Chris Sutton predicts West Ham United v Everton scoreline – ‘certainly not convinced by them’
Chris Sutton is not confident Everton can claim a victory against West Ham United based on away form and is predicting a draw for the sides on Saturday.
Sean Dyche is back under the cosh at Goodison Park after the 1-0 loss against Southampton, his tenure in charge of the Blues could be brought to an abrupt end if he fails to beat West Ham at the London Stadium [talkSPORT].
However, Sutton – giving his Premier League predictions for BBC Sport [7 November], believes the Blues’ form on the road will cost the boss a much-needed win with Everton having recorded only one win away from home this season.
He said: “West Ham are in trouble. As I said on the Monday Night Club, they don’t really have an identity under Julen Lopetegui.
“He has always been a pragmatic manager in my eyes but they want to be a more expansive side and he is stuck somewhere in between at the moment.
“There is a lot of uncertainty around them at present, and I am certainly not convinced by them at home. They beat Manchester United there a couple of weeks ago, but they were lucky to win that one.
“While the Hammers are still above Everton in the table, the Toffees’ had been in better form, but then they lost at struggling Southampton last week which is a disappointing defeat whichever way you look at it.
“The only team Everton have beaten away this season is Ipswich, so I would not feel confident backing them to bounce back with a win here.
“I don’t want to pick another draw, but this has got one written all over it.
“Prediction: 2-2”.
Sean Dyche cannot afford to lose another match for Everton
The Toffees head into the match on Saturday [9 November] at the London Stadium only four points adrift of the relegation zone and if results go against them this weekend they could be entering the international break only one point from safety.
Dyche had looked to have engineered a miraculous turnaround at Goodison Park after embarking on a five-match unbeaten streak in the Premier League however, he ultimately paid the price at St Mary’s for his dumbfounding decision to omit Jarrad Branthwaite from the starting lineup.
Branthwaite is leaps and bounds above the centre-back pairing of James Tarkowski and Michael Keane, the Blues were in no position to play with fire but received third-degree burns.
However, Dyche is fighting for his immediate future at Everton – his long-term future is out of his hands and the boss is all too aware the club could seek a more “glamorous” appointment at the end of the campaign under Dan Friedkin’s ownership.
West Ham are no easy side to face but this is arguably the best time to travel to East London with his counterpart Julen Lopetegui facing similar circumstances in the capital.
The Blues are a more tight-knit unit than their opponents, this will play a determining factor on Saturday – all Dyche must do is make no mistakes in his team selection.
In other Everton news, Jordan Pickford is on course to have a statue outside the new Bramley-Moore Dock stadium.
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