At the start of what is a huge week for Everton Football Club, here are your ECHO morning headlines for Monday, April 4.
Everton analysis - Mason Holgate exposes glaring issue as Frank Lampard faces new selection dilemma
Mason Holgate wasn’t even supposed to be playing in this game but after a late call-up – out of position – when Donny van de Beek was injured in the pre-match warm-up he scored Everton's first goal against Premier League opposition within the regulation 90 minutes for more than 10 hours, showing goal shy frontmen Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison how it’s done. Other than Alex Iwobi’s winner against Newcastle United a full nine minutes into stoppage time, the Blues had drawn a blank ever since Anthony Gordon’s hairline deflection went in off a Richarlison shot to seal a 3-0 win over Leeds United back on February 12.
Given that Frank Lampard had started with a 4-1 romp against Brentford in the FA Cup to enjoy the biggest-ever margin of victory for an Everton manager in his first game in charge and followed that up with the aforementioned success against the West Yorkshire side, it’s looked increasingly concerning with how his side have gone from feast to famine in the scoring stakes. Such toothlessness up front can’t have helped the Blues in deflating defeats in recent weeks when heads have dropped as soon as encouraging starts to matches have been undone with what almost seems a ‘first goal wins’ scenario.
READ MORE: Alan Shearer names two 'stupid' Everton players after West Ham United defeat
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Such woes continued here as Richarlison – fresh from bagging three goals in two outings for Brazil – wasted two good opportunities to score while Calvert-Lewin, without a goal in 2022 since returning from a four-month lay-off with a quadriceps injury, struggled to fashion chances and was off target with his only real opening of note.
If you don’t buy a ticket you can’t win the lottery though and Holgate at least benefitted from a fortunate deflection to find the net with a sweetly-struck volley which drew Everton level. With the stakes getting higher with every passing fixture, the Blues misfiring frontmen need to adopt a shoot on sight policy to try and get their side out of trouble.
Read Chris Beesley's full analysis of Everton's defeat to West Ham United HERE.
David Moyes comments on Everton relegation chances and makes Lampard tactics admission
David Moyes believes Everton will be able to fight their way out of their relegation troubles despite a 2-1 defeat against West Ham on Sunday afternoon. The Blues were beaten by goals from Aaron Cresswell and Jarrod Bowen either side of a deflected Mason Holgate equaliser.
Defeat at the London Stadium leaves Frank Lampard's side with the worst away form in the Premier League and teetering above the relegation zone ahead of a crucial clash at Burnley on Wednesday night. Despite the precarious position his former club find themselves in, however, the now-Hammers manager thinks they will be fine this season.
Moyes in particular believes that Everton's talent at the top end of the pitch will be enough to see them clear of danger, despite the Blues struggling to score goals in recent weeks.
He remarked: "I think they'll be ok. When you have the quality in the forward players that Everton have got, I think it gives you a great chance. A Brazil centre-forward, and England centre-forward, they've got players in the wide areas who can score goals as well. So I think Everton have got a lot of things going for them, I think they should feel more positive about it."
Read the full story HERE.
