Premier League leaders Everton will be looking to continue their excellent start to the season when they travel to the St.Mary’s Stadium to take on Southampton this Sunday. The Toffees are coming into this tie on the back of an inspired 2-2 draw against the reigning champions Liverpool, in what was one of the most evenly-fought Merseyside derbies in recent seasons. Although the Reds took the lead on two occasions, Everton showed the heart and desire required to come back, with the only blemish coming in the form of a Richarlison red card.
The Toffees currently find themselves sitting pretty atop the Premier League table with 13 points on the board from their five fixtures so far. Their only real competition at this point, surprisingly, are Aston Villa, who themselves have 12 points in the bag, having played a game less than the others as well. Although this is the case, the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea are sure to be hot on their trail in the coming weeks. Picking up maximum points against the relatively ‘smaller’ teams will be of utmost importance to the Merseyside club.
Team News
With Richarlison now suspended after being sent off in the draw against the champions, the Brazilian will be unavailable for selection. This leaves Carlo Ancelotti in a sticky situation, as their alternate striking option – Cenk Tosun, is currently out injured as well. The gaffer could hence be forced to make a change to his setup, bringing a couple of players into the side off the bench. Another major absentee is their summer signing James Rodriguez, who is also unlikely to feature in this tie due to injury.
Here Is The Predicted 4-3-3 Everton Lineup Vs Southampton:
Predicted 4-3-3 Everton Lineup Vs Southampton
Defence
The Toffees have started the season in blistering fashion, but one of the biggest talking points of the last Premier League weekend was Jordan Pickford’s tackle on Virgil Van Dijk. Having avoided a potential suspension, the Englishman is likely to retain his place in between the sticks for this clash. With Seamus Coleman unavailable for selection, expect Jonjoe Kenny to start in the wide role, with Lucas Digne on the other side, while the centre-half duo of Yerry Mina and Michael Keane is likely to stay intact.
Midfield
The midfield has been one of the Toffees’ biggest strengths since the start of the season, as the addition of the dynamic Allan has carried the Everton core to the next level. The inclusion of an experienced Premier League campaigner like Abdoulaye Doucoure has done wonders towards adding the much-needed muscle to the Merseyside club. The duo are both expected to keep their place, alongside former Barcelona man Andre Gomes, who has gradually started becoming an important member of the roster.
Attack
With two of their most important players out in the form of James Rodriguez and Richarlison, Ancelotti will have to turn to his bench to find alternatives. Alex Iwobi is one of the players who could come into the wide areas, while Gylfi Sigurdsson could fill the same role on the other side. The one player whose presence is crucial to this Everton side right now is that of English international striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The forward has been in fine form, and his goalscoring ability will certainly have an important part to play in the tie.
