Fresh from the 4-0 drubbing of West Ham on Wednesday night at Goodison, the Blues are back on L4 soil, this time around they welcome David Wagner’s Huddersfield Town in the first top flight meeting between the sides since December 1972, the teams shared the spoils in a goalless draw that day…
In what will be Sam Allardyce’s first game in charge of the Toffees, the former England boss will be hoping to get off to the perfect start and continue where David Unsworth left off against the Hammers midweek.
Huddersfield dropped below Saturdays hosts in the table after their 5-0 loss at the hands of a ruthless Arsenal on Wednesday evening, and after a promising start to the campaign which commenced with two wins and a draw the honeymoon period was soon over, the Terriers have only gone on to win two of their subsequent 11 fixtures after that (one of those wins did come against Manchester United, though).
Only the two teams sitting 19th and 20th in the division have managed to find the net less than Huddersfield, who have only managed nine in their 14 games.
Who are the visitors dangermen?
Australian international Aaron Mooy will pull the strings in Huddersfield’s midfield, he is joint top scorer for this club this season with a mammoth two strikes. But the former Manchester City man was a key cog in the side that gained promotion and is one Everton’s midfield will have to marshal out of the game.
The man who Mooy is joint top scorer with, Laurent Depoitre, will fancy his chances of adding to his tally against a defence that has shipped 28 goals in the league this season, the 6ft3 attacker will relish facing Everton’s shaky backline.
Team news –
Philip Billing and Jon Stankovic are definitely out for Huddersfield, Kasey Palmer and Michael Hefele are doubts. Rajiv van La Parra is suspended for the clash.
Everton will be hoping to have Michael Keane back in contention for this one, Oumar Niasse is back after his ban, Leighton Baines is out and the long-term absentees are, well, absent.
Depending on results elsewhere a win could see Everton rise to the dizzy heights of 9th place in the Premier League, three points would also see the Blues record their first back-to-back victories this term, a massive confidence booster going into the Merseyside derby…
Up the Toffees.