The former Everton player was back on Merseyside this weekend for a meeting with Liverpool
Tottenham forward Richarlison has pledged his support to former club Everton in the ongoing scrap against Premier League relegation this season.
Despite their comeback draw against Leicester City on Monday night, the Blues remain in the bottom three. However, they are still only one point from safety with four matches remaining, and their performance at the King Power Stadium was enough to offer supporters encouragement.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin (pen) and Alex Iwobi were on target for Everton as they, initially, went 1-0 up before going 2-1 down. Jordan Pickford saved an important penalty from James Maddison at that stage – after goals from Caglar Soyuncu and experienced frontman Jamie Vardy.
Overall, it was a decent point for the Toffees and one which might be telling for them this season. It certainly impressed their former player as he responded to the result on social media.
Richarlison, incidentally, returned to Merseyside on Sunday afternoon with Tottenham as they were defeated 4-3 by Liverpool in a pulsating showdown. Diogo Jota grabbed a dramatic winner in that match after the Brazil international thought he had earned Tottenham a share of the spoils with a strike in added time.
Settling down enough to divert his attention to Everton on Monday night, Richarlison posted a comment on Instagram after former Everton teammate Iwobi sent out a message on the platform. Uploading some images after his goal, Iwobi said: “Errors made but the support stayed, appreciate the love. We go again.”
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Sean Dyche faces Michael Keane and Amadou Onana decisions as Everton braced for Brighton blow
Next up for Everton is a trip to Brighton in the Premier League on Monday
As Everton rattle along toward the end of another terrible and tense Premier League season, every decision made by the players and the manager is amplified.
The Blues sit in 19th, albeit just a point behind three teams ahead of them, meaning there is still an opportunity to preserve their top-flight status come the end of the campaign. But given the fixtures to come, manager Sean Dyche will have to be flawless.
Before treble-chasing Manchester City rock up to Goodison Park for what could be the old stadium’s penultimate top-flight game – big deep breath – it’s trip to Brighton & Hove Albion on Monday that needs to be negotiated. With European football still a realistic aim for the Seagulls, taking any positive result will be a massive ask and the Toffees will have to improve again on their performance against Leicester, which culminated in a 2-2 draw.
One area that must improve is the defensive play. There will be no Seamus Coleman after his serious knee injury, meaning Nathan Patterson must come in after recent awful outings at full-back for Ben Godfrey and Mason Holgate.
But it’s in the center of the back four where plenty of Evertonians have been calling for a change. Against Leicester, Michael Keane continued his rotten form, conceding a penalty and being run ragged by Jamie Vardy, who has long lost his formerly fearsome edge.
Given lackluster performances away at Arsenal, Nottingham Forest, Chelsea, and Leicester – not to mention the Goodison meltdowns against Fulham and Newcastle – the former Burnley man has long been due a spell on the sidelines.
Dyche clearly doesn’t fancy Everton’s best and brittlest center-back Yerry Mina – surely worth the risk at this point? – , but Conor Coady has played under the English coach and could certainly be worth a recall.
Elsewhere, the only other likely change from the King Power would involve Amadou Onana coming back into the side. As much as James Garner was tidy at Leicester, the Everton boss will likely value the Belgian’s presence, physicality, and tackling strength against an opponent who will dominate the ball.
In attack, Dyche decided not to use Demarai Gray, Ellis Simms, or Neal Maupay from the bench when the game was there to be won – and arguably had to be won – at Leicester, so it would be a huge surprise if any of that trio forced their way into contention.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin will continue to lead the line, with the industrious Dwight McNeil and the often inexplicable Alex Iwobi on the flanks.
My Everton XI (4-1-4-1): Pickford; Patterson, Mina, Tarkowski, Mykolenko; Gueye; Iwobi, Onana, Doucoure, McNeil; Calvert-Lewin
