While Everton have been flying high in recent weeks under head coach Sean Dyche, having picked up 12 points from a possible 15, Luton Town’s recent form has left them teetering just a point above the relegation zone in the Premier League.
Following a disappointing 2-1 defeat away at Tottenham Hotspur, Dyche’s side couldn’t have a tougher task to get back on track than the European champions coming to town, having not beaten Manchester City since January 2017.
Nevertheless, since City recently flew to Saudi Arabia for the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup, this could be a perfect time for the Toffees to face Pep Guardiola’s side, but to come away with a result, Dyche may need to tweak his previous starting lineup.
1 GK – Jordan Pickford
Starting Jordan Pickford will be the easiest decision Dyche has ahead of tonight’s clash with the English champions. Everton have the best fourth-best defensive record in the top-flight and the England number one has contributed massively to that.
Furthermore, Pickford has started all 18 games for the Toffees this term in the league and there’s no doubt that he will be between the sticks once more at Goodison Park.
2 RB – Nathan Patterson
Both Seamus Coleman and Ashley Young were missing from Everton’s squad that travelled to London on Saturday, meaning 22-year-old Nathan Patterson was given the nod by default. It’s also unclear whether the duo will be available for selection tonight.
The Scotland international struggled going forward, failing to put an accurate ball into the box while completing merely 72% of his total passes. However, he did quite well defensively, making 11 ball recoveries and winning 67% of his tackles which will be important up against the tricky Jeremy Doku.
3 CB – James Tarkowski
James Tarkowski has been huge for Dyche since the manager arrived at the club and has stepped in as captain in Coleman’s absence.
It wasn’t his finest performance on Saturday against Tottenham but Tarkowski did still win 100% of his tackles and 83% of his aerial duels while playing eight balls into the final third. Dropping his reliable skipper won’t have entered Dyche’s mind ahead of City’s visit to Merseyside.
4 CB – Jarrad Branthwaite
Jarrad Branthwaite struggled against Spurs at the weekend, failing to win a single tackle and making merely one clearance despite the opposition having 61% of the ball. Furthermore, he was out of position for the first goal Everton conceded.
Nevertheless, Branthwaite has been instrumental in Everton’s solid defensive record this season alongside Tarkowski and one below-par display won’t cause him to lose his place in the starting eleven.
5 LB – Vitaliy Myolenko
No player was more accurate with their passes on Saturday than Vitaliy Mykelonko and he even managed to create one big chance for the Toffees during the game.
The Ukrainian was partially at fault for Spurs’ opener, having allowed the cross from Brennan Johnson to reach Richarlison inside the penalty. Nevertheless, he has been very reliable for Everton this campaign and will be needed to stop City’s attacks down his side.
6 RM – Jack Harrison
Jack Harrison was one of Everton’s worst players at the weekend, losing 80% of his dribbles and making merely 14 accurate passes throughout proceedings.
However, the Leeds United loanee is still the club’s second-highest assister this season and Dyche has shown a lot of faith in the winger, meaning he could be in line to start against his former side once more, although it also wouldn’t be surprising to see him drop out of the lineup.
7 DM – Andre Gomes
Everton fans will have loved seeing Andre Gomes back in action on Saturday, making his first appearance of a season in which he has been ravaged by recurring injuries by replacing Idrissa Gueye, who limped off early in the match.
The Portuguese international has recently featured for the U21s and has been making great progress, with the reserves head coach Paul Tait even describing him as “top-class” after a 5-0 win over Southampton at the start of December.
Not only did Gomes come on and put a shift in, but he also scored Everton’s only goal of the game and was the catalyst behind a potential comeback which never came to fruition.
Gueye struggled to get into the game and was at partial fault for both goals, being handed a 4/10 match rating by the Liverpool Echo for his display which ended in the 24th minute. With the Senegalese midfielder set to be absent until the new year, along with Abdoulaye Doucoure, Dyche may have no other choice but to throw Gomes back into the starting lineup.
8 DM – Amadou Onana
Amadou Onana is very fortunate that Everton have such little depth in the middle of the park at the moment as his display at the weekend may have warranted benching.
The Belgian international didn’t close down Pape Matar Sarr in the build-up to the first goal and then turned his back on Son Heung-min’s strike to double Spurs’ lead from a set-piece. To add insult to injury, he lost 56% of his ground duels.
Regardless, Onana will likely start this game, simply by default.
9 LM – Dwight McNeil
As usual, no player created more chances for Everton at the weekend than Dwight McNeil, who is Dyche’s top assister this season with four assists in 18 matches to complement his two goals. There is very little chance that the former Manchester United attacker drops out of the starting lineup tonight as a result.
10 AM – James Garner
There is a case to be made that James Garner was Everton’s best player against Spurs, having had three shots in total, including one which hit the woodwork. The Man United academy product also created three chances and made ten passes into the final third.
Additionally, the 22-year-old won 67% of his tackles and 62% of his ground duels while also making nine ball recoveries, as per FotMob. With Doucoure set to miss this game, Garner will certainly keep his spot just behind the centre-forward.
