As the Premier League season intensifies, Everton and Burnley gear up for a pivotal showdown that could significantly impact their respective league positions. With survival on the line for both teams, this match promises high stakes and intense action.
Match Preview
Everton hold a four-point advantage over 18th-place Luton Town in the battle for Premier League survival.
However, they have not secured a league victory since December 16, enduring a winless streak spanning 13 fixtures.
Burnley are striving to salvage their season, with a six-point gap separating them from 17th-place Nottingham Forest. However, had Forest not been docked four points due to PSR, the gap would be wider.
Vincent Kompany’s team has faced a harsh reality in the Premier League. The manager has maintained their playing style, employing similar tactics to those that led them to Championship victory last season.
Their attacking approach has resulted in Burnley conceding the league’s second-highest number of goals (66).
Additionally, the Clarets possess the league’s third-weakest attack, scoring 32 goals.
Only Sheffield United and Everton, Burnley’s round No. 32 opponent, have scored fewer goals this season. Everton’s struggling attack has found the net just 31 times.
Sean Dyche’s defence is Everton’s saving grace at present, ranking fifth-best in the league by conceding only 42 goals.
Dyche’s tactics, however, have limitations. It relies heavily on defence to thwart opponents, while the attack often struggles to capitalize – a scenario that has unfolded too frequently this season.
Everton have secured only three points from their last six matches, all from draws, being outscored 10-5 during this period.
Meanwhile, Burnley have amassed six points from their last six games, remaining unbeaten in their last four matches with one win and three draws. The Clarets have been outscored 11-7 by their last six opponents.
Everton have already defeated Burnley twice this season, both in the league and Carabao Cup. They secured a 3-0 victory at Goodison Park in November, followed by a 2-0 win at Turf Moor just over a month later.
Team News:
Abdoulaye Doucoure leads Everton in goals with six, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin has scored just four times for Dyche’s side.
Burnley’s goalscoring burden is shared among four players: Lyle Foster, Zeki Amdouni, David Daro Fofana, and Jacob Bruun Larsen, each with four goals.
Prediction:
Thirteen of Everton’s 26 points this season have been earned at home, while 10 of Burnley’s 15 points have come from away matches. With both teams in dire need of points a draw seems a likely outcome.
- Everton 1-1 Burnley
