West Ham United vs Everton: Match Preview and Predicted Lineup
West Ham United vs Everton: Match Preview and Predicted Lineup Everton head to the capital this Saturday to face West Ham United, looking to banish the ghosts of a painful derby defeat and keep their European aspirations alive in David Moyes’s return to his former stomping ground. The Blues' momentum was cruelly halted last weekend at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, where a late Virgil van Dijk winner from a corner secured a 2-1 victory for Liverpool. It was a double blow for Everton, who not only lost the points but also lost their defensive linchpin Jarrad Branthwaite to a season-ending injury.
Currently sitting 10th in the Premier League but only 3 points off the European spots, the maths is simple for David Moyes: Everton need to replicate the away form that has seen them pick up 24 points on the road this season — a tally only bettered by Arsenal. With just five games remaining, there is no room for a derby hangover at the London Stadium. Team News Everton Team News In his absence, Michael Keane is the likely candidate to step back in alongside James Tarkowski, with Jake O'Brien retained at right-back.
On a more positive note, Beto is not under a concussion protocol and should be fit to start. Losing Branthwaite is a hammer blow, and the sight of Michael Keane stepping back into a high-stakes away game will do little for the blood pressure of the traveling Toffees. However, Everton have been a different animal on the road this season.
Jack Grealish remains a long-term absentee, while questions remain over the availability of Charly Alcaraz, who was on the bench last weekend but had been frozen out of recent matchday squads with some mysterious, unspecified injury. Moyes is unlikely to change things, convincing himself that his selection played well against Liverpool, and is highly unlikely to take any risks by putting potentially more exciting young players, like Tyrique George or Tyler Dibling, into the starting lineup. If Ndiaye can find the pockets of space he exploited so well earlier in the month, and if the midfield can protect a weakened backline, there should be a result to be had here.
Moyes knows this ground better than anyone, and maybe still has a soft spot for the Hammers. In normal circumstances, he should be desperate to prove a point against his old employers, but perhaps not if it means putting them back down in the Championship. It won't be pretty, but a gritty point — or even a narrow win — is within reach of the Blues if they can keep Bowen quiet and just avoid conceding from any more dicey corners.