Sean Dyche Experience And Striker Return Key To Survival

After the rigours of a relegation scrap in the Premier League last season, Everton find themselves in the all-too-familiar situation once again.

However, with a manager in Sean Dyche who knows what it takes to get points when it matters, and with star striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin returning from injury, there’s hope the Toffees can turn things around.

Dyche Has Been There And Got The T-Shirt

From his time at Burnley, when the Clarets were often battling to avoid the drop, Dyche knows the do’s and don’ts when it comes to a relegation dogfight. Dyche was brought in for that very reason and the scale of the task is very clear, with Everton 21/20 to be relegated in the live Premier League betting markets. After winning two of his first three games at the helm against Arsenal and Leeds United, the squad were clearly lifted by Dyche’s presence on the touchline.

A win over Brentford also gave Everton’s hopes of survival a boost, while draws with Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur were results not to be sniffed at.

With seven or eight teams still in the battle to avoid the drop, almost half the league is trying to avoid a nervous last few weeks of the season. Everton’s home form under former boss Frank Lampard was instrumental in staying up last term and that might well be the case for Dyche this time around.

The Everton faithful were out in force towards the back end of last season with some memorable games at Goodison Park to be remembered. That atmosphere can play a key role in getting the Toffees over the line again this season, while Dyche’s experience can prove to be crucial.

DCL Return Comes Just At The Right Time

Everton has sorely missed a player of Calvert-Lewin’s quality in the final third but the England international can play a key role for the remainder of the season. Injuries have plagued the Yorkshireman this term and a hamstring injury has been the latest setback for the former Sheffield United striker. However, Calvert-Lewin is set for a return and his goals could be essential in keeping Everton in the top flight.

Goals, or a lack of them, have been the real issues this season for the Merseyside outfit, scoring just 24 in their first 31 Premier League games of the campaign. No team at that stage of the season had scored fewer than the Toffees, with fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest and Southampton scoring the same amount.

Calvert-Lewin won’t have long to try and get up to full speed, with games running out for Dyche’s side. However, Calvert-Lewin has shown in the past how effective he can be at this level and his return to fitness should give everyone at Goodison a real lift at this business end of the season.

It’s set to be another nervy end to the campaign but with Dyche’s experience and Calvert-Lewin’s return, Everton is more than capable of repeating last season’s efforts to ensure Premier League survival.