Micah Richards has likened Everton's current struggles to the relegation he suffered out of the Premier League with Aston Villa during the 2015/16 season.
Dropping out of the division after accumulating only three wins all campaign and a grand total of 17 points, the fourth lowest in Premier League history, Villa were 22 points short of escaping the bottom three and could have no complaints about falling to the Championship.
Often referred to 'too big to go down' throughout the year of their relegation, the West Midlands club proved this was not the case after enduring a shocking season which left fans disillusioned by those representing the club on the pitch.
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Everton will hope they don't discover how it feels to experience demotion to the second tier, though Richards has admitted to seeing parallels between the current crop at Goodison Park and the desperately poor Villa side he was part of.
"When Aston Villa were relegated in 2016, there had been so much talk through the season about how it could never happen to us because of the size of the club. I see the same kind of narrative around Everton now and I really worry," wrote the former right-back in the Daily Mail.
“This game against Leicester tonight is monumental and I cannot believe, with that amazing new stadium being built, that Everton could drop out of the Premier League. They will have such a difficult challenge at Leicester, who look rejuvenated.”
Without a win in close to two months, Everton now find themselves heading to Leicester City this evening knowing a defeat will leave them in an extremely perilous position. Bournemouth's recent revival has ensured they look set to survive, placing even more pressure on Sean Dyche's side to pick up points.
Weighing in on what fans can expect to see in the final month of the season, Gary Neville believes 'desperation' will soon become the theme of upcoming fixtures - starting tonight at the King Power Stadium.
“I’m stunned. I’m absolutely stunned by what’s happened down at Bournemouth,” he said on the Gary Neville Podcast “It’s an incredible performance and it’s going to mean that a club that is bigger on paper is going to go. It makes it a really intriguing next three of four weeks at the bottom of the league, and there will be some real desperation down there.
“Everton, Leeds, Nottingham Forest, and West Ham are still down there. That game on Monday Night Football, Leicester versus Everton, is absolutely monumental. It’s a huge game. The league title looks like it is going to go towards City but, at the bottom, you’re none the wiser.”
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