Sean Dyche named an unchanged side from the 2-2 draw at Nottingham Forest for the 1-0 win over Brentford, but could the Everton manager be tempted to shuffle his pack for next Saturday’s trip to Chelsea?
Frank Lampard never got to return to Stamford Bridge as Blues boss but on Everton’s last visit there on December 16, 2021, a patched up side managed by Rafael Benitez managed to secure a 1-1 draw as Jarrad Branthwaite – now on loan at PSV Eindhoven – cancelled out Mason Mount’s opener for the hosts.
The visitors deployed a five-man defence that night, and if Dyche is tempted to do the same then there might be an opportunity for either the recently dropped Conor Coady or even Yerry Mina/Mason Holgate to come into the team alongside James Tarkowski, who has been a mainstay all season, and the recalled Michael Keane.
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After missing the game at the City Ground through illness where he was replaced by Ben Godfrey, left-back Vitalii Mykolenko was back on the bench against Brentford, coming on as a late substitute while on the other side of defence, Seamus Coleman might face competition for his place from Nathan Patterson as the Scot steps up his recovery.
Idrissa Gueye, Amadou Onana and Abdoulaye Doucoure have been the incumbent central midfielders since Dyche’s appointment, but Tom Davies has been providing an alternative off the bench while James Garner is now fit again and in contention.
There seems few alternatives on the wings to Alex Iwobi and Dwight McNeil unless Demarai Gray – deployed as a striker for the past two games – is moved back out wide. If he is then Neal Maupay and Ellis Simms have been used up front by Dyche, who might even have a big decision to make over Dominic Calvert-Lewin as Everton’s number nine continues on his own road to recovery, given that no frontman has yet scored from open play since he took charge.
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