Our Everton writers select their line-ups for this evening’s Premier League clash against Leeds United at Hill Dickinson Stadiun
Everton manager David Moyes greets Iliman Ndiaye as he returns to training at Finch Farm after winning AFCON with Senegal(Image: Tony McArdle/Everton FC Official Photography Library/SmartFrame)
Everton will look to end a run of four home games without a win this evening when they take on in-form Leeds United (8pm kick-off). And the Blues really could not have a greater incentive.
As victory at Hill Dickinson Stadium tonight would haul them up to seventh in the Premier League standings and within three points of the top four.
It won’t be an easy task. Leeds won the reverse fixture at Elland Road on the opening weekend of the campaign and, with former Everton hero Dominic Calvert-Lewin in fine form, they have only lost one of their last 10 games in all competitions.
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But with key players returning to the squad, the match represents a big opportunity for the Blues, whose magnificent 1-0 victory at Aston Villa last time was only soured by the news that Jack Grealish will spend a lengthy spell on the sidelines through injury.
So that’s at least one change David Moyes will have to make. But who replaces Grealish and are there other alterations to the rest of the starting line-up? Our Everton writers have their say…
Joe Thomas
The results over the weekend make this a massive opportunity for Everton. That double header at Hill Dickinson at the start of the year against Brentford and Wolves felt like such a missed chance to lay a platform for a push for Europe but now the Blues have a second bite with three points set to take them within touching distance of the top four.
For that reason – and also because Everton owe their home supporters a performance – the big decision from me would be to select Tyler Dibling over Dwight McNeil.
McNeil battled well in an impressive win at Aston Villa but I want to see Everton take the initiative here and I think Dibling, even though he has had a mixed start to life on Merseyside, offers so much more potential for David Moyes’ side to put Leeds on the back foot.
While Idrissa Gueye is back, I would not disrupt a central midfield that played really well at Villa Park, with Harrison Armstrong and Merlin Rohl producing their best displays in the first team.
I would put Iliman Ndiaye straight back in – an obvious call given the injury to Jack Grealish – and I would put him in his favoured position on the left, hence why it is, for me, Dibling over McNeil on the right.
My team (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Patterson; Tarkowski, O’Brien, Mykolenko’ Garner, Rohl; Ndiaye, Armstrong, Ndiaye; Barry.
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Chris Beesley
Everton pair Idrissa Gueye and Iliman Ndiaye were both given a hero’s welcome on their return to Finch Farm on Friday and while manager David Moyes insisted he still didn’t know what physical condition they were in ahead of Monday night’s home game with Leeds United, there are differing amounts of urgency to get them back into the side.
Even before Jack Grealish’s bombshell injury with the on-loan Manchester City star suffering a stress fracture in his foot and potentially a prolonged period on the sidelines, there would have been a clamour for Ndiaye to make an instant return. It might be that with the first £100million English footballer out for an as of yet undetermined period, he is eventually restored to the left wing where he spent most of last season when finishing top scorer.
But for now I’d put him back on the right wing where both Dwight McNeil and Tyler Dibling have struggled for consistency, with the former, going over to the left where he’s spent most of his career.
At 36, Gueye can be given a bit more time off to be eased back in, especially given that young guns James Garner, who has just signed a new contract, plus Harrison Armstrong and Merlin Rohl, all did so well in the centre of the park in the 1-0 win at Aston Villa last time out.
Despite Grealish’s setback, hopefully Gueye an be part of the cavalry that’s coming over the hill for Moyes in the coming weeks with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall hinting last week that he’s on the cusp of returning while Everton’s most valuable player Jarrad Branthwaite who hasn’t kicked a ball all season is also stepping up his comeback.
My team (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Patterson, Tarkowski, O’Brien, Mykolenko; Garner, Rohl; Ndiaye, Armstrong, McNeil; Barry.