If we play the same way we did against Newcastle, against Chelsea, then we’ll beat them. We put in a tremendous attacking display, let down by a disgraceful showing from a thoroughly unprofessional goalkeeper and amateur mistakes at the back. The refereeing performance didn’t help, and it’s common knowledge that Newcastle shouldn’t have won the game, but that doesn’t matter at this point.
Marco Silva has a point to prove, and a statement victory is the only thing that will bring him back into the good graces of Evertonians, warranted or not.
We haven’t beaten a Sky 6 side in three years, and that obviously needs to change. Even our compatriots in the midfield of the table achieve some form of success against better teams, but it is a toxic mentality that seems to prevent us from garnering anything from these affairs.
Get the air raid sirens blasting, the crowds roaring, and let’s see what we can do.
GK - Joao Virginia
Maarten Stekelenburg is obviously not the choice of the future.
Virginia starts.
RB - Jonjoe Kenny
Kenny, although some mistakes were made, had a largely okay game at Newcastle, making some key interceptions.
He’ll thrive off of the home atmosphere.
CB - Michael Keane
Michael Keane is one who has risen to the occasion this season when we take on the better teams, and he will need to corral the defence more so than ever with Kurt Zouma ineligible.
CB - Yerry Mina
We’re limited for choice this week, but Yerry Mina needs to start stepping up into the role we paid so much for.
LB - Lucas Digne
Already the nailed on Player of the Season for Everton, Lucas Digne is a shining example of the player we should be looking for in the summers to come.
CM - Idrissa Gana Gueye
Idrissa may be leaving in the summer, and it is possibly time to re-introduce James McCarthy into the fold seeing as Beni Baningime was ridiculously loaned out.
However, I am more confident at this point in Idrissa’s abilities to battle N’golo Kante than James McCarthy.
CM - Tom Davies
Tom Davies was dropped for some reason.
Let’s fix that.
AM - Gylfi Sigurdsson
Gylfi has started to rekindle something that resembles form over the past few weeks.
As much as I still can’t back him being the pivot of the team going into the future, he may be the choice for now.
RW - Richarlison
Richarlison needs to turn up on Sunday afternoon. He had a decent showing against Newcastle, but he needs to be the man to challenge a shaky Chelsea defence.
Bernard is thoroughly excellent, but Richarlison is dangerous from anywhere around the box, or in the air.
We just need to see it now.
LW - Bernard
Bernard has been the second best player recruited by Marco Silva this summer, and amongst all of the questionable spending, it’s the man acquired for free that looks like the most exciting player in the Everton squad right now.
He is absolutely electric, and deserves better support behind him.
ST - Dominic Calvert-Lewin
DCL has been a success story of this season, and he remains a tremendously underrated Premier League frontman.
He is absolutely clinical when given the chance, and I truly believe he can go on to establish himself as a real option both to lead the line for Everton in the future, and internationally.