International week is over, the Premier League returns and a trip to Merseyside beckons. Everton sit 9th in the table but have won four of their last five league games, losing one to Manchester United. We are coming off a winning streak of one game, a decent knock against Brighton, and will be optimistic of getting something at Goodison…
Everton vs. Cardiff City
Premier League
Goodison Park
24th November 2018, 3pm (GMT)
Referee: Paul Tierney
How Cardiff will line-up:
And three things to look out for:
The middle three. With Arter back from suspension, Warnock does have a little selection headache on his hands. Ralls came back against Brighton and kept things ticking over in the middle of the park. Gunnarsson has been instrumental in recent weeks, keeping us solid in the middle and Camarasa is our best technical footballer. So who drops out? I think Arter will come back in to give us some added energy in the middle and Ralls will start on the bench.
http://gty.im/1057615396
The wing thing. Harris was man of the match against Brighton while Murphy was slightly subdued. Should Murphy drop out? Not a chance but if Warnock was to roll the dice, he may start on the bench in place of Decordova-Reid. My gut feeling is Harris and Murphy will start at Goodison. Both have pace and creativity and with Paterson our focal point up top, crossed need to grace the box.
Stick or twist. Cunningham started against Brighton and did enough to keep his place for tomorrow’s game. Bennett had been solid this season but faltered before he was demoted to the bench against Brighton. It’s good that we have two options at left back and I think the back four will remain the same – even if Mozza is battling through a broken nose.
Everton players to watch out for
Everton made some shrewd moves in the transfer window. Richarlison is looking every inch the £50m they paid for him while his compatriot Bernard is a tricky winger we need to be careful of. Both have tricks up their sleeves and Richarlison has got goals in him. We’re going to need to track them both closely.
http://gty.im/1070194308
But it’s not just their latest signings we need to watch out for. Sigurdsson is deadly from set-pieces, and we’ll need to be vigilant around the box. Theo Walcott is one of the best wingers in the division on his day. Everton’s team is full of players most Cardiff fans would love at the club.
https://twitter.com/cardiffcitytv/status/1066033115292975104?s=21
Best case result?
The Brighton game showed we have a bit more about us than people seem to think. We controlled possession – albeit against 10 men – and knocked the ball around nicely. We showed patience and commitment to go for 95 minutes. If we can translate that into a good performance against 11 men, we’ve got cause for optimism. Everton are a good side but if we stifle their attack and get running at them, we could come away with the 3 points. 1-0.
Worst case result?
The Brighton game was only against 10 men and away from home, we are more cautious than I’d like. I understand why but I’d like us to be a bit more expansive. Everton has quality running through their starting XI and good options to bring off the bench. Marco Silva is a canny manager and has started to get into his rhythm. It feels like it could be a 3-1 loss.