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Calvert-Lewin should start if fit as Everton face Villa test today

By Matt Townsend

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - AUGUST 5: Dominic Calvert-Lewin of Everton in action during the pre-season friendly match between Everton and Sporting Lisbon at Goodison Park on August 5, 2023 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Jess Hornby/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - AUGUST 5: Dominic Calvert-Lewin of Everton in action during the pre-season friendly match between Everton and Sporting Lisbon at Goodison Park on August 5, 2023 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Jess Hornby/Getty Images) /
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Everton take on Aston Villa this afternoon in their second game of the new Premier League campaign needing points and Dominic Calvert-Lewin must start, assuming he is fit.

Last weekend, Calvert-Lewin wasn’t even in the match-day squad and Sean Dyche went with Neal Maupay as his lone striker.

As expected it don’t work and Everton were beaten 1-0 by Fulham, despite dominating large periods of the match and creating numerous chances.

Despite the fact that the season is well underway, the Blues still haven’t brought in another experienced centre-forward with a proven record of scoring goals in the Premier League.

The Toffees have signed Arnaut Danjuma on loan and spent around £15 million on 19-year-old striker Youssef Chermiti.

But, Danjuma isn’t an out-and-out striker and Chermiti doesn’t seem ready yet to contribute given his youth and inexperience.

Everton are still being frantically linked with a host of striker including Che Adams, Hugo Etikete and now Mama Balde.

However, none of these players have arrived yet and so the weight of finding the back of the net falls mainly onto Calvert-Lewin’s fragile shoulders.

Although those shoulders and body are fragile, I still think he must start up front as long as he is fully fit as Maupay simply can’t do the job.

As for who else should be in Dyche’s side later today, I think the defence in front of Jordan Pickford should be James Garner, James Tarkowski, Jarrad Branthwaite and Ashley Young.

I think Garner can be trusted to do a job at right-back where he excelled for England Under-21s and want to see Branthwaite given a chance too, but I don’t think it will happen and I expect Micheal Keane to be alongside Tarkowski.

Assuming a midfield five, then I would play Patterson on the right with Abdoulaye Doucore and Idrissa Gueye alongside Alex Iwobi in the centre instead of Amadou  Onana with Danjuma, if he is fit, on the left.

Alternatively, if Danjuma isn’t able to start then Iwobi stays on the left and Onana comes into the centre of midfield again.

If Dyche were to go with four in the middle, then that would allow him to play Danjuma behind Calvert-Lewin but that’s unlikely to be Dyche’s choice.

The Blues away form improved late last season and the team gained points at Nottingham Forest, Chelsea and Wolves which proved important in their ultimate survival.

And of course, there was that spectacular 5-1 demolition of Brighton at the Amex Stadium when Calvert-Lewin led the line with energy and verve and the Toffees ran riot.

A point at Villa Park would be satisfactory and at least get Everton on the board in the new season, but obviously a repeat of that sort of dynamic performance is what we all want to see.