Leicester vs Everton: Match Preview | An early relegation six-pointer?
Yesterday at 12:06 PM
Neither side has yet to register a Premier League win so far this season
We may only be in September but Everton's trip to Leicester already feels like a pivotal match in the club's season.
Sean Dyche's side head to the King Power Stadium without a point and reeling from a miserable penalty shootout defeat against Southampton in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday.
The fans, already worn down after years of under-performance, are close to breaking point. Another defeat here and Dyche would be under serious pressure.
There are plenty of mitigating factors – years of under-achievement before Dyche's arrival, the continued financial restrictions and a lengthy injury list. But Dyche is not completely blameless and knows he is under pressure to get a positive result this weekend.
Some fans are understandably calling for a change in manager (the fact David Moyes is still without a club has not gone unnoticed), while others are wondering what good that will do given all the other issues still exist. If the takeover goes through in the next few months the new regime may want their own man anyway, so we are all stuck in limbo.
The team is better than it is showing, but the glimpses of good play we have seen against Bournemouth and Aston Villa need to be replicated across the whole 90+ minutes.
Rarely has the team needed a result as badly as on Saturday.
The opposition
Leicester have also endured a turbulent few years on and off the pitch. Financial restrictions and PSR concerns meant they sold key players before the 2022-23 season, resulting in a surprise relegation on the final day of the campaign - with Everton staying up at their expense.
They bounced back impressively at the first attempt and despite losing manager Enzo Maresca to Chelsea moved quickly to bring in Steve Cooper, who did a decent job at Nottingham Forest.
The Foxes have also dodged any PSR charges and potential points deductions from the Premier League for earlier breaches after exposing their poorly written rules.
They are one of six clubs yet to pick up a victory, though they did secure credible draws against Tottenham and Crystal Palace, the latter after being 2-0 up.
Previous meeting
Leicester 2-2 Everton, 1 May 2023
You could feel the tension in the air when the two sides last net in a relegation six-pointer in April 2023.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin's early penalty was cancelled out by Caglar Soyuncu and Jamie Vardy – but James Maddison's penalty miss just before halftime proved critical, with Alex Iwobi's leveller after the break going some way towards the Toffees staying up at the Foxes expense.
Team news
Everton could be without more than 10 players through injury and illness for Saturday's game
James Harrison is the latest player to be sent home from training after becoming unwell, with James Garner already ruled out through illness.
Dyche is hopeful Vitalii Mykolenko and Dominic Calvert-Lewin will recover in time, while James Tarkowski has resumed training after missing the Southampton game with a knock. Michael Keane has also had a scan on a foot injury picked up against the Saints.
Jarrad Branthwaite and Nathan Patterson are still unavailable but will play for the U21s this week. Seamus Coleman, Youssef Chermiti and Armando Broja are still a few weeks away from a return. While Idrissa Gueye misses out following the death of his father.
What they said
Everton manager Sean Dyche: "I talk about the consistency within a performance, not just week in and week out. That's something we haven't achieved so far this season – that consistency to see a game through in totality.
"We've been reaffirming to [the players] the whys and wherefores of why we had such a good record here last season, with clean sheets and keeping games tight
"[We've had injuries] on and off from pre-season. It's been an awkward run. This week, we've been as stretched as we've been, particularly for the cup game the other night. This is the reality, and this is the reality of the players we had fit for that game.
"We're hopeful on a couple of these coming through tomorrow and training, so we'll have to wait and see.
"It's a rare reality but it's a reality. I've not experienced this many injured and ill in such a short space of time. It's just one of those things at the moment."
Leicester boss Steve Cooper: "We are frustrated that we haven't picked up more points than we have. We felt that we could've got more in each game than we did. So it's a frustration but it's also a motivation.
"Our focus has been on ourselves and what we can bring, because that is what we can control. It's about continuing with our plan and strategy. We are excited about the game and being at home, after a brilliant training week."
Final word
This feels like a big game. Leicester will keen for revenge after their relegation two years ago and may relish the chance to pile more misery on Everton. Injuries, illness, loss of form and lack of confidence is a miserable combination. But Everton somehow have to dig deep to try and pull off a positive result.
