Everton win tonight would be huge CL boost
Later today Everton play Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in a massive game for both teams. If the Blues could secure a first win there since 1994, it would be a huge boost in their pursuit of a Champions League place.
With yet another delicious home defeat for Liverpool last night – this time to Fulham – and Tottenham also winning emphatically against Crystal Palace, Everton really need to get all three points tonight, if they possibly can.
A win at the Bridge would put the Toffees in a strong position, two points ahead of Chelsea and with at least a game in hand on them and two matches more than most of their rivals, although West Ham also have games in hand.
Obviously you’d ideally rather have points in the bag than games in hand, but another victory this evening would be possibly crucial come the end of the season.
If the Blues get three points and could then also win that game in hand against Aston Villa, they would be in a strong position with roughly ten games to go.
In many ways it’s surprising the Toffees are still in the mix for the Champions League or indeed Europe at all after a still inconsistent season. While the Blues home form has declined, they have become masters of the road win.
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The frustrating thing is that had Everton not dropped so many points at Goodison Park with inexplicably poor performances against the likes of West Ham, Newcastle United and Fulham, they would be sitting comfortably in the top four with plenty of points between themselves and their competitors.
It’s a big ask to get a result away yet again after two hard-fought wins on the road at Anfield and then West Brom, but one more effort tonight could be a massively important one in the context of the season overall.
Carlo Ancelotti is hopeful that Tom Davies might be fit to return and we’ve got a predicted line-up that sees him back to play in midfield alongside Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure.
Up front it looks as though James Rodriguez is still out with his latest minor injury so Gylfi Sigurdsson is likely to start in support of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison.
Whoever plays tonight, the Blues boss has called for sacrifices and continued effort to secure a first top four finish since 2005. Tonight’s match is a perfect opportunity for the players to show those qualities.