Can Everton start 2019 with a win?

The games come thick and fast for Everton as the Blues take on Leicester City tomorrow lunchtime in the first Premier League fixture of 2019.

The schedule Everton have had over this festive period has been hectic and the Blues had the least time between matches of any of the Premier League’s clubs. At least they are at home after two away matches in succession.

It makes it somewhat ironic to hear the moaning about fixture pile-ups from managers of club’s with bigger and better squads than the Toffees.

And of course league leaders Liverpool have had the most time off between matches, which depressingly has almost certainly helped them take what is probably going to prove a decisive lead in the title race.

Being able to retain a largely fresh squad if players at this time of the year can prove very important in the longer run when the trophies are handed out.

But leaving all that aside Everton really need the three points tomorrow to start the new year off in a positive manner.

The lacklustre defeat at Brighton on Saturday has left Everton languishing exactly in mid-table as the second half of the season starts.

The Toffees’ opponents tomorrow also had an unexpectedly poor end to 2018 with a last-minute home defeat to lowly Cardiff City. Leicester are two places but only one point above Everton in the table. A win tomorrow would lift the Blues up to the heady heights of seventh, at least for a few hours.

Foxes manager Claude Puel has also spoken about the lack of recovery time between games for his team and like Everton it seems he might have a case.

So it’s unlikely to be a classic if both sides are as fatigued as the heavy run of games might indicate.

Everton’s form has been poor over the Christmas period with the Blues only claiming one win in their last six matches. Leicester have been similarly inconsistent, winning two and losing three of their last five league games.

The two sides are evenly matched with some fine players and others of less reliable quality. The Foxes best performers have been Harry Maguire, Jamie Vardy, summer signing James Maddison and England left-back Ben Chilwell.

Leicester are a powerful and direct side with pace and height making them a difficult and dangerous team. The Blues of course got the better of them in the first fixture between the sides back in October, courtesy of a brilliant second half strike from Gylfi Sigurdsson.

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So this will be a difficult game and with Everton boss Marcos Silva changing his side with regularity, it will require a strong performance from the Blues key players like Idrissa Gueye, Richarlison, Sigurdsson and Jordan Pickford.

It’s also likely that Silva will continue with the back three defence that he has adopted for the last two games. For me the jury is still out on that formation.

After a slightly depressingly underwhelming end to 2018, I believe the Toffees can and must, claim all three points tomorrow.