Everton vs Bournemouth – Sunday, 4:30pm
Everton will secure their Premier League survival if they can beat Bournemouth at Goodison Park on Sunday afternoon.
Key stats
- Everton have failed to win 13 of their 18 home Premier League matches this season.
- Everton have scored one or fewer goals in 21 of their last 25 Premier League matches.
- AFC Bournemouth have won their last four meetings with Everton, scoring three goals in each.
- The last five meetings between the sides at Goodison Park have averaged 4.2 goals.
Verdict
Everton welcome Bournemouth to Goodison Park knowing that a win guarantees them a place in the Premier League next season. Drop points and the situation gets more complicated.
Leicester’s valuable point at Newcastle means they’re waiting in the wings. Should the Toffees fail to win, a City victory over West Ham would relegate Everton for the first time since 1954.
Leeds United are also waiting in the wings should an unlikely set of results occur. A win for them over Tottenham Hotspur would pile the pressure on Sean Dyche’s men.
Everton have the luxury of playing at home on the final day, hosting a team with nothing to play for. If you believe the bookmakers’ odds, then Everton have been priced around 2/5 for most of this week.
They were favourites to win at Wolves last weekend but could only grab a fortunate equaliser in the 99th minute. While Bournemouth may seem a good opponent, there is an angle that should concern Everton.
Bournemouth have lost three straight since securing safety, but they have still competed. Since April, they’ve beaten Leicester, Tottenham and Southampton on their travels.
Fans and pundits have spent all season writing Gary O’Neill and Bournemouth off. Due to that, we just think Bournemouth may take great pleasure in being the team to relegate someone.
Everton’s win at Brighton was an anomaly and it remains their only victory in the last 10 matches. They are going to be under immense pressure at Goodison Park and could be without main man Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
His presence offers a structure and a focal point to Everton’s breakaways which have been a key part of recent results.
Given their injury concerns, Everton may have to push on with a weakened team and some players out of position. The main requirement will be their determination but we’re not sure they’ll get over the line.
Everton must balance pushing for the goals they need but not leaving themselves exposed. Bournemouth have the weapons to hurt them and there may come a time when they have to go gung-ho.
Everton vs Bournemouth 28/05/2023 – verdict, key stats and suggested bets
