The Premier League fixture list for the 2022/23 Premier League season has officially been released with Everton facing Chelsea, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest in their first three games of the campaign.
After lingering in and around the relegation zone for the second half of the 2021/22 Premier League season, a strong end to the campaign saw Everton retain their top-flight status. And, in his first full season as Blues boss, Frank Lampard will be hoping for a much improved season from his side.
After facing Chelsea (H), Villa (A) and Forest (H), Everton head to Brentford and Leeds United before welcoming Liverpool to Goodison Park for the first Merseyside derby of the campaign on September 3.
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It's a tough start to the season for the Blues but the fixtures do ease after the opening 11 matches
So how could they perform over the campaign? And what will their stand-out results be? To try and predict the future, we simulated Everton's entire 2022/23 season to see where Lampard's men could finish in 2022/23.
To complete this simulation, we used Football Manager 2022 and updated the game with the latest teams, transfers, and most importantly, the updated fixtures. Let's see how the Blues got on...
Opening game: Everton 2-1 Chelsea (Saturday, August 7, 2022)
Everton had one of the toughest starts on paper but an impressive performance saw them beat one of the best sides in the Premier League. Goals from Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Anwar El-Ghazi - who was on loan from Villa in the second half of last season, but it unlikely to return - sent the Blues into a 2-0 lead at half-time against Chelsea. The scoreline was halved by N'Golo Kante in the second half but Thomas Tuchel's team could not find an equaliser as Lampard and the Blues held out for a 2-1 win against his former club.
Biggest win: Brentford 0-3 Everton (Saturday, September 27, 2022)
Everton were goal-shy in the 2022/23 season, with their biggest win coming in the away clash against Brentford. Strikes from Richarlison, Calvert-Lewin and Dele Alli did the damage.
The win over Brentford was only one of two games where the Blues managed to score three goals, the other coming in a 3-3 draw with Fulham. Abdoulaye Doucoure proved the unlikely goal source that day as he grabbed a hat-trick against the Cotttagers.
Derby days: Everton vs Liverpool
Everton managed to earn one point in their two league games against rivals Liverpool in the 2022/23 season. The draw came in the home clash in early September, with El Ghazi's penalty cancelling out Mohamed Salah's early opener.
The Reds won the reverse fixture at Anfield, in February 2023, with Diogo Jota and Salah both scoring in a 2-0 defeat for the Blues.
Final game: Bournemouth 2-1 Everton (Sunday, May 28, 2022)
Everton suffered a surprise 2-1 defeat at home to Bournemouth on the final day of the Premier League season. Calvert-Lewin got on the scoresheet to half the deficit, but the Blues couldn't muster a comeback.
So, after 38 league games, how did Everton do in the Premier League? Did they manage to push up the table, or was it another relegation battle?
2022/23 Premier League final standings
Everton finished 15th in the 2022/23 season, 10 points clear of the relegation zone. The Blues only managed to score 40 goals all season, while winning just nine games in total.
Overall, according to Football Manager 2022's Premier League simulation, the Blues may struggle once again without new signings in their squad, despite keeping Richarlison, although a 10-point gap to the bottom three suggests their survival won't be as dramatic.
What do you think of these Everton results for next season? Let us know in the comments below.
