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Are postponed fixtures going to hurt Everton?

By Matt Townsend

Aston Villa's English defender Ezri Konsa (front) vies with Everton's Brazilian striker Richarlison during the English Premier League football match between Everton and Aston Villa at Goodison Park in Liverpool, north west England on July 16, 2020. (Photo by Dave Thompson / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by DAVE THOMPSON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Aston Villa's English defender Ezri Konsa (front) vies with Everton's Brazilian striker Richarlison during the English Premier League football match between Everton and Aston Villa at Goodison Park in Liverpool, north west England on July 16, 2020. (Photo by Dave Thompson / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by DAVE THOMPSON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Everton didn’t play Aston Villa this evening with the match suspended due to Covid cases at the Midlands club. Is this second fixture postponement in recent weeks going to hurt the Toffees season?

This postponement is the second match that Everton have seen suspended in recent weeks following the Manchester City game back on the 28 December. 

Both these matches will have to be played at some point later in the season and depending on whether the Blues have made progress in the FA Cup could create a fixture pile-up.

Once again the Toffees seem to be unlucky as they have seen two Premier League matches postponed in just a few short weeks.

Obviously in the short-term it relives a bit of the pressure on the players that usually results from the number of games played back-to-back at this time of year.

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But going forward it could mean Everton are struggling to keep up with other teams who have played their matches and have picked up some additional precious points.

The old question always used to be would you prefer to have games in hand, or points in the bag? This is the quandry whether you are chasing Europe, the league title or fighting relegation.

My own view is that it’s always better to have points secured than games in hand for the obvious reason that even matches you think you will win comfortably can of course go wrong. Certainly Everton have plenty of practice over the years losing games they should have won!

Anyway for the Toffees having to play two games now at some point in the near future could be detrimental to their season.

You never know whether there will be injuries and/or suspensions to key players like James Rodriguez, Dominic Calvert-Lewin or Richarlison that might then undermine the team as those players absence has already done.

Results this weekend with both Leicester City and Tottenham winning have seen the Blues slip out of the top four and if Manchester City beat Crystal Palace, then the Toffees will be a few points behind again.

While there’s obviously plenty of games left and the leading sides are all close, the Blues don’t want to fall too far behind their main rivals as playing catch-up isn’t ideal when your chasing European places in such a competitive situation as the Premier League is this season.

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