Saturday’s Premier League action closes out at Goodison Park with a high-stakes clash between Everton and Newcastle United.
You don’t need a guide to football betting to understand why Sean Dyche is a hot favourite to become the first manager in England’s elite division to be relieved of his duties this season.
Despite overseeing a come-from-behind 2-1 win against Crystal Palace last weekend, the 53-year-old is not out of the woods yet.
As the Daily Mirror takes stock of Dyche’s future on Merseyside, he focuses on leading Everton to back-to-back league victories for the first time since April.
The ex-Burnley manager’s tactical masterstroke helped the Toffees avoid the drop last term, even though they faced consecutive point deductions midway through the campaign.
However, the wheels have fallen off at the beginning of Everton’s final season at Goodison.
Five successive winless league outings, compounded by an early EFL Cup elimination, have brought Dyche on the precipice of dismissal.
Dwight McNeil’s match-winning brace against Palace threw the under-fire boss a lifeline, and he’ll have to make the most of it when Newcastle roll into town at the weekend.
Defensive woes require immediate attention
Though Dyche earned a reputation as a renowned defensive strategist during his stint at Turf Moor, he couldn’t live up to it this season.
Everton finished last season in 15th, yet only the top three teams boasted a better defensive record than the Toffees’ 51 goals conceded.
However, something has gone wrong this term.
As one of seven teams yet to keep a clean sheet after the first six Premier League rounds, Dyche’s charges have capitulated a league second-high 15 times.
Things have slightly improved in the last two matches, with the Merseyside strugglers conceding precisely once per game after letting in 2+ goals on the opening four matchdays.
A newfound defensive resilience has coincided with Jarrad Branthwaite’s return to full fitness.
Heavily linked with a move to Manchester United in the summer, Branthwaite was on the sidelines in the first five games due to injury.
The 22-year-old centre-back solidified Everton’s backline against Palace and admitted ‘it’s a massive win for us’ in a post-match chat with BBC.
Once you get the lead, stick to it
Dropping points from winning positions has been a running theme for Everton this season.
They have lost eight after taking the lead, more than any other team in the division.
It’s not a coincidence but a pattern. And it’s ominous for Dyche.
Lapses of concentration in later stages of play have seen the Toffees concede at least once beyond the 75th minute in four of their six league fixtures this term.
In that same timeframe, they didn’t score once.
That’s somewhat paradoxical, considering all four top-flight goals they’ve bagged at home this season came beyond half-time.
Magpies strong but not invincible
Eddie Howe has turned Newcastle into one of the fiercest competitors in the Premier League.
Barring an unexpected 3-1 loss at Fulham on their last league travel, the Magpies have gone unbeaten in their five remaining matches this season (W3, D2).
Seemingly ready to fight for another European finish, Howe’s men will take this trip in high spirits after holding perennial champions Manchester City to a 1-1 draw last Saturday.
While that sounds intimidating, Everton have recently fared impressively against the St James’ Park outfit.
The Toffees went unbeaten in both league encounters against Newcastle last term, including a remarkable 3-0 win in this corresponding fixture in December 2023.
Prediction
A sturdy defensive performance could be crucial to Everton’s chances of recording successive home league wins against the Magpies for the first time since 2018.
With Branthwaite fit and ready, there’s a reason for optimism.
But Dyche’s frontlines must hold up their end of the bargain. That particularly relates to Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
The 27-year-old has missed numerous sitters in the early campaign. Hopefully, he’ll adjust his crosshairs on Saturday.