Football
Everton vs Fulham Preview, Prediction, Team News and Confirmed Lineups
Cai is a news and features writer that specialises in football, but has experience covering a variety of other sports, including darts, basketball, American football, MMA, boxing and more. He holds a degree in Football Journalism (BA Hons) from the University of Derby, and worked with Nottingham Forest FC and Burton Albion FC throughout his studies. Cai also has experience working in social media with the Football Association of Wales, where he worked on a freelance basis, and has also been an accredited writer in the JD Cymru Premier for both Y Clwb Pêl-Droed and welshfootie since the 2019/20 season.
Get to know Cai Parry betterPublished26 Oct 2024
Fulham head to Merseyside to take on Everton in the Premier League this weekend, and we’ve got the latest in regards to team news and lineups ahead of the action, as well as a score prediction included in our preview.
Everton vs Fulham Preview
Saturday’s Premier League action concludes at Goodison Park in Gameweek 9, as Everton entertain Fulham in the 17:30 kick-off, where the Toffees can extend their unbeaten run in the league to five straight matches.
Sean Dyche’s side played out a 2-0 victory against Ipswich at Portman Road last weekend thanks to Iliman Ndiaye and Michael Keane’s goals, which followed draws against Newcastle and Leicester and a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace.
It’s a return that sees the Merseyside club occupy 16th place in the English top-flight table, five points clear of the relegation zone, and only three points adrift of this weekend’s opponents, who sit in the top half.
Marco Silva’s side come into the weekend as the league’s 10th place team, narrowly pipping Bournemouth and Manchester United to the position via goal difference and goals scored.
Two tough fixtures in succession against Manchester City and Aston Villa mean that the Cottagers have lost their last two games, but prior to that they had gone unbeaten in five consecutive league matches (3 wins, 2 draws).
That impressive run of form included a 3-1 win over Newcastle, a 1-0 triumph over a then-unbeaten Nottingham Forest, a 2-1 victory over Leicester, and draws against West Ham and Ipswich.
Recent history undoubtedly points towards three points for Fulham this weekend, with the West Londoners claiming victories in four of their last six meetings against Everton across all competitions.
Everton Team News
The Toffees will have to make do without a quartet of first-teamers when Fulham visit on Saturday, with all of Armando Broja (achilles), James Garner (back), Tim Iroegbunam (foot) and Youssef Chermiti (foot) ruled out through injury.
On a more positive note for Dyche and his management team, Jarrad Branthwaite and Jesper Lindstrom are expected to return to the squad, with the former recovering from a thigh injury, while the latter has overcome the illness that kept him out last weekend.
In-form attacking assets Dwight McNeil and Ndiaye should retain their positions in the starting lineup, most likely supported in attack by Jack Harrison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Fulham Team News
The visitors, meanwhile, are without Timothy Castagne (shoulder) and Sasa Lukic (hamstring) through injury, and central defender Joachim Andersen misses out through suspension after picking up a red card against Aston Villa last week.
Jorge Cuenca (ankle) and Carlos Vinicius (calf) are also doubts and face late fitness tests ahead of the tie.
Issa Diop is expected to deputise for the absent Andersen in central defence, likely alongside Calvin Bassey, while the remainder of their starting lineup could be unchanged, with in-form Raul Jimenez leading the line.
Everton vs Fulham Confirmed Lineups
Everton Lineup:
Pickford; Young, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko; Doucoure, Gueye; Harrison, McNeil, Ndiaye; Calvert-Lewin
Fulham Lineup:
Leno; Tete, Diop, Bassey, Robinson; Pereira, Berge; Traore, Smith Rowe, Iwobi; Jimenez
Everton vs Fulham Prediction
This fixture really could go either way, with Fulham boasting a strong head-to-head record against Everton in recent seasons, while the Toffees come into this one unbeaten in their last four.
Dyche’s men undoubtedly have what it takes to frustrate the Cottagers on Saturday, as they did to Newcastle when they played out a 0-0 draw earlier in the month, but they also have the quality in the final third to punish their opponents.
The likes of McNeil and Ndiaye are almost certain to cause the visiting defence problems, especially as they are without Andersen, with Calvert-Lewin also providing the hosts a threat in front of goal.
The UK’s best football betting sites are narrowly favouring Fulham to come out on top on Saturday, but we’re going against the grain and are backing Everton to claim a narrow victory in front of a passionate home crowd.
Prediction: Everton 1-0 Fulham