Everton v Leeds United: YEP Jury give their big-match verdicts

ANDREW DALTON

After what can only be described as a rollercoaster of emotions on Wednesday night in a crazy game at Villa Park, attentions turn quickly to Goodison Park as Leeds look to make it a four-point week which would set up the Roses battle perfectly!

Frank Lampard has gone in at Everton and, despite a morale-boosting win over Brentford in the FA Cup at the weekend, the Toffees came unstuck in a six-pointer away at Newcastle on Tuesday night.

Leeds will be looking to make it back-to-back league wins for the first time at Goodison Park and heap more misery on Lampard.

Team selection will be interesting once more as former Evertonian Adam Forshaw is raring to go once again and Junior Firpo could be fit to start.

As for the game itself, I fancy Leeds to get a result and drag themselves farther away from the relegation scrap into a comfortable place of mid-table and increase the anxieties in the blue half of Merseyside.

Prediction: Everton 1 Leeds United 2.

ANDY RHODES

After the draw at Aston Villa on Wednesday night, Saturday’s game at Everton is finely poised.

Following Tuesday’s results for Newcastle and Burnley, the pressure was on and, when they needed to stand up and be counted, Leeds pulled a rabbit out of the hat. The need for points doesn’t end there though and, with tricky games coming later this month, points are needed sooner rather than later.

Dan James silenced the doubters with a superb striker’s performance, while Rodrigo was back to his best.

Raphinha had a quiet game by his standards in midweek, but he has scored in all three games against Everton since joining Leeds. Tomorrow’s encouner will renew Leeds and Marcelo Bielsa’s rivalry with one Frank Lampard, and, after a damaging defeat in his first league game in charge at the Toffees, Lampard will have a point to prove.

I think we would have all taken four points from these two games.

And a win at Everton would end an incredibly positive week.

Prediction: Everton 2 Leeds United 3.

KEITH INGHAM

Leeds go on another ‘away day’ tomorrow to face a manager that doesn’t come high on the list of favourite opposition bosses.

Frank Lampard’s antics after Derby’s play-off defeat of Leeds a few seasons ago is still a thorn in the claw in many Leeds fans’ memories of that horrible night in May. Despite his failure to get Derby promoted that season, he still managed to get the Chelsea top job but was sacked after a poor run of results in 2021.

His appointment at Everton wasn’t widely applauded by the fans as they were hoping that a certain ex-Everton centre-forward would be given the job, so I’ve heard.

Last season, Raphinha was the hero with a late goal that gave Leeds the three points at Goodison Park and another match-winning performance would be welcome as, just around the corner, is a visit from those lot from Salford.

Earlier this season, the teams fought out an entertaining 2-2 draw at Elland Road with Raphinha on hand to score the equaliser.

Expect a tight game with three goals in it.

Prediction: Everton 1 Leeds United 2.

DAVID WATKINS

Well, after adequately dealing with all that Stevie Gerrard’s Villa could throw at us, we now turn to Frank Lampard’s Toffees.

I thought we were the better team at Villa Park and the stats just about support that view; it was only a couple of pieces of not-so-clever defending that allowed the Villa to cut through us too easily.

Solve that, and I think we can come away from Goodison with all three points as I’m convinced Everton are a worse team than Villa at the moment.

The pressure should be beginning to ease on the Mighty Whites as we go into game 23 still six points clear of the bottom three and there can be no greater incentive (other than beating a Frank Lampard side!) than to edge farther ahead of the sides below us; remember that Burnley host Liverpool and Norwich face Man City this weekend.

That Newcastle defeat still irks; it is the only side in the current bottom eight that we have, thus far, lost to this season so it’s time to strike back before we embark on another little run against ‘big-six’ sides.

After Everton, it’s Man U, Spurs and Liverpool of course.

Prediction: Everton 2 Leeds United 3.

MIKE GILL

Football has a habit of throwing up odd coincidences. Within three days, United will have faced two teams managed by former players who were recognised as the finest midfielders of their generation.

Steven Gerrard is crafting a fine side at Aston Villa and Leeds can be justifiably proud of their wonderful fightback at Villa Park on Wednesday.

It was a vintage Bielsaball performance which totally justified our head coach’s sometimes unfathomable team selections.

Saturday brings a trip to Everton to be reunited with our old protagonist Frank Lampard.

The Londoner is at an earlier stage of his journey with Everton and you feel that his task is going to be much more difficult than the one that Gerrard faces at Villa.

His management tenures at Derby and Chelsea did not justify the hype surrounding his current appointment at Everton and he still has much to prove.

This is another big game for the Whites but they will be up for it, of that we can be certain.

Prediction: Everton 1 Leeds United 2.

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