After a shock defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion, Everton will hope to get back on track as they host Leicester City.
The Foxes are no pushovers, having defeated both Chelsea and Manchester City in December. However, a defeat to Cardiff in midweek halted their impressive winning run, making this an evenly matched encounter as both sides look to collect all three points.
Everton team news
Mason Holgate and Cuco Martina remain the only absentees, while James McCarthy and Ademola Lookman have both been deemed doubtful to start against Leicester.
Predicted Everton lineup vs Leicester City
Defence
Marco Silva may revert to his 4-2-3-1 formation, which would see Seamus Coleman return to the right-back position and Lucas Digne featuring on the opposite flank.
The Frenchman has been one of Everton’s best players this season, leading the team in terms of key passes and his technical prowess could be important against the Foxes this week.
Kurt Zouma will be relegated to the bench, allowing Yerry Mina and Michael Keane to form a central defensive partnership in the 4-2-3-1 formation. Mina’s return from injury has been a boon for the Evertonians, but Keane will be equally important in dealing with the sharp attacking Leicester side this week.
Jordan Pickford will be the man between the sticks for the Toffees. The English international will be searching for his fifth clean sheet of the season.
Midfield
Silva will once again resort to his trusted duo of Andre Gomes and Idrissa Gueye at the base of Everton’s 4-2-3-1. Gomes has become a key figure in the Everton midfield and his technical quality will be pivotal in the possession phase.
Gueye, on the other hand, leads the team in terms of tackles and interceptions and his personal duel with Wilfred Ndidi is likely to shape the fate of this game.
Attack
The 4-2-3-1 formation will allow Silva to add an extra attacking body in the final third and thus, we expect Gylfi Sigurdsson to return to the side. The Icelandic international has been involved in 11 goals so far, but it will be interesting to see how he performs against a well-drilled Leicester defence.
Sigurdsson will be partnered by the wide duo of Theo Walcott and Richarlison. Dominic-Calvert Lewin is likely to operate as the central striker for Everton this week.
Richarlison has scored nine goals in the league this term and his combination with Sigurdsson is sure to cause Leicester some problems.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored
