Everton were held to a 0-0 draw against Brentford on the weekend.
The point leaves them in 15th place – just two points above the relegation zone – heading into the busy festive period.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 12 |  Man UtdManchester United | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 13 | 13 | 0 | 16 |
| 13 |  B’mouthBournemouth | 12 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 16 | 17 | -1 | 15 |
| 14 |  West HamWest Ham | 12 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 13 | 19 | -6 | 13 |
| 15 |  EvertonEverton | 12 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 17 | -7 | 11 |
| 16 |  LeicesterLeicester | 12 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 15 | 23 | -8 | 10 |
| 17 |  WolvesWolves | 12 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 20 | 28 | -8 | 9 |
| 18 |  IpswichIpswich | 12 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 13 | 23 | -10 | 9 |
Sean Dyche’s side now have an incredibly tough run of games up until mid Janaury, starting with a trip to Old Trafford on Sunday.
Everton fans have urged the club to sack Dyche and after Leicester dismissed Steve Cooper, there’s been a growing urgency around Merseyside to make a change to ensure they don’t miss out on their top targets.
However, many will be disappointed to hear that the Friedkin Group aren’t planning on sacking Dyche, so it seems he’s set to stay until the end of the season.
He’ll certainly need to be backed in January with further attacking reinforcements and he could do with another playmaker.
In fact, many were hopeful Dele Alli could make an impact when he returned to fitness (provided he penned a new contract that is).
However, those hopes have now taken a major blow as a worrying update emerges about the former Tottenham Hotspur maverick.
Dele Alli suffers injury in Everton training
Dele Alli has been training at Everton despite his contract expiring in the summer.
The 28-year-old has been recovering from a hamstring injury which required surgery, so he’s been building his fitness back up after the long layoff.
If he could prove his worth in training, the club were planning to offer him a new deal, but unfortunately, those hopes have now been slashed.
According to an Everton insider, Dele has just suffered another hamstring injury, though, it’s not yet known if it’s a recurrent of his previous issue.
Dyche’s previous comments on Dele
Speaking last month, Dyche admitted that it’s been a really challenging period for Dele – who continues to suffer injury setbacks on his road to recovery.
“You work for six or seven months and then you’re out for another seven months, it’s hard. Your body is the tool you need and if it breaks down it is really difficult but you find your way through it,” the Everton boss told the Liverpool Echo.
“Players are fortunate now. With me, my career was on the line. Now most of these guys, not all, make enough money to look after themselves for the future. Not that it’s about that, it doesn’t make it feel any better when you’re injured, but it’s worse when you’re injured for that long and you don’t know what is coming next and you are on the breadline. That’s a whole different ball game.
“But he has had a tough run of it, there is no doubt about that, and on the back of him feeling better about himself. To have this period out has been very challenging for him but whenever I see him he seems to be in good spirits. He’s well aware of the situation.”
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