With just two rounds of the Premier League season to go, there are some tired footballers out there, but final positions in the top flight are up for grabs so we can expect plenty of drama in the last two weeks of the campaign, starting with Friday’s game at Goodison Park.
In the blue corner, we have a newly-in-form Everton side that has won all of their last three home games and have claimed victories over some of the division’s top guns. And in the claret corner, the challengers from Burnley, led by Sean Dyche, who has guided his team to Premier League survival after a shaky start, and who could yet see his team finish as high as 12th in the table.
For the Toffees, the last few weeks have seen a remarkable turnaround. On March 9, they lost 3-2 to Newcastle, squandering a 2-0 lead and heaping pressure on manager Marco Silva. But after months of indifferent performances, things seemed to click in the next game as Everton beat Chelsea at home, and West Ham away. They followed that up with a 1-0 victory over Arsenal and added another top six scalp with a win against Manchester United. Away performances have remained inconsistent, but Goodison Park now seems like a fortress for the men in blue.
So, it’s no surprise to see them rated as the strong favourites for this game. Betcris have Everton as the -169 favourites, with Burnley a big-priced +465 to go home with three points.
The visitors should not be underestimated. An unexpected Europa League campaign tested the limited Burnley squad in the summer and disrupted their preparations, leading to a slow start. In fact, they won just three of their first nineteen games of the campaign, and after their 5-1 defeat against the Toffees on Boxing Day, they were eighteenth in the table and in deep trouble.
But Dyche’s hard-working team have dug deep and pulled themselves out of trouble. An undefeated run of eight games took them out of trouble and consecutive wins against Wolves, Bournemouth and Cardiff secured their top flight safety. Their resurgence is based on their ultra-competitive and well-organised defensive set-up. In their last five games; a run that has included fixtures against Chelsea and Manchester City, they have conceded just four goals.
And while Dyche’s side can finish no higher than twelfth, that still represents a significant achievement for a team on a budget that is a fraction of the size of most of their rivals’. Everton have even higher ambitions. Two wins in their last two games could conceivably lift them into seventh in the table; a position that is likely to lead to qualification for next season’s Europa League.
So, we could be in for a classic Premier League encounter, with Everton’s width and creativity, exemplified by Brazilians Richarlison and Bernard goes up against Burnley’s well-drilled defensive shape. The absence of Aaron Lennon and the newly-signed Peter Crouch will reduce Burnley’s chances of offering a significant offensive threat, and in what could well be a tight game, the odds offered by Betcris of +306 on a draw look tempting.
