Saturday, 3pm (BST), Goodison Park
Two of this fledgling season's biggest disappointments to date will look to get their Premier League form back on track this Saturday as Everton host Bournemouth at Goodison Park.
Much was expected of the pair following comparatively large outlays over the summer, but as both Ronald Koeman and Eddie Howe have found to their detriment so far, such upheaval doesn't always yield instant success- nor is it a guarantee of improved fortunes in the mid-term.
Baby steps have at least been taken over the past week. Hosts Everton finally put to an end a run of four consecutive defeats in Wednesday's Carabao Cup tie against struggling Sunderland, while Bournemouth notched a couple of welcome wins in the double-header against Brighton.
Yet while both managers seem to have steadied sinking ships, bigger tests await, starting this weekend. Neither Sunderland nor Brighton offer the kind of test that helps a side gauge what they should be aspiring towards in the coming weeks.
Indeed, what happens at Goodison on Saturday will ultimately give a fairer indication as to whether Everton and Bournemouth are over their early-season hangovers.
Defeat for either club would put them well and truly back into the mire.
Team news
Wednesday's comfortable victory over Sunderland arguably provided Ronald Koeman with the clearest indication yet as to which fringe players could help dig Everton out of the hole in which they currently find themselves.
In the absence of more established names, the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Nikola Vlasic and Jonjoe Kenny all showed that they have something to offer in the three-game run at Goodison over the next week. Two-goal hero Calvert-Lewin, in particular, should have done enough to keep his place alongside the returning Wayne Rooney and Gylfi Sigurdsson.
Rested in midweek, key names Jordan Pickford, Leighton Baines and Idrissa Gueye are also back in the frame for selection, but long-term absentees Yannick Bolasie and Seamus Coleman are still unavailable. The duo should, according to Koeman, be back in action in November after stepping up their respective rehabilitation programmes over the past few weeks.
The match will also come too soon for James McCarthy, who is still around a week away from a return to action.
Visitors Bournemouth could well keep faith with the side that beat Brighton in the Premier League last weekend. The 4-4-1-1 shape used against Chris Hughton's men appeared a better fit for the players at Eddie Howe's disposal, with dangermen Jermaine Defoe and Josh King belatedly striking up a partnership for the former's winning goal.
Ex-Everton midfielder Dan Gosling could be the player to miss out if Howe chooses to persevere with the new system. Tyrone Mings and Callum Wilson will definitely miss the match through injury.
What they said
Ronald Koeman: "The first step was yesterday. Now this Saturday is really important. If you play for titles, or for European football, the next game is always the most important. That is this Saturday.
“After our past few results in the Premier League, we need a good feeling and that comes from winning games. If you compare the results we had last season against the teams we have played until now, there is not a big difference.
“But we need to show we are still strong and confident. Winning is always the best medicine – to get that confidence you need to put in good performances.
And good performances normally mean you are winning games.”
Eddie Howe: “We showed more composure on the ball against Brighton and tried to do what we do best. We prepared to go back to basics, do the fundamentals and try to do them well.
“We know there is room for improvement and are not saying we are fully back. But, hopefully, it was a start. In the Premier League, you can’t give yourself a mountain to climb and you can’t start so badly that you are in a position where you are playing catch-up because it is such a tough league.
“That is why Brighton was so important, but every game is important. Winning will just make a difference to the boys’ belief systems and we can get back to some of the football we had played previously. We have to be very level and make sure we focus on our next game.”
More from the boss 👇
#afcb 🍒
Expected starting lineups
Everton: Pickford; Martina, Keane, Williams, Baines; Schneiderlin, Gueye, Davies; Rooney, Sigurdsson, Calvert-Lewin
Bournemouth: Begovic; Smith, Cook, Ake, Daniels; Surman, Arter, Fraser, Pugh; King, Defoe
Prediction
Neither side has yet managed to replicate the relative success of last campaign, but after early-season toils, recent wins suggest an upturn in form is possible for both Everton and Bournemouth.
Last season, the pair played out a thrilling 6-3 draw, and while the absence of Romelu Lukaku this time around means a repeat scoreline is highly unlikely, expect the visitors to come with an attacking mindset that opens up the game for the likes of Gylfi Sigurdsson and Wayne Rooney.
It remains doubtful whether either defence is able to thrive in such conditions, so a narrow home win with both sides to score seems the best bet this weekend.
Everton 2-1 Bournemouth
Follow this game on our match centre below.
