The significance of Wolves’ Boxing Day visit to Goodison Park seems to gather greater momentum with each passing day.
Everton have had a challenging start to the 2022/23 campaign, and a mid-season hiatus due to the FIFA World Cup in Qatar has afforded the fanbase a much-needed break, but with Premier League football set to resume in a matter of days, the importance of next Monday’s fixture can’t be underestimated.
The Midlands club currently prop up the Premier League table in twentieth place, but are a mere 4 points behind the Blues, though Everton do have a far superior goal difference. Nonetheless, it is a must-win game for Frank Lampard, especially with the New Year’s Eve trip to Manchester City on the horizon.
However, the Everton boss faces a difficult decision regarding his team selection ahead of Boxing Day fixture, due to the absence of the on-loan Conor Coady.
Indeed, the centre-half has been one of our best performers of the campaign so far, forging a reliable partnership with fellow new boy James Tarkowski, but as the England international is illegible to play against his parent club, Lampard will need to assess what options he has within the squad.
Michael Keane is rumoured to be departing Goodison Park in the January transfer window, and has never been the most dependable defender. Yerry Mina is just as unreliable, the Colombian seemingly incapable of staying fit for 90 minutes. Could it be an opportunity for the fit-again Ben Godfrey to work his way back into Lampard’s starting XI? Or does Mason Holgate get the nod?
Hardly blessed with a plethora of options, it is a selection headache that Lampard could probably do without. Wolves may have had a dreadful start to their season, but the recent appointment of Julen Lopetegui could give them a new-manager boost.
Either way, Everton cannot afford a Boxing Day hangover – this is a must-win for the Toffees.