Everton

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Everton first-team performance coach Jack Dowling is just one marathon away from completing 26 in 26 weeks in memory of his late brother Tom who passed away in March.

Jack started his challenge last year and will finish it this coming weekend at the London marathon. He is raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support and spreading awareness for the struggles faced by young people who suffer from the disease.

"I struggled when Tom passed away about why am I doing this, it's not going to change anything, especially for the marathon after," he explained to BBC Radio Merseyside's Giulia Bould.

"But, people reminded me that I'm still doing it for Tom but I'm doing it for every other family that have been supported by Macmillan and the amazing job the charity and nurses do for families across England.

"There's still hope in them so if I can help raise that awareness, spread the message of what Macmillan do and for everyone out there, especially young people with cancer - that's the main reason I'm making sure I finish this challenge.

"Just keep going. I keep saying I just feel like I'm going out for a long run. I've always enjoyed running and I thought I needed to set a challenge to raise money for our Tom and raise awareness for Macmillan.

"People have said what I'm doing is crazy but I really don't see it as that. The main thing is raising awareness and money to try and help Macmillan support families and people with cancer."

Listen to the full chat on BBC Sounds

The key facts and figures before Everton host Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Sunday.

• Everton have won just one of their past 15 Premier League games, and their past two victories have both been over Burnley (2-0 in December and 1-0 earlier this month).

• Nottingham Forest have gained six points in their past five Premier League games after only taking four from their first eight of 2024.

• Of the 17 sides to have been in the Premier League since the start of last season, Everton have won the fewest home games (10), earned the fewest home points (37), lost the most home games (17) and scored the fewest home goals (32).

• And of those 17 sides, Forest have won the fewest away games (three), earned the fewest away points (18), lost the most away games (23), scored the fewest away goals (28) and conceded the most away goals (77).

• The Blues have conceded 48 league goals this season, having shipped 66 in 2021-22 and 57 last term. They last conceded 50 or more in three consecutive 38-game campaigns between 1907-08 and 1909-10.

• Including penalties, the Reds have scored both the joint fewest goals (six) and the lowest percentage of goals (14%) from set-pieces this season. Meanwhile, they have also conceded the most goals (25) and the highest percentage of goals (43%) from set-pieces in 2023-24.

Listen to BBC Radio 5 Live commentary of Everton v Nottingham Forest at 13:30 BST on Sunday

Bayern Munich and Tottenham have joined Manchester United in considering a move for Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite. (Teamtalk), external

Saudi Pro League clubs are interested in midfielder Idrissa Gana Gueye, who is unlikely to be offered a new deal by Everton when his contract expires at the end of the season. (Football Insider), external

Sean Dyche's job as Everton manager is not under threat despite the club's poor run of form. (i news - subscription required), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

The optimism garnered after the win over Burnley did not last long. A further two-point deduction and then a confidence-sapping 6-0 defeat at Chelsea put paid to that.

Uncertainty surrounds the takeover too, but on the pitch all is not lost - and the first of a series of huge games comes on Sunday with the visit of Nottingham Forest, the team directly below them in the Premier League table.

It is a game Everton must not lose and ideally win. Nothing is a given but after what happened on Monday, it's a time for a coming together - again - to get a result. The performances are secondary, it is the results that count.

There are senior players in the squad who will demand a reaction. Sean Dyche will demand a reaction, and so too will the fans. Will Dyche make changes? Could Andre Gomes get a start? Will Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Idrissa Gana Gueye be available? Will Jarrad Branthwaite be fit?

Plenty of questions, but Everton have to find the answers. If they can this weekend, it will give them a massive lift with games against Brentford and Luton on the horizon, not to mention the Merseyside derby next Wednesday.

Everton are keen to extend England striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin's contract, 27, which runs out at the end of next season. (Football Insider, external)

Meanwhile, Manchester United have switched their attention to Nice's 24-year-old France defender Jean-Clair Todibo after being put off by the price tag of Everton's 21-year-old English centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite. (Teamtalk, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

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Former Everton centre-back Derek Mountfield said Monday's 6-0 loss at Chelsea was "not acceptable" as the Toffees battle to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

Cole Palmer scored four times for Chelsea, including a first-half hat-trick, in a defeat that kept Everton two points above the bottom three.

"I tuned in expecting a performance where we're grafting, we're fighting and we're looking like we're going to do something - and then we throw in a performance like last night," Mountfield told BBC Radio Merseyside.

"For me it's not acceptable, we have to have a better all-round performance from everybody, including the manager."

Mountfield, who helped Everton win two league titles during the 1980s, continued: "We can't be doing that at this stage of the season, every game is a cup final for us.

"The most disappointing thing is to concede six goals, which puts our very positive goal difference against others around us into an even keel with everybody else.

