Everton will be hoping to pull away further from the relegation zone with a win at home to Manchester United on Saturday. However, Frank Lampard’s men will need to respond after a pulsating, but ultimately disappointing defeat away to fellow strugglers Burnley at Turf Moor in midweek.
There have been signs of improvement under Lampard’s reign, but their Premier League status is far from assured. Whereas the 40-point mark was previously viewed as the benchmark for survival, this season, 35 points should do the job.
Meanwhile, Manchester United won’t care one jot about the Toffees’ top-flight troubles when they make the short trip to the blue half of Merseyside in the Saturday lunchtime kick-off, and they will be hoping to get their top-four ambitions back on track.
Ralf Rangnick’s charges were lucky to escape from last weekend’s clash against Leicester with a point, and the Red Devils are currently languishing in seventh spot, three points adrift of the top four.
Freebets is looking forward to this one, so we have picked out a few key tips for you to ponder ahead of the clash.
Honours even
This match is critical for both sides and naturally, for very different reasons. You could point out that United’s campaign is all but over as they will end up trophyless, but if there is still a sniff of a top-four spot, then they won’t want to pass up on that.
Everton, meanwhile, have shown glimpses of what they can produce, and as the adage goes, no side is too good to go down. While United might go ahead in the game, the Toffees will push hard and get a late equaliser.
The draw is valued at 14/5 by Paddy Power, and while it’s a result that neither side would want, the last two meetings have produced draws. It is a trend that could well continue at Goodison Park.
Bruno Fernandes to draw first blood
Compared to last season, Bruno Fernandes has been rather subdued. Perhaps that has been symptomatic of United’s problems, but last term, the Portuguese superstar was able to grab games single-handedly by the scruff of the neck, and he has this X-factor quality about him.
Although his last Premier League goal came in a thrilling 4-2 win away to Leeds at Elland Road back in February, Fernandes could well end his barren run. Fernandes has a penchant for the spectacular, and Unibet is pricing him at 11/2 to be the first goalscorer. This is quite a juicy looking price, so it is worth considering.
Penalty woes
This could be quite a feisty affair, and you can imagine that there might be a slip up in terms of a defender (not necessarily Harry Maguire!) over-committing inside the area.
If you like to be a bit more left-field with your wagers, then William Hill is offering a special in the penalty market. You can get 22/1 for Everton to be awarded a penalty and miss it, but then again, we know how much of a lifesaver David De Gea has been for United this season!
* betting odds correct at the time of publication. Odds subject to change.
