(Football news) Manchester United continue to be inconsistent before the international break, the Toffees have been dropped into the drop zone due to their violation of the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability criteria.
While everyone else was away on international duty, the Everton supporters were filled with joy and then despair when they saw Sean Dyche’s team defeat Crystal Palace in a five-goal thriller, their third victory in four games overall. Their team also suffered the worst point penalty in Premier League history.
Before Everton was docked a massive ten points on November 17, the “shocked and disappointed” Toffees found themselves deep in relegation danger with just four points overall. For some time, allegations of posting excessive losses had been an unwanted distraction in the background.
Burnley is currently top of the table, and Dyche’s team has a far better record than their new rivals for demotion. Their on-field actions have also served as a safe haven for their off-field controversies in recent weeks. The only thing keeping Everton off the bottom of the table is their goal differential.
At Selhurst Park, Everton led twice and was twice pegged back by Crystal Palace in an unexpectedly high-scoring match. However, Idrissa Gueye’s goal in the 86th minute proved crucial as the Toffees extended their winning run to four games across all competitions. Six of their previous nine games have now concluded in victories.
Although Dyche will have a difficult task in keeping his team focused on the cellar scrap and navigating his duties around the inevitable storm of transfer stories resulting from their points deduction, the disgruntled Goodison Park crowd can afford to feel optimistic about a much-needed boost on Sunday.
Man United’s off-field troubles, primarily surrounding the ongoing ownership saga, have also interfered with Erik ten Hag’s matchday preparations, albeit not to the same extent as a 10-point deduction. Nevertheless, the Red Devils have gradually gotten back into the Champions League picture.
Victor Lindelof took it upon himself to bury newly-promoted Luton Town two weeks ago, reacting quickest inside the box and smashing the ball into the roof of the net to push Ten Hag’s squad to a fourth win from five Premier League games. Their strikers are still far from exceptional.
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