Sport nationPaul Merson predicts result of Everton v Chelsea clash, shares relegation verdict amid point deductionsPaul Merson has predicted the result of Chelsea v Everton
Paul Merson predicts result of Everton v Chelsea clash, shares relegation verdict amid point deductions
Paul Merson has shared his predictions ahead of the Premier League clash between Chelsea and Everton at Stamford Bridge on Monday night (15 April).
The Toffees claimed their first win in 13 games with a 1-0 victory over Burnley last time out, while Chelsea were held to a 2-2 draw by basement club Sheffield United in their last outing.
But Everton were handed a new two-point deduction in midweek to put them just two points above the relegation zone with seven games remaining and while Merson told Sportskeeda (11 April) that he expects them to still avoid the drop, he is backing the London giants to earn a 2-0 home win in this game.
“Everton will go to Stamford Bridge and look to keep it tight, but I just can’t see them hurting Chelsea,” he said.
“Against Burnley, they got all three points, but the goal they scored was from a fortunate break, to say the least. Their cup final is next week against Nottingham Forest at home – that game could well define their season.
“Everton have some nice fixtures and should be able to avoid the drop despite their points deductions. Sean Dyche deserves a lot of credit if he keeps them in the Premier League amid all the uncertainty around the club.
“Chelsea have been well below par this season, but I think they should get the job done at home. Chelsea 2-0 Everton.”
Everton are up against a wall and must fight back
Everton currently sit in 16th place in the Premier League table with 27 points from 31 games, two points above the relegation zone. But that is a false image.
Join the Goodison News WhatsApp channel to get all our exclusives and the breaking transfer news FIRST.
Sean Dyche’s side should have 35 points right now, which would see them sitting in 14th place, ten points above the relegation zone and five points clear of 15th place Crystal Palace.
But the reality is that they are running out of time to save themselves from the drop, and the upcoming fixtures are must-not-lose situations.
Everton Sean Dyche
Everton boss Sean Dyche has done well to keep the club competitive this season
However, with Luton and Nottingham Forest both fighting for their lives too they can’t rely on not losing games to be enough to keep them up. They must start winning.
Chelsea have been incredibly inconsistent this season and this is a great chance for the Toffees to push and get a shock result which would go a long way. By proving Merson wrong about this game they could ironically prove him right about relegation and avoiding it.
In other Everton news, Sky Sports pundit baffled by ‘Mystery’ as he moots possibility of Goodison player sales.
For more Everton news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.
Sport nation
