The Premier League is back this weekend with a series of important games, all of which should give us an interesting indication as to what could be next for all twenty teams throughout the remainder of the campaign. Only one game will be taking place on Sunday, though, and it’ll be a clash between Everton and Crystal Palace at Goodison Park. The two clubs find themselves at something of a crossroads in their respective seasons even though we’re just a few games in, and it’s going to be intriguing to see how they both develop as the months go on.

Ironically enough there have actually been some criticisms launched at the Premier League in recent weeks and months, with one of the biggest claims being that the ‘Super Sunday’ aspect of the division has been eradicated completely. Despite all twenty teams possessing world class players on some level, it doesn’t seem like they’re being all too respected, which can be viewed as a problem for the overall reputation and identity of the Premier League itself. Alas, that’s another story for another day, and we’re here to focus on what’s happening right in front of us – which is an intriguing match between two severely underrated sides.

When we say underrated we don’t necessarily mean that in the traditional sense, either, because both clubs currently reside in the bottom half of the Premier League. We’re instead talking about the squads themselves that both teams have at their disposal, which highlight just how strong English football is right now. As well as the national team flourishing in the World Cup we’ve also seen the EPL skyrocket courtesy of the fact that it plays host to some of the finest footballers not only from England, but also from nations around Europe and the world.

But we’re getting sidetracked, because the important discussion here rests in what’s going to happen on Merseyside tomorrow afternoon. Both clubs should have been realistically considering a top half finish to be within touching distance once the season had kicked off, but it still appears as if they’re both struggling to piece things together on a week to week basis. Their two managers have very different ideologies which certainly makes for an interesting contrast, and while many will choose to write them both off even at this early stage, we still believe they’ve got a lot to offer the league this season.

Everton have been on something of a rollercoaster ride in their last six games, with nobody really being all too sure of where they’re at in terms of what they could achieve this season. A disappointing draw against Huddersfield was followed up by back to back losses against West Ham United and Arsenal, leaving many to wonder whether or not this could end up being a disaster of a season. Thankfully an emphatic win against Fulham got them back on track, and a 2-1 win against Leicester helped to paper over the cracks created by their League Cup exit at the hands of Southampton.

Palace, on the other hand, also lost to Southampton at the beginning of their latest six game stretch. Thankfully they were able to follow that up with a three game unbeaten run that included wins against Huddersfield and West Brom with a draw against Newcastle United, but they came undone in narrow but intriguing losses against Bournemouth and Wolverhampton Wanderers. So while they may not be blowing anyone away, there are reasons to suspect that they could do some big things if they can just build some consistent momentum for themselves – which is, obviously, easier said than done.

With the first meeting between these two clubs coming back in 1907 it should come as no surprise to anyone that they’re familiar with one another, and the Toffees have had the last laugh more often than not with a 19-13 lead in the head to head standings with 15 draws. Everton are actually unbeaten in their last seven meetings against the Eagles, with their game back in February ending 3-1 to the Toffees. While some would argue that will have no impact on tomorrow’s game, you never know what records like that can do to a team.

Yerry Mina, Andre Gomes and James McCarthy are all expected to play some kind of role for Everton, as they continue to try and figure out their best starting XI and formation. The fans have been eagerly anticipating the moment that all three could be given the all clear to try and make a name for themselves in the first team, with injuries ensuring that Everton would have to start the season without them. Still, at least they haven’t suffered too badly, and there’s still time for them to turn things around and make a big push for a place in the top half.

The big worry for the visitors is going to be Wilfried Zaha, who will face a late fitness test to see whether or not he’s fit to start following an adductor injury. Max Meyer and Alexander Sorloth will be allowed time to recover from viral infections, with Christian Benteke requiring some time off to recover from a recent knee surgery. Scott Dann and Connor Wickham are also unable to start courtesy of injuries, with it looking progressively more and more likely that Roy Hodgson will need to make some serious investments once the transfer window opens in January.

Everton vs Crystal Palace Betting Prediction

Crystal Palace have some quality in their ranks, but the best thing they can do in the early stages of this game is to weather the storm. The Toffees will likely come forward in their numbers and you can hardly blame them, because the fans will be desperate to see an early goal fly in. If Palace can keep their cool early on and prevent Everton from scoring then they’ve got a real chance, and we actually think that’s going to happen – then, just before half time, the Eagles will move into a surprise 1-0 lead.

This Everton side won’t want to go down without a fight, though, and although it’ll take some time, we think they’ll grab an equaliser with just over 25 minutes remaining. Then, they’ll manage to edge themselves in front before holding out to claim a 2-1 win. It probably won’t be the prettiest game of football we’ve ever seen but it’ll undoubtedly be entertaining, and in the modern era, that’s all you can really ask for. We’ve got two teams who shouldn’t be afraid of pushing forward with a purpose, and there are a multitude of exciting possibilities that could stem from that.

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