Everton are set to take on Fulham in the Premier League this weekend with the Toffees looking to extend their unbeaten run to five matches.
Sean Dyche's men have turned things around after a dismal start to the campaign and a win in front of their supporters on Saturday could see them into the top half if other results go their way.
Fulham, meanwhile, have been going along nicely in the early weeks of the season and a win here at Marco Silva's old stomping ground could see them move into the European places.
How the bookies view it: A close one to call
This is a tough match to call and the bookies are sitting on the fence somewhat, leaving all three results very much on the table. Fulham come into it as the narrow favourites and Betfred have priced them at 8/5 to get the win while a victory for Everton has been priced at 9/5. The draw, which wouldn't be a shock whatsoever, has been priced at 12/5.
Recent head-to-head: A bogey team for Everton?
The visit of Fulham to Goodison Park won't be a welcome one for the Toffees as they haven't won any of their last six meetings with the London club. Out of those six matches, Fulham have won three and drawn three so will be quietly confident ahead of kick-off. Everton's last win over Fulham at Goodison Park came all the way back in 2018.
Players to watch: DCL to end his drought?
It feels as if at some point every season, Dominic Calvert-Lewin goes through a spell where he can't find the back of the net for one reason or another. While his current srtech of four league games without a goal is far from his worst-ever drought, it is somewhat concerning when you consider the chances he is missing.
Everton fans have been very patient with the big man over the years but there comes a point where you have to accept that he isn't a natural-born finisher. On the flip side, he does still offer a brilliant presence up front and he is more than prepared to put in the hard yards to help his team out from a defensive point.
One man who can sympathise with Calvert-Lewins' struggles in front of goal is Fulham's Raul Jimenez. The Mexican has struggled since his severe head injury in 2020 but he is now finally looking like the player that lit it up for Wolves. So far this season, the 33-year-old has scored four goals in eight league appearances.
Predicted line-ups
The big news from the Everton camp is that Jarrad Branthwaite is ready to return to the starting XI following his injury layoff. The Toffees are still without Tim Iroegbunam, Youseff Chermiti, James Garner and Armando Broja.
Fulham are missing four players to injury, including Timothy Castagne and Carlos Vinicius, while Joachim Andersen will sit this one out after being red-carded last week.
Everton: Pickford – Young, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko – Doucoure, Gueye – Harrison, McNeil, Ndiaye – Calvert-Lewin
Fulham: Leno – Tete, Diop, Bassey, Robinson – Pereira, Berge – Traore, Smith-Rowe, Iwobi – Jimenez
Anything else catch the eye?
Only four of Everton's last five matches have produced more than two goals and with Branthwaite returning, they are only likely to become even harder to score against. Under 2.5 goals to be scored on Saturday has been priced at 4/5 by Betfred.
This English Premier League match between Everton and Fulham will be played on Oct 26, 2024 and kick off at 17:30. Check below for our tipsters best Everton vs Fulham prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
