Everton need Fulham result to consolidate Palace improvement
Following a fine 3-0 win over Crystal Palace last weekend, Everton now travel to West London to play Fulham on Saturday.
That result and attacking performance against Palace felt like it might be a little bit of a breakthrough win for Everton.
The Toffees’ showed energy, determination and considerable attacking flair something that in particular had been missing from previously solid but often unspectacular efforts this campaign.
It was obviously only one game and to borrow a quote, one game doesn’t make a season. But there was a degree of confidence and quality that certainly did bode well for the future.
Of course, the next step is to try and maintain that level starting with this Saturday’s fixture at Craven Cottage.
The Blues’ have had one major boost already with the news that full-back Nathan Patterson is fit and ready to rejoin the matchday squad.
The Scot’s performances since he came into the team at the start of the season had been outstanding and his latest injury problem was a big blow to Frank Lampard.
Although Seamus Coleman has come back in his place and been solid enough (he was actually excellent against Palace snuffing out Wilfried Zaha’s threat) I would like to see Patterson back in the team given his terrific attacking qualities.
But, it’s possible this might be one game too soon and so perhaps Lampard will be tempted to stick with Coleman against Fulham.
Other than that welcome dilemma, I imagine the manager will want to pick the same eleven that saw off Palace so comfortably, especially as for once, at the time of writing, there are no new injury problems for him.
That means picking Dominic Calvert-Lewin again at centre-forward. The Everton manager will want to take things carefully with Calvert-Lewin given his fragile health, but he’s had a full week to recover from his exertions last Saturday and he didn’t play the whole game anyway.
As for Fulham they have enjoyed a strong start to the campaign and sit comfortably in seventh after winning at Leeds last weekend.
The Cottagers’ are managed of course by former Blues’ boss Marco Silva who has done a fine job with the London side getting them promoted and then ensuring this solid start.
One thing they have had all through the season, which Everton haven’t, is a reliable and prolific goal-scorer in Aleksandar Mitrovic.
The Serbian striker has netted nine times and his heading ability and goal threat is obviously a major issue for the Toffees’ defence to deal with.
That defence has been pretty much rock-solid all season and in particular has improved a great deal in it’s ability to cope with that sort of threat in the air.
Fulham like to put in plenty of crosses for the prolific Mitrovic and so they represent a real danger and have usually scored goals in every game they play so far.
However, defensively they are vulnerable too and so I can certainly see plenty of chances for the away team on Saturday.
Looking at form, this match could be two or three all, or be a comfortable win by several goals for either team, although Everton are hard to score against and haven’t conceded more than two goals in any game so far this season.
One thing the Blues’ need to address though is their usually pitiful form in the capital. Let’s hope for a more robust response than we have often seen when Everton have travelled down South.
So the question is can the Blues’ can replicate their excellent all-round performance against Palace and grab what would be another important three points? Doing so might give real grounds for believing something substantial could happen this season.