Saturday's early kick-off in the Premier League comes from Goodison Park, as George Pitts previews Everton v Crystal Palace.
Recommended bets
1pt Crystal Palace +1 handicap at 11/10
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Everton v Crystal Palace
- 1230 GMT kick-off on BT Sport 1
It has been a frustrating start to 2020 for Roy Hodgson and Crystal Palace.
The Eagles were knocked out of the FA Cup by lower league opposition in Derby at Selhurst Park and they are yet to win in the Premier League.
They made just one January signing in Cenk Tosun - on loan from Everton and ineligible here - much to the frustration of Hodgson, with links to Norwich's Jamal Lewis, Ashley Young and Kyle Walker-Peters failing to materialise. Then a late move for West Brom full-back Nathan Ferguson fell through due to complications with his medical.
Hodgson has been left with a lopsided squad and he said after Deadline Day: "I think we know as a football club we need to make more inroads into improving our squad and rejuvenating our squad and bringing in fresh faces.
"An awful lot of the faces I work with every day, they were here when I came to the club and I inherited them. Everyone is on the same page as far as that is concerned.
"Now Steve Parish, Doug Freedman and the American owners, they are going to have to do a lot of thinking, alongside myself and the coaching staff, about what the best way forward is in the next transfer window and what we are going to be able to do to ensure this team gets stronger."
Given Hodgson has spoken about the desire for more forward options and full-backs since the summer, the club's transfer activity in January has left many fans deflated and those comments from Hodgson raised inevitable questions about his future.
The 72-year-old's odds to be the next Premier League manager to leave have shortened to 7/2 with Sky Bet (second favourite) and, with his contract expiring in the summer, it would be no surprise to see him leave Selhurst then.
But he will not be dwelling on it too much, with the trip to Everton an interesting one for them and there is no reason why they cannot return from Merseyside with at least a point.
Their opponents, with Carlo Ancelotti now at the helm, have lost just once in the 10 games since Marco Silva's departure, but it was close last weekend after coming from behind to win at Watford in style.
They drew the two games before that and have failed to win 50% of their home games this season - interesting when they face a Palace side that performs well away from home.
The Eagles are the ninth best side on the road, with three wins and five draws from 12. Hodgson knows how to set them up well against the bigger teams, with draws at Arsenal and Man City and a win at Man United.
Goals have been a problem and Tosun will be a miss but their injury list is easing. Hodgson's men can frustrate the hosts and grind out a result against an Everton side that still has its faults and defensive lapses.
A draw is the preferred result but the 13/10 on a +1 handicap for Palace is the more appealing option.
Prediction: Everton 1-1 Crystal Palace (Sky Bet odds: 6/1)
Best bet: Crystal Palace +1 handicap at 11/10
Key stats
- Everton are unbeaten in their last 10 Premier League meetings with Crystal Palace (W4 D6), keeping a clean sheet in each of the last three.
- Four of Crystal Palace’s five Premier League wins against Everton have been at Goodison Park (80%), though their last win there was in September 2014. At no side have they won more Premier League away games as they have against the Toffees (also 4 vs Leicester).
- After losing eight of their last 11 Premier League games under Marco Silva (W2 D1), Everton have lost just one of their last 10 under Duncan Ferguson/Carlo Ancelotti (W5 D4). Indeed, only Liverpool (30) have won more points over their last 10 Premier League games than Everton (19).
- Crystal Palace have won just one of their last 10 Premier League games (D6 L3), with the Eagles winless in six since beating West Ham in December (D4 L2).
- Crystal Palace are without a clean sheet in nine Premier League games, the longest current run in the competition. However, the Eagles have only conceded more than once in two of those nine games.
- Everton have scored a league-high 61% of their Premier League goals in the first half of games this season (19/31). Meanwhile, Crystal Palace have scored the lowest ratio before half-time (23%), with just five of their 22 goals coming in the opening 45 minutes.
- Crystal Palace have had fewer shots on target than any other Premier League side this season (77). Their rate of 3.1 shots on target per game is the Eagles’ lowest in a single campaign in the competition that we have on record (since 1997-98).
- The average age of Crystal Palace’s starting XI in the Premier League this season is 29y 230d, the oldest in the competition in 2019-20. The Eagles are the only side yet to start a player under the age of 23 this term, with Jairo Riedewald their youngest starter (23y 98d).
- Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin is the highest Premier League goalscorer this season among players who haven’t provided a single assist so far (10).
- Theo Walcott 90th minute winner in Everton’s last game against Watford was his first goal in 18 Premier League games this season – he last scored in consecutive league games in August 2018.
Odds correct as of 1400 GMT on 06/02/20
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