Having travelled to South Yorkshire to beat Leeds 2-1 on Wednesday night, Everton are back on the road again tomorrow but its a shorter journey this time to take on Manchester United at Old Trafford.
This match is likely to be a serious test of the Everton defence if United’s last game is anything to go by when they put nine goals past Southampton.
Of course that spectacular rout was against a Saints team controversially down to nine men by the end of the match. Even so it was an exhibition in clinical finishing from United.
The Blues will probably need to show all the defensive resiliance they have become associated with over the past few months, aside from defeats like Newcastle on Saturday.
Wednesday’s win at Elland Road was a fine response to that listless loss at Goodison Park to Steve Bruce’s Magpies.
Everton were solid in defence, competed very well in midfield and although they needed some brilliant goalkeeping to maintain their second-half lead, it was a strong all-round performance. It was also good to see Dominic Calvert-Lewin back on the scoresheet again although the form of his partner up front, Richarlison, is a continuing worry.
Old Trafford has not been a happy hunting ground for the Toffees for a long time. The Blues last league win there was way back in 2013 in Roberto Martinez’ debut season as manager and that was Everton’s first win in over 20 years at the Theatre of Dreams.
But in a bizarre reversal of recent history under Marco Silva, the Blues are becoming very effective travellers having recorded four straight away league wins for the first time since December 1985, but struggling to sustain that form at home.
Incidentally, that run of wins in 85 was during the era of the great eighties Everton teams that won two league championships, the FA and European Cup-Winners-Cup.
The previous season to that four-match run, the Toffees had thumped United 5-0 at Goodison Park on their way to the title. Well that sort of result would be very welcome on Saturday!
More realistically, Everton need to ensure they at least get something from the game and keep right in the mix for the top six.
Chelsea’s win at Tottenham last night lifts them above the Blues and while it’s a very tight league table, that puts more pressure on Carlo Ancelotti’s men to respond again.
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As to team selection, although Ancelotti will be tempted to bring James Rodriguez back, I would stick with the winning side from Wednesday (including Robin Olsen in goal) at least to start with knowing the Colombian is available from the bench if you need to change things later in the game.
Tomorrow’s opponents will be determined to get the points to keep pace with their local rivals and sustain what only a few months ago seemed an unlikely challenge for the Premier League title.
Ole Gunnar Solkesjaar’s team has been much better in recent weeks, particularly defensively and this is obviously a key reason for their climb up the table. But there is still a sense of brittleness and vulnerability about them and they often seem to give opponents unexpected chances, as the recent defeat to Sheffield United highlighted.
Their chief threat apart from in-form forwards Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial is of course, Bruno Fernandes. The Portuguese midfield maestro is an exceptional player and he’s another one like Callum Wilson, who has developed a liking for scoring against the Toffees.
Everton will have to handle him at least as well or better than they did Kalvin Philips the Leeds midfield lynchpin on Wednesday evening.
Those two goals Fernandes scored came in United’d 3-1 win at Goodison Park. It would be nice symmetry if Everton could reverse that result at Old Trafford just as did earlier this week at Elland Road after being beaten by Leeds earlier in the season at the grand old lady.
Although United are second like many sides they have been an inconsistent team in this most unpredictable of seasons. For example, the nine goal blitz of Southampton followed a drab 0-0 draw at Arsenal, which was after that unexpected 1-2 loss at home to the Blades.
So given all that this is a particularly difficult match to call. The Blues seem more comfortable and effective playing away from home at the moment and primarily setting themselves up to be hard to beat. It’s odd to be saying it but I actually feel more confident because this game is away!
But if United are allowed to create as many chances as Leeds did, you would expect them to be much better finishers and punish the Toffees. With recent history against them and their opponents in confident mood, Everton will need maximum concentration tomorrow and another solid all-round performance to get something from the game.