Tottenham Hotspur face a rather uphill task in trying to qualify for the UEFA Champions League, as they sit in seventh place, six points behind West Ham United in fourth. They face a formidable opponent, on the road tomorrow, in Everton FC. The Toffees sit one point and one spot behind them in the standings.
Spurs have just seven games left, while Everton have eight, and with that in mind, Europa League qualification is looking like the best case scenario for both.
Tottenham Hotspur at Everton FC FYIs
Kickoff: Friday April 16, 8pm, Goodison Park
Odds: Everton (+265) Tottenham (+120) Draw (+230)
Starting XI Predictions: go here
PL Position: Tottenham 7th, 49pts Everton 8th, 48 pts
PL Form Guide: Tottenham LDWLW Everton DDLLW
Team News for Both Sides
Spurs have no new injury concerns in this one, but Matt Doherty (knock) and Ben Davies (calf issue) remain out of commission. As for Everton, they will have at least four absentees in this one: Yerry Mina (adductor strain), Bernard (undisclosed issue), Abdoulaye Doucoure (foot problem), Fabian Delph (undisclosed injury).
In addition to all that, Carlo Ancelotti’s side also have five players who are a doubt for this one in Dominic Calvert-Lewin (adductor issue), Allan (undisclosed problem), Joshua King (undisclosed issue), Andre Gomes (thigh issue), Jean-Philippe Gbamin (calf problem).
This expected to be a grindy, gritty affair, as you have one injury ravaged squad taking on a side that (in the words of their own manager, Jose Mourinho, has had some team morale issues most of the season.
Prediction: Everton 2, Tottenham 1
This should quiet the #AncelottiOut crowd (as ridiculous as they are) for the time being
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.