Everton must turn home fortunes around as Burnley visits Merseyside

The performances at the new ground have been diabolical in recent weeks.
Burnley v Everton - Premier League
Burnley v Everton - Premier League | Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/GettyImages

You have to go all the way back to December 6 to find a win for Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, a 3-0 smashing of Nottingham Forest with goals from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Thierno Barry adding to an early own-goal by the visitors.

Since then, the new ground has brought either draws (two) or losses (five), as the away form continues to keep the Toffees midtable in the Premier League.

Enter Burnley, a side almost certainly heading back down to the Championship after this season, as they sit 19th heading into Matchday 29 on a paltry 19 points. Since the start of the new year, they've managed just one win in the league in nine tries, a 3-2 win away to Crystal Palace on February 11.

The Clarets' issue is not singular. They struggle to score goals (just 32 on the season, the same as Everton), and are even worse at keeping their opponents from scoring (56 allowed, worst in the Premier League).

And yet the reverse fixture at Turf Moor at the end of December was a goalless slog, one of just three clean sheets for Burnley this season. Everton were not at their strongest for that match, which featured two goalkeepers on the bench, and the outcome was not exactly shocking given the personnel available.

But David Moyes must consider today's match as an opportunity to get things right on home turf. He cannot be passive with his setup, recognizing that the side that took it to Newcastle over the weekend should very well be able to score at will against this Burnley side.

That means Moyes cannot sit back and allow Burnley to control the match, something they did to some extent at Turf Moor. The Toffees are at home, and they need to act like it, especially against a team they should be able to beat if they come out on the front foot.

The state of the club means that this type of attitude cannot always be the case, even at home. When better sides come in, the pragmatic approach is the right one, even if supporters are not fans of the tactics.

But against a team with four wins and 17 losses on the season so far, a club destined for relegation? Moyes needs to attack and allow his side to put on a show. Not with reckless abandon, of course, but they should assert themselves, especially given that the rest of the home schedule this season is Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, and Sunderland.

It is going to take time for Hill Dickinson to become a fortress, and as the club improves, so too should the ground. But for Tuesday night, Everton need to give the supporters something to cheer about.

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations