Everton take on the visitors Fulham in the round 1 match of English Premier League. The match will be played on Saturday, August 12th at Goodison Park (Liverpool).
In recent years, Everton have gradually transformed from a solid mid-table team in the Premier League into a squad that needs to fight for survival in the country's elite division. In the previous season, the Toffees narrowly escaped relegation to the Championship, only edging out Leicester by two points towards the end of the championship. In terms of goal-scoring, Everton had a very weak season, netting only 34 goals in 38 matches, which is below average per game. I don't think we should expect many goals in the very first match of the current Premier League campaign involving Everton. In the last four summer friendlies, the team hasn't even played over 1.5 goals in a match: victories against Sporting, Stoke City, and Wigan, each with a score of 1-0, plus a goalless draw with Bolton.
| 2 x £10 Free Bet | Review | |||
| 100$-500$ for No Lose Free Bets | Review | |||
| 100% up to £200 | Review | |||
| Not available | Review |
Contrastingly, Fulham surprised last season and nearly fought for a spot in European competitions until the very end. Ultimately, they secured 10th place in the table, even surpassing Chelsea. I'm unsure if Fulham will perform well in the new Premier League season. However, I don't anticipate a high-scoring match from them in the first Premier League game. Last season, only 24 of their 55 total goals were scored away from home. The team's goal-scoring efficiency is notably higher when playing at home. In summer friendlies, Marco Silva's team had varying performances. There were victories with over 2.5 goals against Brentford and Hoffenheim, but also goalless defeats against Aston Villa and Chelsea (both with a 0-2 score).
It's difficult to predict the scenario for this match, almost unrealistic. Fulham had a higher standing in the table last season, but the home-field advantage is with Everton. I will perhaps lean towards Under 2.5 goals in this encounter, not expecting many goals at Goodison Park. At the start of the championship, it's crucial to accumulate points for confidence going forward. Therefore, I predict a fairly closed match with minimal dangerous moments and goals. Moreover, only once in the last three direct encounters between Everton and Fulham was Over 2.5 goals achieved. If you believe in three goals, you could consider an alternative as Under 3.5 goals, paired with a 1X bet. The Toffees looked quite solid in preseason friendlies and are unlikely to lose in their very first Premier League home match.
Prediction for the match: Under 2.5 scored goals.
