Everton to finally START summer signing; Moyes gives star second chance after woeful error – predicted XI

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Everton to finally START summer signing; Moyes gives star second chance after woeful error – predicted XI

Everton are preparing for a crucial clash against Fulham later today, and David Moyes could make THREE big changes to his starting XI as his side aims to get back to winning ways.

The Toffees have dropped to 14th in the Premier League table after back-to-back defeats against Tottenham and Manchester City was followed by a draw against Sunderland.

Everton dominated the first 30 minutes of the clash at the Stadium of Light, going 1-0 up thanks to a fine goal from Iliman Ndiaye, but then played poorly for the rest of the game. Ultimately, they were fortunate to come out with a 1-1 draw.

Thierno Barry started against the Black Cats and missed a huge opportunity to make it 2-0 from only a few yards out – and he is one of the stars under the spotlight as David Moyes prepares for the game against Fulham.

The Cottagers are 15th in the table, just one point behind Everton, and the result is crucial to changing the mood at both clubs before we head into a two-week international break.

Jarrad Branthwaite and Nathan Patterson are both unavailable due to injury, but Ndiaye is available despite being taken off as a precaution against Sunderland.

“[Ndiaye] is fine. He’s trained today, so hopefully everything is ok,” Moyes said in a press conference yesterday.

David Moyes could drop leader and start summer signing

The goalkeeper position is the most obvious selection for Moyes, with Jordan Pickford set to retain his spot between the sticks. Pickford remains a vital player for Everton and has consistently earned vital points for his team in recent seasons.

Jake O’Brien, despite naturally being a centre-back, has been utilised as a right-back by Moyes this term. However, I feel that James Garner could move to his position to give Everton more of an attacking threat. Garner shown in the past that he can be effective at full-back, and is a good crosser of the ball when given the opportunity.

However, I’m not sure dropping O’Brien would be the right call as I think James Tarkowski could lose his spot in the starting XI today. It would be a controversial call to drop the vice-captain but, despite him being a leader and a fantastic signing, his form hasn’t been as good as usual recently. That’s why I think O’Brien could slot in at centre-back for the first time this season.

Michael Keane, however, has made himself undroppable for the Toffees after playing admirably in the absence of Branthwaite. He has been Everton’s best defender this season and is also a threat from set-pieces – something Moyes will want to take advantage of against Fulham.

Vitaliy Mykolenko is likely to keep his spot at left-back, with youngster Adam Aznou yet to feature in the Premier League since his summer move from Bayern Munich.

The second big change comes in midfield, as Merlin Rohl could potentially be given his first league start by Moyes, following his move from Freiburg in the summer. He didn’t feature against Sunderland, but is very highly regarded at Everton and could be the man to step in if Garner moves to right-back.

Some supporters have questioned Idrissa Gana Gueye recently but I still believe he is crucial to the Toffees. His ability to break up play with tackles and interceptions is unmatched by any other midfielder they have, and I would be surprised if he is left out. Tim Iroegbunam does represent an interesting alternative, however.

And despite Charly Alcaraz squandering a golden opportunity to win the game late on against Sunderland, I feel today could be the day for him to step in for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in attacking midfield. Dewsbury-Hall has largely performed well this season but Alcaraz deserves a chance to start after putting in a huge performance in Everton’s last win, against Crystal Palace.

As mentioned, Ndiaye has been deemed fit to play and he will keep his spot on the right-wing for Everton, which is no shock after his brilliant goal on Monday night.

Jack Grealish showed positive flashes again against Sunderland and hit the post with a fine effort from outside the box. He is expected to be in the starting XI again and may get extra motivation after being left out of the England squad by Thomas Tuchel.

The question of who to play up front is a big one for Moyes, but I think Barry will stay in the starting line-up ahead of Beto today. He may have missed a golden opportunity against Sunderland but did show some positive signs. If the 23-year-old can find the back of the net, I feel he can kick on this season.