"It's going to be a difficult last five or six games now because that one result has changed a lot of people's perception about how Everton play."

It was almost poetic that Farhad Moshiri and Josh Wander were present at Stamford Bridge because the continuing off-field pantomime and Moshiri’s reign as owner was epitomised in an embarrassing showing against Chelsea.

Like many others, I have given this Everton side the benefit of the doubt and have been more than understanding of poor performances, given the difficult operating environment at the club. However, Monday night was simply unforgivable.

Defeats are part of football - no club is immune to them- but the manner of them will always dictate the fan response.

Lack of effort, commitment, heart, backbone and fight are choices. At a time when all those are needed, it is alarming to witness a relegation-threatened side show none of them.

For someone who preaches about controlling the controllable, this performance from Sean Dyche's side was evidence of a group that has given up.

The lack of responsibility and common sense was glaring. There was an element of fear, when bravery was the order if the day.

If we are going to achieve Premier League survival, the players are going to have to be dragged over the line once again.

We are about to embark on one of the most pivotal seven days in the club’s history.

Three home games in less than a week. Three home games to potentially secure our top-flight status.

The season cannot end soon enough.

Mike Richards can be found at Unholy Trinity, external

Everton's 6-0 drubbing at Chelsea on Monday was a disastrous result which battered their goal difference and will have crushed their confidence too in the final stages of the season.

The Toffees lie only two points and two places above the relegation zone and face a monumental meeting with fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

Their proud top-flight status is far from secure and there is uncertainty surrounding the Blues everywhere.

Everton formally lodged an appeal against their second points deduction and the Premier League confirmed the case will be heard before the end of the campaign.

The takeover from 777 Partners is dragging on too, with no indication of whether it will be approved or not.

The Miami-based investment firm was supposed to settle a loan to MSP Sports Capital on Monday, but current owner Farhad Moshiri agreed an extension with MSP, which raises questions about how the £158m debt will be paid off.

And what of Sean Dyche? Ordinarily, a poor run of one league victory in 15 games would spell the end for any manager, but with the club stuck in limbo waiting to resolve their future, Dyche is likely to remain in charge to try to drag the side on.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Reuters

Everton players have been urged to show they "care and are willing to fight" in their remaining fixtures as they bid to stave off relegation from the Premier League.

Monday's 6-0 defeat at Chelsea left the Toffees two points above the drop zone.

However, four of their final six games are at home - three of them against teams also in the bottom six - while Sean Dyche's side also have to face 18th-placed Luton Town at Kenilworth Road.

Reacting to the loss at Stamford Bridge, Peter MacFarlane from The Blue Room podcast told BBC Radio 5 Live: "It almost feels like we've been sleepwalking into this position for a long time now.

"If things were a bit more stable off the pitch, we probably would have seen a change of manager. Not that I can put all of the blame on Sean Dyche, but when you look at the results, we've only won one in the past 15 [league] games and Monday night was the culmination of a really tough run of results."

Asked if he thought Everton could remain outside the relegation zone, MacFarlane added: "I think so, but it's going to be tough. We certainly won't if we perform like we did [at Chelsea].

"It's up to the players to show us they care and they're willing to fight. First things first, we've got to try to get three points against Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

"We've got a number of home games. We believe they should be winnable in theory, but we've got to go out and beat these teams. Everyone down at the bottom is fighting for their lives so there are no gimmes - certainly not in the Premier League.

"Every player has got to fight for the badge and hopefully we can try to help get them over the line."

We asked for your views on Chelsea's victory over Everton in the Premier League on Monday.

Here are some of your answers:

Chelsea fans

Julian: Palmer surely has to be the best buy of the season. What an astonishing player at only 21! I've no doubt all the haters will be reminding us how many penalties he has scored, but in such a chaotic season for Chelsea, the kid is a breath of fresh air!

Mathew: Really happy with that performance. Cole Palmer is such a good player for us and these types of performances should definitely make him a candidate for young player of the season. It was also great to see Alfie Gilchrist get his first goal as it’s such a nice sight for our Cobham graduates to score and celebrate with that much passion.

Richard: The Palmer show was amazing and he seemed to have a golden touch in that first 30 minutes, but a special mention to Caicedo, who probably had his best Chelsea match yet. He was strong in the tackle and in link-up play, despite being on nine yellows. Jackson also benefited from being part of a genuine front four.

Everton fans

Dave: We have embarrassed ourselves for long enough. We are not a Premier League club any more - on the field or off it. Luton Town deserve to stay up because they show fight. Nottingham Forest deserve to stay up because they play good football. We do neither of those things. I'll support Everton as long as I live but I'm a realist. Time to say goodbye to the Premier League and try to return when fixed.

Shaun: We had a six-goal advantage over Nottingham Forest wiped away in a single match. This was without a doubt the worst Everton performance I have ever watched.

