Everton is beginning to realize that their performance on the road is significantly better than at home, which is a disappointing revelation given the impressive new Hill Dickinson Stadium that has been built for the future of the club. The question remains—what is causing this discrepancy? Is it bad luck, poor tactics, difficult fixtures, or a combination of all these factors?

Despite the efforts of the fans to make the team feel at home in their new stadium, including the unveiling of a massive tifo in the steep South Stand, Everton’s adventurous style of play and lackluster set-piece defending have led to a dismal home record. The team has managed only four wins, three draws, and four losses at home, placing them 14th in the league.

Their upcoming opponents, Leeds, have one of the weaker away records, with just one win on the road so far, achieved against Wolves in the first month of the season. Everton has only managed one win at home in their last five games, and they will need to be cautious as former Everton player Dominic Calvert-Lewin is expected to come into the match with a strong desire to prove himself, especially given his current form.

David Moyes will receive a significant boost with the return of AFCON-winning players Idrissa Gana Gueye and Iliman Ndiaye, who are back at Finch Farm. Additionally, Jarrad Branthwaite, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, and Charly Alcaraz have resumed training this week. However, it’s unlikely that any of them will start the game tomorrow.

Who’s Out?

Michael Keane is serving the final match of his three-game suspension after receiving a red card against Wolves. Jack Grealish (foot) and Timothy Iroegbunam (groin) are dealing with long-term injuries, while Jarrad Branthwaite (hamstring), Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (hamstring), and Carlos Alcaraz (thigh) have returned to training.

Everton Squad Available vs. Leeds

Goalkeepers: Pickford, Travers, King

Defenders: Keane (SUSPENDED), Branthwaite (TRAINING), Tarkowski, O’Brien, Mykolenko, Coleman, Patterson, Aznou

Midfielders: Gueye, Garner, Iroegbunam (INJURED), Dewsbury-Hall (TRAINING), Röhl, Armstrong

Wingers: McNeil, Ndiaye, Grealish (INJURED), Dibling, Alcaraz (TRAINING)

Strikers: Beto, Barry

Tactics and Formation

Everton is likely to stick with the 4-2-3-1 formation they’ve used so far, reserving the 4-4-2 as a last resort.

Starters (likelihood of starting rated out of 10)

• Jordan Pickford – 9/10
• Vitaliy Mykolenko – 8/10
• Jake O’Brien – 8/10
  
  Like a completely different player when in his natural habitat.
• James Tarkowski – 8/10
• Nathan Patterson – 7/10
  
  Given another chance to keep showing his value to the overall balance.
• James Garner – 9/10
  
  Everton’s most in-form player right now.
• Idrissa Gueye – 9/10
  
  A hearty welcome back.
• Dwight McNeil – 8/10
  
  Will he go left and Ili right, or vice versa? Could they be dynamic?
• Harrison Armstrong – 6/10
  
  It’s a close choice between him and Rohl, but young Harrison wins out on his early game energy and adventure.
• Iliman Ndiaye – 9/10
  
  A hearty welcome back, sequel.
• Thierno Barry – 9/10
  
  At this point he’s pretty much guaranteed to start.

Bench

• Mark Travers
• Tom King
• Jarrad Branthwaite – A hearty welcome back, the trifecta.
• Adam Aznou
• Tyler Dibling
• Beto – The rumours about a move away are picking up steam.
• Merlin Rohl – Unfortunate to drop to the bench, especially with the strides he made in that Aston Villa win.
• Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall – How we’ve missed KDH’s skillset and energy. A hearty welcome back, part 4.
• Carlos Alcaraz – Charly remains at his best as a second-half sub, might see that again soon. A hearty welcome back, v 5.0