‘Rejuvenated Everton Will Be Confident’
- Dave Downie of the Blue Room Podcast speaks to LCFC Radio to provide an insight into Everton’s form this season
- Leicester City travel to Goodison Park to face the Toffees on Wednesday
- Downie feels Everton will approach the match with confidence after welcoming back several players from injury
On Tuesday, Carlo Ancelotti confirmed that France left-back Lucas Digne and winger Alex Iwobi will be available for selection as the Toffees attempt to replicate their result at King Power Stadium last month.
In that match, a number of Everton’s stars were missing due to injury, however Downie feels their return will spark a sense of positivity prior to the clash at Goodison Park.
Downie told LCFC.com: “Funnily enough, I think they’ll be a lot more confident now than they were going into that game.
“My feelings towards it were we were pretty content if we were to come away from King Power Stadium with a point.
“We went there and won quite comfortably in the end. I don’t think Leicester were quite at the races, which was quite surprising, really, given the absentees that we had.
“It was a much more workmanlike performance than we saw earlier in the season from Everton. This game I think will be very, very different.
“Obviously, Leicester won’t have Jamie Vardy, but Everton will have all of the players back that were missing on that night in December.”
Goals from Richarlison and Mason Holgate secured all three Premier League points for Everton in December’s 2-0 loss, and while Downie felt Everton were ‘workmanlike’ in that game, he expects a much more flowing display on Wednesday.
“I think the approach from Everton will be a lot different to what we saw at King Power Stadium,’ he said. “That doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll be any better, but we do have a lot of our star players back.
“Lucas Digne will be fit to play, he wasn’t involved then, and James Rodriguez, of course, who was fantastic on Sunday night against Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup.
“I’m expecting Everton to try and play with the approach that they went with that saw so much success earlier in the season, and that was much more fluid, much more ball-on-the-floor, trying to find intricate passes and trying to get the ball out to the wings, putting the ball into the box for Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
“At King Power Stadium, it was much more of a scrap from Everton’s point of view to get the three points there.
“I think at Goodison Park, it will be on Everton to take the initiative, which could play into Leicester’s hands given how quick they are on the counter-attack.
“Also, in James Maddison, they’ve probably got the in-form player in the Premier League right now.”
Everton won all seven of their opening 2020/21 fixtures across all competitions, and topped the early Premier League standings, before a run of just one win in seven games halted their fine spell of form.
“It’s that type of season, but in particular the most frustrating thing is where those sloppy spells have come,” Downie added.
“For instance, we won all of our games early season, and then went on a three or four-game losing streak, and then once again returned to form, then threw in the odd clanger against sides you’d expect them to pick points up against.
“We played Newcastle, Leeds United and West Ham, and didn’t take any points from those games, two of which were at home.
“Our record at home isn’t as good as our away form, which is a bit of an anomaly when you consider Everton in previous years, and also the rest of the Premier League.”