Chris Sutton has predicted that Everton will creep a point closer to Premier League safety with a 1-1 draw against Wolves at the Molineux Stadium on Saturday (20 May).
The Toffees most recently fell to a 3-0 defeat against Manchester City, which left the club just a single point above the drop zone with just two games of their season remaining
Writing in his weekly predictions column for BBC Sport, Sutton placed all of Everton’s survival hopes on the fitness of talisman Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who Sean Dyche revealed is expected to be fit for the Premier League showdown.
He wrote: “Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s fitness is the big thing for Everton here. He came off at half-time of Sunday’s defeat against Manchester City with a tight groin, and clearly, Toffees boss Sean Dyche wants him available here.
“With Calvert-Lewin leading the line, Everton beat Brighton 5-1 in their last away game and they will carry far more of a threat if he plays at Molineux.
“I’d go so far as saying as their whole season, and whether they stay up, depends on him.
“Wolves are safe but I don’t think their manager Julen Lopetegui will let them drift through their final home game of the season – they will be well-organized, and won’t just roll over.
“I definitely don’t think Everton will win it without Calvert-Lewin and I have a feeling it will end up in a draw anyway, which would mean they still have work to do in their final game of the season, at home against Bournemouth.”
Spot on
Although Dyche would like to think differently, Sutton is correct in his assessment that Calvert-Lewin simply needs to be fit to pick up any significant points over the final two games of the season.
In the 5-1 demolition of Brighton, the English forward looked to be back to his vintage best, holding the ball up with his strength, running the channels with pace and power, and delivering his usual aerial threat from set pieces.
And although he had scarce service in the 3-0 defeat to Pep Guardiola’s side last time out, he still managed to pose Ruben Dias with his fair share of problems before being subbed off at half-time as a precaution.
As soon as Neal Maupay came off the bench, Everton simply couldn’t carry the same threat.
It’s not even the goals that Calvert-Lewin has scored this season that are crucial to the Toffees’ survival hopes but more so the players he sucks in to mark him, which then offers freedom to the likes of Dwight McNeil and Abdoulaye Doucoure to expose.
The whole Everton fanbase will have their fingers crossed that the 26-year-old is deemed fit enough to start.
Leave a Reply