Neighbours hand Everton big boost with win at Leicester

Last night Liverpool did their Merseyside neighbours Everton a huge favour with a 3-0 win at Leicester City that keeps the Blues relegation fate in their own hands.

Obviously, Liverpool didn’t do this to help the Toffees out and as they still have an outside chance of Champions League football, they were never just going to go there and coast.

But, that victory over the Foxes was pretty much everything Everton wanted from their bitter rivals across the other side of Stanley Park.

Strangly, it rounded off a weekend of 0-3 wins for travelling teams as the Blues were beaten by Manchester City with that score and Arsenal went down to Brighton, also by three goals to none.

Brighton of course were the side Everton beat 5-1 just over a week ago. And straight after that totally unexpected humiliation at home they go and comprehensively defeat long-time league leaders Arsenal away in their very next game.

As someone famous once said, football is a funny old game!

Leicester’s loss to Liverpool kept them in the relegation zone and the Toffees out of it and it also further dented their negative goal difference as they conceded three without reply.

This is important as goal difference could prove crucial in deciding who eventually joins Southampton in the Championship next season.

Of course, that five goal rout of Brighton has boosted the Blues goal-difference too at just the right moment.

So then let’s look at the fixtures that remain for all the clubs battling the drop.

Leicester have to go to Newcastle United and then have West Ham at home on the last day. The Magpies still have a lot to play for to guarantee Champions League qualification and they will want to finish a terrific season on a high.

If Leicester play like they have been and did last night and concede the goals they’ve been letting in recently, I can’t see the Foxes getting anything from that game. Mind you, no one thought the Blues would put five past Brighton and it happened!

To be honest, you would think Leicester have to perhaps only lose by a goal or two at St James’ Park and then hope both Everton and Leeds lost heavily, as well as then beating West Ham on the last day to have any chance now.

Leeds United also have West Ham next up and then finish by hosting Tottenham, who are also still chasing a top four place.

For the Lillywhites to have a realistic chance of survival they must surely beat the Hammers and by a few goals too, which might well happen as David Moyes’ side have nothing to play for now.

Furthermore, Sam Allardyce is the man for these situations and there was evidence he is making a difference in their performance against Newcastle.

The other team still in the relegation mix is Nottingham Forest. Their last two matches are Arsenal at home and then a trip to South London to play Crystal Palace.

The Gunners will be desperate to return to winning ways after that morale-sapping Brighton drubbing in the very slight hope they might still snatch the Premier League title, if City were to unexpectedly collapse.

Forest do though have a final weekend fixture that would still give them a chance and because they have two more points than the other sides, including the Blues, they might only need a point when they face Palace.

Everton themselves have arguably on paper, the easiest last two games of any of these teams.

The Toffees travel to Molineux to take on Wolves next Saturday before hosting Bournemouth on the last weekend of the campaign.

Neither of these teams has anything to play for, but that doesn’t mean they will be there for the taking and I simply don’t want to face another final day must-win game as was the case in 1994 and ’98.

Looking at all the permutations then, a win at Wolves would almost certainly be enough to keep Everton up as it’s very difficult to see either Leicester or Leeds winning both their remaining matches.

And, it does now seem as though it is either the Blues or Leeds, who will join Leicester (very likely) and Southampton who have already been relegated.

That means Saturday’s game is arguably the most important Everton have played in many a long year.

Well, all the players need to do is replicate that performance at the Amex and they will surely take all three points and take the pressure of that Bournemouth fixture. Can they..?