Everton won again on the road last weekend to add the scalp of Crystal Palace to those of Brentford and West Ham this season. Now can they take this form to Goodison Park?
Saturday’s nervy, topsy-turvy 3-2 victory at Selhurst Park means the Toffees have now triumphed three times in London so far during this campaign.
But while Everton have been increasingly successful on their travels, they haven’t managed to be anything like as effective at Goodison Park.
This has been a theme for a while now and Sean Dyche has to find a way to translate that excellent form and results away from home, to the Grand Old Lady.
Since the start of the season the Blues have only been successful once at home against Bournemouth with the only other point following the 1-1 draw with Brighton.
We all know that Dyche’s tactics and approach are much more suited to playing away; keeping a solid shape, conceding possession and looking to counter-attack whenever possible.
And this is the problem because at Goodison Park Everton will be expected to get on the front foot and try to contest possession and be on the front foot.
That is difficult to achieve and so far Dyche and his team haven’t really found a way to do so, apart from when they played a very poor Bournemouth side.
But perhaps the next Premier League game coming up after this week’s international break could be an opportunity to do so again.
Manchester United are those opponents at Goodison Park. United have struggled this season and if ever there might be a time for the Toffees to take advantage of an side they have rarely managed to defeat over the years, it might be this upcoming fixture.
A change in formation might not be necessary but somehow Everton need to find ways to get hold of and keep the ball more successfully than in previous home matches this season.
One individual who could prove integral to doing that is James Garner. He will be facing his former club when United visit Merseyside so has plenty of incentive to play well.
Garner has the ability to be a progressive user of the ball and if he can start exercising that quality it will help Dyche’s team to control the ball more.
That and ensuring they take more of the chances that are being created, would be key to providing more evidence of fundamental improvement being genuine and changing the narrative at Goodison.