Paul Merson believes that Everton's Premier League fixture against Leeds United on Saturday is a bigger game for Sean Dyche's men than their opponents.
The Blues will host the currently manager-less West Yorkshire side at Goodison Park this weekend, knowing that a home win will pull them out of the relegation zone, leap-frogging their opponents as a consequence.
Former England and Arsenal star Merson has previewed the crunch fixture in his weekly predictions column for Sportskeeda and, despite highlighting a number of Everton's clear shortcomings, still backed Dyche's men for a 2-1 home win.
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Merson wrote: "This is a massive game, and Sean Dyche has a job on his hands. This is a bigger game for Everton than it is for Leeds. Sean Dyche had two free hits against Arsenal and Liverpool, and I'm not sure they'll cope when they've got to win a football match.
"I'm not sure how Leeds haven't managed to find a manager yet. They're one of the biggest clubs around, and they're playing in the Premier League! They've been offering up to a hundred grand a week, and they still can't find a manager.
"I watched Everton the other night, and they've got nothing up front. They've got to come and chase this game. I've seen them do it twice this season, and they've failed on both occasions. This is not a chasing team, and they don't have the attack to win this game with only one player up front. If Everton sit back and work out a set play, they'll have a chance this weekend. Leeds dominate matches and can't score goals, but I do see them running over Everton in this game."
Merson's assessment suggests that the Blues may once again not enjoy as much possession as they would hope to but can provide a potent threat from set-pieces. That was almost the case at Anfield on Monday when James Tarkowski saw his header from a corner crash back off the post before Liverpool launched an immediate counter-attack to score the opening goal of the game.
The Blues were forced to play the inexperienced Ellis Simms up front, with main striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin once again missing through injury.
Everton's relegation rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers and Bournemouth face each other on Saturday, offering further incentive for the Blues to secure a crucial home win against Leeds this weekend.
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