A round-up of the latest Everton news as coach Sean Dyche is told the one player vital to the Toffees’ Premier League survival and Sam Allardyce gives his relegation verdict.
Everton learn the one player key to their Premier League survival
Arsenal hero Perry Groves thinks Everton should avoid relegation from the Premier League if Dominic Calvert-Lewin stays fit. The Toffees could face their third straight campaign fighting to avoid falling into the Championship this term. They survived in the final game last season.
Everton sit 14th in the table after 12 games so far this season at the November international break. The Goodison Park side are even eight points clear of the drop zone having won three of their last five fixtures. Dyche oversaw a dramatic 3-2 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Calvert-Lewin did not score at Selhurst Park but has found the back of the net three times in nine appearances. The 26-year-old missed their opening game of the term with a hamstring issue before fracturing a cheekbone. Fitness gripes have dogged the striker in recent years.
Not having Calvert-Lewin available in multiple matches helped to see Dwight McNeil end the 2022/23 Premier League term as Everton’s top scorer with seven goals. Calvert-Lewin only featured 17 times. So, Groves claims now keeping him fit will be vital for Dyche this season.
Groves told talkSPORT “I saw Everton at West Ham when they won 1-0 and Sean Dyche had his team very well structured. Calvert-Lewin makes a difference by bringing other people into the team.
“At the back, [James] Tarkowski and [Jarrad] Branthwaite – I know they conceded two goals – but they’re a steady centre-half pairing.
“For all the turmoil Everton are going through off the pitch, they’re safe on the pitch. There’s no danger of them going down as long as Calvert-Lewin stays fit.”
Read more about what Groves has had to say about Everton battling relegation, here.
Doucoure reveals why he wants to ‘give everything’ for Everton
Star Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure has revealed why he wants to ‘give everything’ to the Merseyside outfit. The 30-year-old has been at Goodison Park since September 2020 but recently renewed his contract until 2025. His previous deal was due to expire next June.
A move away from Merseyside had appeared likely earlier in 2023 whilst Frank Lampard was in charge. Doucoure had fallen hugely out of favour but Dyche revived his career at Everton. Now, the Mali man hopes to also repay the love that he feels from the Toffees’ supporters.
He told their website: “I feel the love here, I am very happy. I committed last week to a new contract with the club, so obviously I am more than happy to stay. I love the fans, the way they look at me and love me, I just want to repay that back and give everything for the club.”
Read more about what Doucoure has had to say about his commitment to Everton, here.
Allardyce issues his verdict on Everton avoiding relegation again
Former Everton manager Allardyce believes the Toffees have enough about them this term to avoid relegation from the Premier League. The one-game England boss feels Dyche’s side have shown real promise through the opening months of the campaign to not be in danger.
“Everton are doing fantastic now in terms of solidarity,” Allardyce told talkSPORT. “[It] looks like they’ve got the right pattern, looks like they’ve got the right direction.
“I’m not sure whether the club’s going to be sold or not. But, certainly, they’ve got a massive opportunity, I think at least, of finishing in the middle of the table.
“The teams at the bottom are struggling a lot this year because they’ve not spent as much as anybody else and the three teams that went up are the three teams that are struggling.”
Read more about what Allardyce has had to say on Everton and relegation, here.
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