Everton Vs Norwich City
Saturday 23 November 2019 – 15:00
English Premier League
Pick: Over 2.5 Goals
Odds: 3/5
Bookmaker: BetVictor
English Premier League Betting – 22Bet
(All betting odds displayed were correct as of 20 November 2019 at 23:30)
Preview: A crucial fixture at the wrong end of the Premier League as Norwich City, bottom of the table and without an away win all season, make their way to Merseyside to face a gradually improving Everton at Goodison Park.
Everton Vs Norwich City Live Stats & Betting Odds
Everton Preview – Toffess to maintain upward trajectory?
It is telling that four points from their previous two league fixtures – drawing 1-1 at home to Tottenham and winning 2-1 away to struggling Southampton – constitutes as the joint-longest unbeaten run of the season to date for Everton (15th – W4 D2 L6, GF13 GA18). There is now some renewed belief among supporters, and for good reason, as while the league table is still a departure from where they hope to be come May of next year, a few more results like those recently and the table will start to take on a whole new complexion.
Just three points separate them from the team in fifth, which highlights how remarkably congested the league is at this moment in time. It is also a reminder that Everton are still more than capable of fulfilling their season-long objective – acquiring European football – despite an underwhelming first few months. For that to become reality, the team simply must become more consistent, even more so than an encouraging spell of late which has seen them register seven of the last twelve available points (W2 D1 L1).
A home fixture with the poorest travelling team in the entire division is seemingly ripe for more points. Yet Everton haven’t managed back-to-back league wins all term, which is precisely the aim this weekend after winning at St Mary’s prior to the break. What they have managed instead is some improved returns as hosts (W3 D1 L2, GF8 GA8), collecting 10 or their 14 total points at Goodison Park with wins over Watford (1-0), West Ham (2-0) and Wolves (3-2). Their latest home encounter, meanwhile, ended 1-1 with Tottenham.
Norwich Preview – More away day woes for Canaries?
No team has taken fewer points (1) from away fixtures in this season’s Premier League than Norwich City (20th – W2 D1 L9, GF11 GA28), whose one goal scored and -11 goal difference in said matches are both comfortably the worst figures in the league. Damning stuff from the promoted outfit who are currently four points adrift of safety at the foot of the table and, perhaps ominously for them, find themselves back on the road once again this weekend.
Defeat to Watford immediately before the international break was arguably a new low, losing 2-0 at home to a side that hadn’t won a league game all season prior to showing up at Carrow Road. That made it three successive losses for The Canaries, who are now without a win in their last seven encounters (D1 L6) since stunning the champions, Manchester City, to win 3-2 at home. A result that felt astonishing at the time but more accurately resembles a fluke with every passing week.
On a more positive note, the recent international break granted manager Daniel Farke with enough time to nurse several of his walking wounded, in a squad blighted by a host of injuries throughout the campaign, back to health. Whether this, and this alone, is enough to galvanise a team which has gone almost eight hours of football without any away goal and claimed only one point out of eighteen (D1 L5) away from home, is dubious to say the least.
Everton Vs Norwich City Key Facts:
- Everton have been a more productive team at home this season (W3 D1 L2), claiming 10 of their 14 points from said fixtures.
- Norwich are without a win in seven league games (D1 L6), collecting one point and scoring only one goal from six away matches (W0 D1 L5).
- The latest encounter on Merseyside between these teams produced a 2-0 victory for visiting Norwich, in the EFL Cup in 2016. Everton, though, have won the previous two home Premier League meetings.
Betting Summary
Everton (2/5 Unibet) were in reasonable form before the international break, losing one of their last four league games (W2 D1 L1). Marco Silva’s side have also been mildly impressive at home this season, according to Expected Goals anyway, which might explain how the majority of their points (10/14) were earned at Goodison. However, one clean sheet in the last ten league games is poor by their standards, with each of their last three fixtures featuring both teams on the scoresheet.
Norwich (15/2 BetVictor) appear a lost cause, even at this early stage. They are not, of course, with the club just four points shy of safety, but a dire run consisting of no win in seven (D1 L6) is hardly inspiring a great deal of confidence. Daniel Farke’s men will arrive on Merseyside having lost their last three league games consecutively. Meanwhile, away from home it is no goal in almost eight hours and only one point – a 0-0 draw at Bournemouth – registered from a possible eighteen.
Ordinarily, Everton would not be a team I could trust when very short odds. On this rare occasion, I was tempted to make an exception. Norwich have been generally hopeless for too long now, especially on their travels. The home side haven’t shut out too many opposition, though, providing some much-needed encouragement for The Canaries. It also enhances the prospect of this contest producing a fair few goals.
