot of the table, in particular Vincent Kompany’s bottom-placed Burnley, a point adrift after their fifth-straight defeat at the hands of Manchester United the same day, when he asserted Everton should be well clear thanks to an ability to secure key wins.
The former Arsenal and England striker said when host Simon Thomas questioned if the Toffees would be out of the battle against the drop (5.41pm): “Yeah, because Everton have got X factor results.”
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Sean Dyche won’t be getting ahead of himself but already the league table is shaping up to suggest that, even without the much-improved form that Everton have developed, there are teams in more trouble this season.
It would be a huge relief for the Toffees fanbase to not being going deep into May with the club’s survival on the line, but if the players keep showing the belief that saw them take the lead three times at Selhurst Park that shouldn’t be on the cards this time.
Even on a day where the usually-dependable centre-back partnership of James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite made surprising errors to concede goals Everton didn’t fold.
There is still a very long way to go but if Dyche can get his players to maintain the improvements they are showing then it would seem that this side can get enough of the “X factor results” that Merson expects to see them clear from danger.
It is just two defeats in nine across all competitions now, with 17 goals scored in that time, which compared to how matters were rapidly deteriorating by now under both Rafa Benitez and Frank Lampard in the previous two campaigns is hugely encouraging.
In other Everton news, Chris Sutton scoffed at an “excessive” claim that the Toffees should already have nine more points.