Everton and West Ham are set for a Premier League clash this Saturday, with both sides keen to establish some form of consistency. The Toffees have been hamstrung by too many draws of late, and with West Ham’s form not exactly setting the world alight, we could be looking at yet another draw.
There’s a bit of a lift for Everton this week as their 10-point penalty for financial irregularities was cut down to six, offering a bit of breathing space above the relegation zone. They now sit 15th, five points clear of the relegation dogfight.
This reduction in points deduction is certainly good news, but Everton’s focus must remain on picking up wins on the pitch to steer clear of danger. Their recent form has been worrying, with no wins in their last six outings, including four draws, the latest being a 1-1 tie at Brighton.
Goodison Park’s importance cannot be overstated for Everton’s survival hopes. They’ve only faced defeat once in their last five home matches, albeit drawing the last three. The defence has been leaky too, failing to secure a clean sheet in three of these five games.
West Ham, on their part, are coming off a morale-boosting 4-2 win over Brentford, with Jarrod Bowen bagging a hat-trick. This victory snapped a winless streak of four games, pushing them to eighth in the league, though still eight points shy of the European qualification spots.
The Hammers’ away form has been unpredictable, with three wins in their last seven on the road. Their recent travels haven’t been fruitful, with no wins in their last three away league matches.
Everton welcome back their top scorer Abdoulaye Doucoure from injury, hoping he can add to his tally of six Premier League goals, with odds of 7/2 for him to score on Saturday.
Jarrod Bowen, fresh from his hat-trick against Brentford, remains a key threat for West Ham. He’s at 14 Premier League goals and bet365 has him at 3/1 to score again.
Additional Insights Their last encounter saw over 3.5 goals. Over 2.5 goals is seen as likely by bet365 at 17/20, who also suggest both teams to score at 3/4 odds.
