Everton will have an easy task against Crystal Palace because four important players are missing.

Everton will play Crystal Palace at Goodison Park on Monday night to resume Premier League action. Last time out, Manchester City defeated the Blues 2-0; two goals were scored in the second half by Erling Haaland. Sean Dyche’s team is now in the relegation zone as a result of the loss.

Away from the field, American investment company 777 Partners is still waiting to hear back from the Premier League over its proposed acquisition. In light of all of this, our Everton jury has reconvened to offer its opinions on issues both on and off the field. In their match against Manchester City, last Saturday’s outcome was as most Blues had anticipated.

The team played with determination, but when Erland Haaland scored after 70 minutes, there could only be one result. And there was never going to be a comeback from Everton! Thankfully, last weekend’s losses for Luton Town, Nottingham Forest, and Crystal Palace prevented our nearest relegation rivals from gaining an edge from the setback at the Etihad.

Everton was disciplined defensively and well-organized, but they never seemed to have a chance to score. For Sean Dyche, this is proving to be a serious issue. His usual tactic is to restrain the opposition, but we will never be able to reply if they score first. The Toffees have only managed six goals in their previous 10 games, and our striker has not scored in 18 games and doesn’t appear to be very close to breaking that streak.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who frequently finds himself alone and unsupported up front, is someone who can be sympathized with. It seems like a lifetime ago when Carlo Ancelotti instructed him to remain in the penalty area and wait for passes from James Rodriguez and accurate crosses from Lucas Digne. But how much longer can Dyche continue to use a striker who isn’t working out?

Throughout the entire campaign, Everton has struggled with a lack of creative spark. While a squad of well-trained drones can keep you competitive, winning contests requires creativity and ingenuity. How can players express themselves more when playing a more attacking style? Everton has only managed three points from their previous seven Premier League games and has not won any of them. The manager needs to simply take more chances with his team’s tactics and lineup for the match against Crystal Palace.

Draws at home against clubs in the drop zone are no longer acceptable, particularly if any of the teams battling for survival have a victory over the weekend. Abdoulaye Doucoure’s comeback would be very beneficial, but if he is not playing, we will need a backup plan. Should Lewis Dobbin, Arnaut Danjuma, or Youssef Chermiti start one or all of them? We need goals so badly that I might even start Michael Keane up front!

To spark the crowd and create the win and goals we so sorely need, we must be daring against Crystal Palace and summon some enchanted moments of flair and creativity. It’s time for a show at Goodison Park that will make Evertons grin broadly as they head home.

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