Everton handed double boost ahead of Premier League clash v Tottenham as Sky Sports statistics emerge
Everton have an immediate chance to bounce back from their EFL Cup misery when they take on Tottenham in the Premier League.
The Toffees travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday (23 December) following their penalty shootout defeat to the Cottagers on Tuesday (19 December).
And given how Ange Postecoglou’s men have won their last two matches against Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest, along with the fact they were knocked out of the League Cup long ago, Sean Dyche’s men need all the help they can get.
Fortunately the Toffees have been handed not one, but two boosts ahead of their trip to the capital as they look to win five successive league matches.
The first comes in the form of the very lengthy injury list at Tottenham, with the club “potentially depleted” for the match due to having 11 players unavailable, either through injury or suspension [Sky Sports, 19 December].
Only Manchester United and Newcastle United (both 12) currently have more players unavailable than the North London outfit.
And the second boost comes from Everton’s “comparatively quiet” treatment table, with the Toffees losing 306 days due to injuries since the season started [Sky Sports, 19 December]. Only Bournemouth (277), Wolves (245) and West Ham (158) are below the Goodison Park club in this regard.
It will be a stunning achievement from Dyche and his players should they clinch a fifth league win on the trot on Saturday, but they will certainly be up against it from the very first whistle.
In other Everton news, a BBC Sport journalist has shared a “hero to villain” verdict on one Toffees ace after their EFL Cup loss to Fulham.