Will Everton's Away Form Keep Them in the Premier League?

We're eight games into the new Premier League season and Sean Dyche's Everton team has a total of seven points. The slow start is worrying. What's more worrying though is that, until the recent win against Bournemouth, The Toffees had not scored a single home point.

The stats show that Everton has more points on the road this season than at home. Considering the Merseyside Blues scored 21 points at Goodison Park last season and only 15 away from home, this form appears ominous. The season before last Everton scored 29 points at home and a mere 10 on the road.

Everton finished 17th last year, beating the drop by only two points thanks to its six home wins. In 2021/22 the team avoided relegation by four points, also rescued by its home form. Both of these seasons saw The Toffees register only two wins apiece on the road. Thankfully the away stats were better last time out thanks to more drawn matches, though.

With those draws Everton's away form improved by 5 points from 2021/22 to 2022/23 but the precious home form that every team banks on worsened. The concern for Dyche and his team, as potential relegation battlers, is that their away results won't be enough to save them this time. Of course, that's if results at Goodison Park don't improve.

Make no mistake, on the back of two league wins in three, it's not all doom-and-gloom for The Toffees right now. Dominic Calvert-Lewin is fit and firing again, and Abdoulaye Doucouré is finding goals from midfield. Loanee Arnaut Danjuma also opened his Everton EPL account in the away draw with Sheffield United.

The clean sheet against Bournemouth is also encouraging for a defence that has been too porous recently. Yes, there have been exceptions like the immense effort made in almost keeping Arsenal out at Goodison last month.

The bookmakers offer further relief to Evertonians for the 2023/24 season. Selected sites here currently believe Everton has a good chance of beating the drop, with odds of around 4/9 on offer. These odds have strengthed since the return of Calvert-Lewin and the corresponding improved form since. 

Everton have already won on the road against Brentford this season. Despite that, it seems naive to think that it'll be the club's away form that will keep Sean Dyche's outfit in the Premier League next season. The Merseyside derby is up next, followed by games at in-form West Ham and 9th-placed Crystal Palace. Only die-hard fans will express enthusiasm that Everton will bring too many points back home.

Looking at The Toffees' next home fixtures, there is perhaps a little reason for optimism. Brighton visit Goodison after the West Ham game. Although considered one of the league's top attacking outfits, The Seagulls have shipped two goals a game so far. With Calvert-Lewin in form, it'll be up to the defence to play as they did against Arsenal. 

Home fans will hope that Man Utd still run colder than hot when The Red Devils visit Goodison. It doesn't get easier at home after that either, with Newcastle next up, followed by Chelsea. A few seasons ago Everton supporters would have thought The Toon offered a better points chance than the Londoners. These days it's likely the opposite.

Bottom line. History dictates that Everton's points this season will likely come from home games, with its fanatical support in the stands. Now, with Everton soon to be under new ownership, the Goodison Park faithful can concentrate solely on being loud and vocal. The fans, come game time, should get 100% behind the team and help to bring those precious points back home!

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