David Moyes will hope his side can return to winning ways against West Ham as two teams aiming to end losing streaks will clash on Monday night when Everton welcome the Hammers to the Hill Dickinson Stadium in the Premier League.
The Toffees have had an encouraging start to the season but have now lost each of their last two games, while the Hammers have lost five of their six matches this season.
Softfootball reported that Everton lost 2-0 to Wolves at Molineux on Tuesday, with goals from Marshall Munetsi and Tolu Arokodare punishing a heavily rotated Toffees side. Moyes made changes to the line-up that lost to Liverpool, but the Scot was left to regret that decision.
Jarrad Branthwaite is expected to return for Everton against West Ham though the manager said during the press as seen on the club Youtube page that the England international will not be available on Monday. Everton are the favorites against West Ham, and will hope to get back on track at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
David Moyes will be hopeful of a return to form on Monday when he comes up against his former club. Everton played well last weekend, despite ultimately losing against Liverpool, but their midweek loss against Wolves in the EFL Cup is a major blow.
Despite making wholesale changes, the squad lacked a clinical edge in the final third. However, Moyes will revert to his tried and tested EPL stars, with Grealish and Dewsbury-Hall expected to start. Everton have been a more attack-minded team throughout the season so far, and their ability to find their way through opponents with their skillful wing players could be a narrative worth following.
Monday evening could represent Graham Potter with one final opportunity to save his job. Rumours are heating up that West Ham are looking to sack the Englishman, with Nuno Espirito Santo among the front-runners to take the position.
It’s been a miserable start to the campaign for the East London club. They have suffered defeats in each of their last two against Tottenham and Crystal Palace. West Ham are weak defensively, and their midfield has been too easy to penetrate. But Potter’s principle of wanting to play a possession-based game is unlikely to see this formation change.
Team News
Branthwaite suffered a setback to a hamstring injury in pre-season, and the defender could now be set to finally return to action. Everton are also anticipating the return of Merlin Rohl, who has been ruled out of the last two games with a slight hip injury. Adam Aznou has returned from injury and could make his Premier League debut off the bench.
Moyes made several changes for the trip to take on Wolves, but is expected to return Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Jack Grealish and Iliman Ndiaye to the starting line-up, among others.
For West Ham, Aaron Wan-Bissaka has been missing for the last two fixtures with an apparent stomach issue. The defender is hoping to return to the starting line-up against Everton.
Tomas Soucek received a straight red card for a dangerous challenge against Tottenham, and will continue to be suspended for the trip to the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Possible Lineups
Everton Predicted lineup: Pickford; O’Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Garner, Gueye; Ndiaye, Dewsbury-Hall, Grealish; Beto.
West Ham Predicted lineup: Areola; Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Kilman, Diouf; Rodriguez, Ward-Prowse; Bowen, Paqueta, Summerville; Fullkrug.
SoftFootball’s Prediction
Potter’s time at West Ham could come to an end on Monday night. It’s almost impossible to overlook the prospect of a home win. Everton have been an offensively strong team already in the Premier League this season, which should be a major concern for the visitors, who’ve struggled defensively so far.
The hosts are already averaging 1.2 goals per game, so based on the visitors’ struggles at both ends of the field, a home win to nil could be logical.
