Everton preview v Fulham: Team news, where to watch, prediction

Everton have the chance to go five unbeaten in the Premier League and secure successive victories when Fulham visit Goodison Park on Saturday (26 October).

The Premier League contest on Merseyside kicks off at the later time of 5:30pm, with the Toffees able to move level on points with their visitors with a win.

Preview

Everton have dovetailed between wins and draws in their past four games, their last defeat in 90 minutes coming at Aston Villa on 14 September.

Sean Dyche’s side have considerably raised their form after a shocking start to the campaign, with a chance to stretch their unbeaten run to five games to see out October.

A win would set the team up very well for upcoming matches against out-of-form duo Southampton and West Ham United, though they have not beaten Fulham since 2020, or at Goodison since 2018.

Everton completed a professional job to overcome Ipswich Town at Portman Road on Saturday [19 October], as Iliman Ndiaye and Michael Keane found the net.

Fulham head north having been beaten 3-1 by Aston Villa at Craven Cottage last time out [19 October], sitting in 10th, three points but six places above their weekend hosts.

Consecutive wins against Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest to round off September have been pegged back by two defeats, to Villa and then an unlucky 3-2 reverse by Manchester City.

Form guide (Premier League)

Everton: LDWDW

Fulham: DWWLL

Head-to-head (past five meetings, all comps)

Fulham 0-0 Everton (30 January 2024)

Everton 1-1 Fulham [6-7 on pens] (19 December 2023)

Everton 0-1 Fulham (12 August 2023)

Everton 1-3 Fulham (15 April 2023)

Fulham 0-0 Everton (29 October 2022)

Team news

Dyche is buoyed by potential returns for Jesper Lindstrom and key man Jarrad Branthwaite for this encounter.

Branthwaite may not be risked from the start with the manager conscious of his absence after returning for one game against Crystal Palace last month.

Nathan Patterson and James Garner are progressing well but the weekend will come too soon, while Tim Iroegbunam, Armando Broja and Youssef Chermiti remain out.

As for Fulham, Marco Silva has confirmed Sasa Lukic and Timothy Castagne are ruled out.

Joachim Andersen is suspended after his red card against Aston Villa, while Jorge Cuenca and Carlos Vinicius will be assessed.

Predicted line-ups:

Everton: Pickford; Young, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko; Doucoure, Gueye; Harrison, McNeil, Ndiaye; Calvert-Lewin.

Fulham: Leno; Tete, Diop, Bassey, Robinson; Pereira, Berge; Traore, Smith Rowe, Iwobi; Jimenez.

Where to watch?

The contest at Goodison Park kicks off at 5:30pm (GMT) on Saturday 26 October, and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Ultra, the Sky Go app and can be listened to live via BBC Radio.

Prediction: Everton 2-1 Fulham

Everton will want a run of games to come thick and fast to build momentum and fully put the poor start to the season behind them.

The Toffees will be confident heading into this game and can move to 11 points alongside Fulham.

Silva’s side will be desperate to return to winning ways but would be likely to settle for a draw with several absentees.

Everton are anticipated to take advantage of Andersen’s absence, while if Branthwaite is just a little short to start, the Cottagers will be planning the same at the opposite end.

The form, new-found stability and belief of Dyche’s side, who are likely to be unchanged from the victory at Ipswich, should see them over the line if they avoid errors in key areas.

In other Everton news, Dan Plumley assesses the quietness of the takeover situation.

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