On Saturday afternoon, a much buoyed Everton side will welcome a struggling Luton Town to Goodison Park, with the hosts aiming to secure their first home win of the season in what is the first meeting between the two sides since the 2007 League Cup.
Both sides find themselves towards the bottom of the table heading into the weekend, however, over the past week there have been cautious signs of optimism for both sides.
Sean Dyche’s side see themselves go into the contest off the back of winning successive games for the first time in almost a year, with Everton last winning back-to-back games under Frank Lampard in October 2022 when they beat West Ham and Southampton.
In fact, the Toffees have only lost one of their past five games in all competitions, with wins over Doncaster and Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup, as well as a draw against Sheffield United, before an impressive 3-1 victory at Brentford, with the only loss coming against an unbeaten Arsenal.
Meanwhile, the Hatters picked up their first point of the season against Wolves last weekend at Kenilworth Road, with Carlton Morris scoring his second penalty of the season to claim a point for Luton.
Both managers will be keen to see their respective sides push on to improve on what has been a promising week for both the Merseyside club and the Hatters.
Saturday's contest will be the first league meeting between the two sides since March of 1992 in which a 1-1 draw was played out at Goodison Park, with the Toffees unbeaten against Luton in their last nine meetings.
For both sides, a win at the weekend could represent a pivotal moment in both their seasons, with Luton still in search for their first three points of the season while Dyche’s team can win their third game on the bounce and finally secure a victory on home territory.
Team News
Everton
Ahead of Saturday’s game, long term absentees André Gomes, Seamus Coleman and Dele Alli all remain out injured with respective calf, knee and groin issues.
Vitalli Mykolenko will face a late fitness check after the Ukrainian left-back had to be withdraw at half-time during the mid-week game against Aston Villa.
Dyche will have options at his disposal at the top end of the pitch with the manager having the option of handing back to back starts to Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with the striker hitting the back of the net in Everton's two previous games.
Dyche will have the opportunity to hand a first Premier League start to loan signing Jack Harrison after the player made his return to action in Wednesday’s victory at Villa Park.
Speaking about Harrison’s fitness and return, Dyche said:
"I thought Jack was excellent [against Aston Villa], not necessarily because of his technical and tactical performance but in the sense of being as sharp as he was for someone who has hardly had any football.
”I think it's a fine line [on his upcoming availability] but I thought he delivered very, very well, particularly tactically. He has a good understanding of his role tactically and we know he can play.
"The fitness and sharpness will come but he seems clear and his body certainly does, so I'm pleased for him."
Luton Town
Rob Edwards will be expected to return to his usual starting eleven after he made ten changes for Luton’s 1-0 loss to Exeter City in the Carabao Cup.
Both Ross Barkley and Tom Lockyer will face late fitness checks for Luton, with Barkley missing all of the last three games for the Hatters in a the build-up to a potential return to his boyhood club after an injury sustained at the start of the month.
Lockyer is a doubt with the Luton skipper missing the mid-week game away to Exeter.
Arsenal loanee Sambi Lokonga, Dan Potts and Gabriel Osho who both made 26 and 30 appearances, respectively, in the Championship for Luton last year all remain out of action for Rob Edwards’ side.
Likely Lineups
Everton: Pickford; Young, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Godfrey; Garner, Gueye, Onana, Doucoure, McNeil; Calvert-Lewin
Luton Town: Kaminski; Burke, Lockyer, Bell; Doughty, Ruddock-Mpanzu, Nakamba, Giles; Brown, Morris, Ogbene
Key Players
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
A key player for Everton both this season and on Saturday will be Calvert-Lewin.
The former England international has had a troubled time with injuries, however, with the player now over the hamstring issues and cheekbone fracture that delayed his start to the season, he will be hoping he can once more become the focal point for Everton at the top end of the pitch.
Following his most recent recovery, Dyche has given two substitute appearances to Calvert-Lewin. The striker featured in the 1-0 loss to Arsenal and played the last half an hour against Brentford, in which he calmly finished past Mark Flekken to score just his third goal in his last 20 Premier League appearances.
After the victory at Brentford, Calvert-Lewin was rewarded with his second start of the season in the impressive 2-1 victory over Aston Villa, with the 26-year-old pouncing on a loose ball before flicking it past Ezeri Konsa to go in on goal and once again expertly finish.
The last week will have demonstrated to Calvert-Lewin just what he is capable of, and proved to Dyche that the striker, who once scored 21 goals in a single season for Everton, can be capable of leading the line and is capable of giving the crucial quality needed at the top end of the field in the battle to drag Everton back up the table.
A start at Goodison Park on Saturday would also represent the best possible opportunity for the player to re-endear himself to the Toffees faithful and show once more that he can be Everton’s main man.
Marvelous Nakamba
With Sambi-Lokonga ruled out for the next two months due to a hamstring issue and Ross Barkley a doubt for Saturday’s game, Marvelous Nakamba will be a key player for Rob Edwards’ side in their bid to claim any points on Saturday.
Nakamba is an experienced midfielder, with the Zimbabwe international having already played 68 games in the Premier League at Aston Villa, in which he was a key part of the side when they first came up from the Championship.
After excelling on loan last season at Kenilworth Road, Nakamba once again will need to have a big season if he is to keep the Hatters up.
In a side that is extremely short of Premier League experience, Nakamba will have to be a calm head and will need an impressive display in the heart of midfield on Saturday if Luton are to get anything from the match.
Match Details
Where is the game being played?
Saturday’s game is a home tie for Everton at Goodison Park, with the Toffees losing all three previous home games this season.
What time is kick-off?
The contest will begin at 15:00 BST, with six fixtures in total scheduled for this time slot on Saturday including Manchester United vs Crystal Palace, Bournemouth vs Arsenal and Wolves vs Manchester City.
Where can I watch the game?
Due to being a 15:00 BST kick-off, the game will not be broadcasted live on TV in the UK. However, radio commentary will be provided through BBC Merseyside and talkSPORT.
