Everton v Man Utd predictions: Troubled Toffees can at least avoid defeat

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Everton v Manchester in the Premier League on Saturday.

Where to watch

BT Sport 1, 12.30pm Sunday

Best bet

Everton or draw double chance
1pt 21-20 BoyleSports

Team news

Everton
Michael Keane and Allan are available after bans. Seamus Coleman should be recalled after illness. Yerry Mina, Tom Davies and Andros Townsend are out. United loanee Donny van de Beek can't play.

Man Utd
Raphael Varane, Luke Shaw, Scott McTominay and Edinson Cavani are injured. Mason Greenwood isn't available.

Match preview

Even pinstickers looking for a decent-priced football outsider on Grand National day might draw the line at chucking cash at Everton, yet there's definitely a case to be made for Frank Lampard's men at least avoiding defeat at home to Manchester United.

Burnley boss Sean Dyche's swipe that Everton "don't know how to win" during Burnley's 3-2 defeat of the Toffees this week, ought to be the best team talk Frank Lampard doesn't have to give.

And with the Merseyside club's 68-year top-flight existence looking more perilous than it has for years, expect a response – and at least a point.

Lampard himself accused some of his players of lacking the steel required for the fight following their 4-0 humbling at Crystal Palace in the FA Cup.

They have followed up that loss with another two – at West Ham and Burnley – but both were by slender margins and in each of them Everton at least looked a bit more driven.

Now back at base camp, where they have won four of their last six and with Dyche's barb hopefully ringing in their ears, they can show their manager, their fans and punters that they've got what it takes by getting something from a game they can ill-afford to lose.

Those fans, fabulous when Everton are going well but less so when they aren't, need to be on board from the off and given that Ralf Rangnick's United are really nothing special and in no form themselves, this could yet turn into one of those key days when Goodison is rocking and all's well with the world.

This should be tight because that's how Lampard ought to want to make it. Carlo Ancelotti and Rafa Benitez were never averse to fielding centre-backs all over the park and the former Chelsea man needs to think about making his side as tough to break down as possible.

The return from bans of Allan and Michael Keane – Everton beat Newcastle 1-0 the last time those two were on the pitch together – is a major plus for Lampard.

Four of the last five league meetings between these clubs have ended in draws, three of those ending 1-1, including in October at Old Trafford.

Clearly United's ambitions are very different from Everton's approaching the elbow of the 2021-22 season, but they have also been stumbling on the run-in.

The soon-to-be replaced Ralf Rangnick has questioned his side's mentality following a run of just three wins in their last 11.

Last time out, last Saturday at home to Leicester, they were poor. That one ended 1-1, United's sixth draw in 11, and while the layers don't expect it, another stalemate is quite likely this weekend.

Key stat

Everton's 14 home games have produced just 13 first-half goals, the lowest total in the league.

Inside info

Everton

Penalty taker Richarlison/Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Free-kick wizard Demarai Gray
Set-piece aerial threat Michael Keane
Card magnet Richarlison

Man Utd

Penalty taker Cristiano Ronaldo/Bruno Fernandes
Free-kick wizardCristiano Ronaldo/Bruno Fernandes
Set-piece aerial threatHarry Maguire
Card magnetHarry Maguire

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