Ahead of Saturday’s match with one of West Ham’s bogey teams from recent years, we spoke to Read Everton editor Rhodri Cannon for an opposition view.
What do you make of West Ham’s start to the season?
West Ham’s start under Slaven Bilic has been largely impressive, but with every team there is room for improvement. The wins at Liverpool, City and |Arsenal made the rest of the Premier League take notice of the Hammers, while the signings of Payet and Lanzini have added renewed vigour and style. But the loss to Watford, as well as the home disappointments against Norwich and Bournemouth mean there are still issues Slaven Bilic needs to address.
Who is Everton’s current key player?
Everton’s current key player is Gerard Deulofeu. The Catalonian terrifies defences with his mere presence and sends them into a chaotic shuffle with his delivery. In his four league starts this season he has assisted four times and scored once. His pace, trickery and vision and match-winning ability will surely be on show at Upton Park.
Predicted XI?
The XI could be:
Howard, Stones, Funes Mori, Galloway, Barry, McCarthy, Deulofeu, Barkley, Kone, Lukaku. Similar to the side that beat Sunderland, with Galloway coming in for the injured Oviedo.
What should West Ham expect to see from Everton in the form of tactics?
Everton tend to set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, but with Kone, there are times when the Blues will have two up top. Barkley sometimes drops deeper between games, so a 4-3-3 can be executed. Everton like to play counter-attacking football, so expect some of that as well.
Romelu Lukaku has six goals in six games against West Ham, do you expect him to continue this run?
I think Lukaku will score at Upton Park. His game has gone up a level in recent weeks, the technical side of his game is vastly improving, while he is finally using his size to full effect. With eight goals and four assists in 14 games this season, Reid and co. will have trouble coping with the big Belgian.
Finally, can we have a prediction for Saturday’s match?
I think Saturday will be a very entertaining game, as both teams have precocious attacking talents. I’m saying 3-3.
