EVERTON are going through a bit of a rough patch under boss Rafa Benitez. And with the Merseyside derby coming up on Wednesday, the Toffees will be desperate to avoid a crushing and embarrassing defeat.
GETTY IMAGESFans didn't take a liking to the appointment of Benitez, and the poor form is mounting more pressure '/ '
ALAMYThe transfer of Townsend was widely criticised in the summer, but he has turned out to be one of Everton's most important players this season '/ ' They find themselves 14th and are heading into the game off the back of a loss to league newcomers Brentford. The Toffees are also enduring a horrid seven-game run without a win. Liverpool, on the other hand, have won 4-0 in their last two Prem outings and would relish the chance to inflict more damage on their local rival. And if Liverpool do run riot at Goodison Park, the loud boos heard after the full-time whistle at the Brentford Community Stadium will be oh so louder. A trashing at the hands of Liverpool could, in fact, push Rafa beyond the point of return with the Everton fans, considering the frosty welcoming he received in the summer. There is, however, a model Everton COULD emulate to give themselves a chance of defeating Jurgen Klopp's title-chasing Reds. LATEST FOOTBALL OFFERS SUPER £60 Get £60 in Paddy Power FREE BETS when you stake £10 on Premier League football BET BOOST Get £50 in free bets when you stake £10 on Premier League football this week BIG OFFER Get £60 in FREE BETS when you stake £10 on Premier League football with 888Sport Free bets! The best free bets and sign up offers available from our bookmaker partners EPIC DOWNTIME
IS your downtime as epic as it could be? You can get 50 free spins at PokerStars Casino. Boom. Click HERE for all the details. T&Cs apply. 18+ Play responsibly. BeGambleAware.org But it'll mean taking notes from an old friend... David Moyes. That's right. Everton will have to take notes from old boss Moyes... set-up he used to see off Liverpool at the London Stadium. West Ham are the only team to beat Liverpool this season across all competitions. It was a tactical masterclass. The Hammers' set-pieces played a key part in two of their three goals. Striker Michail Antonio helped pin Alisson to his goal-line, allowing the likes of Angelo Ogbonna, Kurt Zouma, Tomas Soucek or Craig Dawson to attack the ball. But what ultimately won West Ham the game was their unmatched work rate. And luckily for Everton, there's a lot of similarities between the two clubs, from the players all the way up to the managers. Benitez is no stranger to using a 4-2-3-1. He often deployed it during his time at Liverpool, and clubs he managed across Europe.
ALAMYMoyes took West Ham from relegation candidates to chasing a top-four finish '/ ' How can Everton beat Liverpool? Everton's full-back's and centre-back's aren't dissimilar to West Ham's. Both Seamus Coleman and Lucas Digne have excellent delivery, similar to Aaron Cresswell and Valdimir Coufal. Michael Keane combined with either Ben Godfrey or the imposing Yerry Mina offers solid defensive dominance in the air \- which is key to Moyes' set-up. Everton need to force the likes of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah as wide as possible inside their defensive third. Everton's midfield two should be Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure. Allan will be key in breaking up play and relentlessly pressing the ball when out of possession. Whereas Doucoure possesses great ball-carrying ability and is strong in a tackle. He also has an eye for goal which helps. The midfield two will also have to be quick to shut down Thiago in particular, who is now starting to show his quality on a consistent basis.
Everton will need a solid defensive base to shut out Liverpool Benitez will also need four willing runners to operate in front of the solid defensive base. Andros Townsend would be a nailed on starter in this set-up, and could rotate across the three behind the striker. Summer signing Demarai Gray could play the inside forward role, showing this season he's not shy to have a shot on goal. The 25-year-old has three goals to his name in the league this term. Academy graduate Anthony Gordon could start. His good ball control and speed will be key when in transition. Richarlison will play up front in Dominic Calvert-Lewin's absence, and his pace will be key to running the channels. Alternatively, Benitez could use a 4-3-3 and look to flood the midfield area. He has Fabian Delph at his disposal, who possesses good quality on the ball, is strong in a tackle and works hard. Delph could form a strong, hard-working midfield three alongside Allan and Doucoure.
Alternatively, Everton could look to overload the midfield Salomon Rondon could start up front as the big hold-up man. Richarlison could then be played out wide to add more pace on the left flank. Townsend seems to be popular with Benitez, so he would man the right-hand side.
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Source: How Everton could line up to stop Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and Liverpool's sizzling attack and end winless run
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