Everton v Leeds United: YEP Jury give their big match predictions

DAVID WATKINS

The game with Arsenal, although not producing all three points, did at least show we are still a force to be reckoned with and that those defeats to Leicester and Palace will not define our season. On our day, with a modicum of luck, we can beat anyone.

And so to Goodison Park, a famous old ground I would have loved to visit again having not been there since a cold Tuesday night in November 1979 when we got thumped 5-1!

I’m expecting a closer game this time. Everton started well this season, with seven consecutive wins in all competitions, topping the Premier League and with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring for fun.

However, since then they’ve only posted one win in five including three consecutive defeats.

That win, at Fulham last time out, was also by the slimmest of margins after Fulham dominated the second half.

Assuming Rodrigo is back, to just add the missing touch in behind Patrick Bamford, I’m thinking we can post our first league win at Goodison in more than 30 years – since August 1990 when we won 3-2.

Prediction: Everton 2 Leeds United 3.

ANDY RHODES

After an encouraging yet frustrating result last time out, Leeds will be hoping for points to match the performance at Goodison Park.

Following a bright start to the Premier League season, the Toffees have won just one of their last five, conceding 11 goals in the process.

It’s a similar story for the Whites whose progress has slowed slightly in recent weeks.

It’s not been for the want of trying, particularly against Arsenal.

Raphinha was a breath of fresh air from the start on Sunday, while Rodrigo and Patrick Bamford were both unlucky not to score.

The creativity was there against a side that sat back and defended deep.

Everton won’t employ the same style, and Leeds will have to stay sharp against an equally creative midfield.

After this, the 10th game of the season, we might have a good barometer of where Leeds are.

Once thing is for sure, every game has been box office.

Prediction: Everton 2 Leeds United 1.

KEITH INGHAM

After a much-improved performance last Sunday versus Arsenal, Leeds travel to Goodison Park for a tea-time clash with Everton tomorrow.

It’s a special game for me as I remember going to the first game back after promotion to Division One when United won 3-2 in August 1990. Leeds will take heart from the way they dominated Arsenal for the majority of the game; the only thing that needs to happen is a goal or two this weekend.

It is said you only worry when you aren’t creating chances but it has been an underlying problem for a number of seasons that United need to convert their chances when they come along.

It’s a game Leeds can gain maximum points from, but to travel back with a point wouldn’t be a bad result and I’m going for a draw.

Everton were the form team in the early weeks and have developed into a fine team under Carlo Ancelotti. They also have new England international Dominic Calvert-Lewin leading their line and the striker has been scoring goals for fun.

They are certainly moving out of the shadows of their nearest, but certainly not dearest, neighbours Liverpool.

I’m not expecting any changes if everybody is fit from the Arsenal encounter, but eventually I would like to see Rodrigo in the starting line-up. The Spanish international was superb when coming on as a second-half substitute last Sunday.

Prediction: Everton 1 Leeds United 1.

MATTHEW EVANS

So it’s on to Everton, one of only two current Premier League teams we didn’t face away from home during our 16-year exile.

The other one, Chelsea, is next week. Our last trip to Goodison was a 4-0 horror show in the early part of our relegation campaign. Everton could have gone down too that year but United’s prematurely discarded keeper Nigel Martyn performed heroics to keep them up.

Fast-forward to 2020 and United’s modern-day squad have built confidence with a 0-0 draw with Arsenal. It’s a familiar story but, if we can play that way and take our chances, then Everton should be worried. We’re getting harder to predict these days; performances seem to depend so much on which tactics the opposition deploy.

You’d think that top-flight managers could look at the Wolves, Leicester, Palace blueprint and stifle Bielsa’s Leeds with relative ease but the pride of “we play our own way” seems to be a bigger factor and leads to a unique match-up every game.

I think it’ll be Everton’s downfall.

Prediction: Everton 2 Leeds United 3.

JACOB STARR

Leeds United travel to Goodison Park tomorrow to face an Everton side blessed with both attacking flair and firepower.

Robin Koch and Liam Cooper will have their work cut out to keep Dominic Calvert-Lewin at bay, who is the league top scorer and first player to reach double figures in the top flight this season following his brace against Fulham last week.

The forward’s terrific form has been helped by the marquee addition of James Rodriguez whose creativity poses the majority of teams problems, so Leeds must be prevent the Colombian from getting in ‘pockets’ in and around the final third.

Before the victory against Fulham, the Toffees had lost three on the bounce so there is certainly a vulnerability about them, particularly with the sporadic form of goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

It will be yet another tough test for the Whites but they will, no doubt, play for the three points as Marcelo Bielsa’s side never fails to do so.

It promises to be an enthralling encounter.

Prediction: Everton 3 Leeds United 2.

MIKE GILL

The Arsenal game last Sunday was a significant one for Leeds United; it showed that they can turn in a clean sheet without radically altering their tactics.

It was a mature performance against one of the top sides in the league and the Whites must consider themselves desperately unlucky not to have bagged three points from the encounter.

Despite our previous reverses, feelings of fear and self-doubt were nowhere in evidence after being surgically removed by our wonderful head coach.

A start for Rodrigo cannot be too far away and you have to go back a long way to remember when we had such a great collection of wide players to choose from.

Everton started the season like a house on fire before losing three in a row and reassuring us all that they were beatable.

Last time out, they brushed aside a very fragile looking Fulham outfit who, even this early in the campaign, seem destined for the drop.

Prediction: Everton 1 Leeds United 2.

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