Philip: Up until this game only the top sides had conceded fewer goals than Everton - so this was a real surprise as our defence has been solid. Leaking goals hasn’t been the problem. Our safety is in our own hands with games left against all of the teams around us at the bottom of the table.

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Sean Dyche told BBC Sport that Everton's performance was "really poor" against Chelsea and "miles off the intent and desire needed to win" a match.

"I thought we were mildly better second half but the first half miles off," said the Everton boss. "A collective down day.

"We had one at Villa when we were collectively looking for a spark. You can't give away soft goals like that.

"They were dancing around us - not just the back five but the young lads in midfield too. They will learn if you don't get tackles in and read the play you will get hurt.

"There were too many errors and too many players way off the mark.

"Six big games left. They have had another knock. We have already agreed that's gone and we have to get on with it."

On discovering the appeal against their further two-point deduction will be heard before the end of the season, Dyche added: "It is a relief to football and not just to us.

"We are all scratching our heads anyway but that would have made it worse."

Did you know?

• In his 308th game as a top-flight manager, a Dyche team conceded six goals in a Premier League game for the first time.

• Everton remain winless in their past nine league away games, with Monday's loss their second-biggest margin of defeat in the competition following a 7-0 loss to Arsenal in May 2005.

Image source, Getty Images

Everton were really poor defensively, allowing Chelsea to take the lead with their first attack.

It was a case of what might have been for the Toffees who had gone close themselves minutes earlier but Beto, in for the injured Dominic Calvert-Lewin, could not divert Seamus Coleman's low cross on target when just a few yards out.

Beto also had a headed goal disallowed for offside with his side 3-0 down in the first half.

Everton's loss will sting fans even more when coupled with their latest two-point deduction which was announced on Monday, 8 April.

Hours before kick-off the Premier League said the club's appeal will be heard "urgently".

Everton need to halt their stuttering run having only managed one win across their past 15 league games.

And this latest defeat leaves Sean Dyche's side in a precarious position especially with games against Liverpool and Arsenal to come before the end of the season.

They host Nottingham Forest in their next league match on Sunday. A must-win game.

Chelsea midfielder Cole Palmer scored four goals, including a hat-trick inside the first 29 minutes, as his side thrashed sorry Everton at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League.

Palmer opened the scoring in the 13th minute by curling a beautiful strike into the bottom corner after nutmegging Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite and playing a one-two with team-mate Nicolas Jackson.

He doubled the lead five minutes later, heading in a rebound after a Jackson shot had been saved by Everton keeper Jordan Pickford.

And the 21-year-old completed his hat-trick midway through the first half in style after he intercepted a poor pass from Pickford before lobbing the England goalkeeper from 40 yards out.

Jackson then inflicted more doom on Everton just before the break by volleying in Marc Cucurella's cut-back, before Palmer added his fourth from the penalty spot in the 63rd minute.

And Chelsea scored a sixth in the 90th minute when substitute Alfie Gilchrist netted his first goal for the club from a tight angle.

Chelsea stretched their Premier League unbeaten run to eight matches and are three points off seventh-placed Manchester United, who currently sit in the Premier League's last European spot, having played one game fewer.

As for Everton, they were playing in their first match since receiving a two-point deduction for a second breach of Premier League financial rules. They stayed 16th, two points above the relegation zone.

Were you at the match or did you follow it from elsewhere?

Chelsea fans - let us know your thoughts on the game here

How did you rate the side's performance, Everton fans?

Follow all of the reaction here

The team news for the Premier League game between Chelsea and Everton is in, with less than an hour to go until kick-off at Stamford Bridge.

Follow all the build-up and live text updates of the match here

Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches again this season, against a variety of guests.

For this weekend's games, he takes on actor and Leyton Orient fan Daniel Mays.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

As usual with Chelsea, I don't have a clue what to go for here.

If you look back at their results then they are on a seven-game unbeaten run in the league, but they have drawn four of those matches because they always seem to shoot themselves in the foot.

Everton beat Mauricio Pochettino's side at Goodison Park in December, but only got their first league win of 2024 last week.

Beating Burnley was massive for them, but they need to follow that up by getting something at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea are still a developing team so I am going to go with the Toffees to take a point.

Mays' prediction: 2-1

I bumped into Everton boss Sean Dyche in a restaurant on the South Bank about two weeks ago. He went: 'I know you - you're an actor.' And I went: 'Well, I know you too'. We had our photograph taken together and he was very nice. After what Everton have been through this season, I hope they stay up - but I think Chelsea will win this one.

See the full list of predictions here

Everton are keen on signing 28-year-old Belgium midfielder Leander Dendoncker, who is currently on loan at Napoli, from Aston Villa this summer. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer news? Read Monday's full gossip column