Everton vs Bournemouth: Projected XI

For Everton, there’s not much to play for. It’s a straight tussle with Southampton for 11th place. If Saints better Everton’s result, they’ll leapfrog the Blues for the ultimate glory of finishing top of the bottom half of the division.

That said, finishing in the higher position will result in an extra £1-2 million in prize money for the season, so it’s not a complete dead rubber.

For Bournemouth, though, there is a little bit more at stake. For they must beat Everton to even have a chance of staying in the Premier League. Even that might not be enough for Eddie Howe’s side to survive, though, as Aston Villa (who are away to West Ham) and Watford (away to Arsenal) must also both lose.

The question is, how will Carlo Ancelotti line the Blues up for the last time in 2019-20, with a summer of ‘evolution’ set for Goodison Park.

Tactics and Formation

The Blues stopped the rot with a win at Sheffield United last week and there was one significant change to how Ancelotti set up, with a return to the 4-2-3-1 formation that was a mainstay of Marco Silva’s reign.

And the shift in formation seemed to do the trick for Everton’s frail midfield, with André Gomes and Tom Davies holding, and Gylfi Sigurdsson playing in his favoured number ten role. It would be surprising if Ancelotti opted to revert back to the 4-4-2 for this one, therefore.

In terms of picking a team, Ancelotti still doesn’t have an abundance of options with Yerry Mina, Mason Holgate and Fabian Delph all still out.

Starters (likelihood of starting rated out of 10)

Jordan Pickford – 10/10

Lucas Digne – 7/10

Digne should start, but if Leighton Baines is in the starting XI, it could well be a final farewell from the much-loved veteran full-back. Hopefully he’s on the bench and he’ll stay for at least one more season.

Michael Keane – 10/10

Jarrod Branthwaite - 10/10

No other options at the back for the Blues, but that’s not a problem when you’re a 18-year-old superstar from Carlisle.

Djibril Sidibé – 6/10

Basically a toss-up between Seamus Coleman and Sidibé here, although Sidibé might have the edge if Ancelotti doesn’t want to change a winning team.

This could be Sidibé’s last game for the Blues and if he’s on the bench, it may be an indicator that he’s not likely to stay for next season. However, this is also Ancelotti’s last chance to run his eye over the Frenchman.

Tom Davies – 9/10

Not many other options here unless Ancelotti wants to give Beni Baningime a last chance.

André Gomes – 10/10

Another very impressive performance against Sheff Utd. Would be a good shock not to see him start here. Could feature on the right of central midfield.

Gylfi Sigurdsson – 10/10

Richarlison – 10/10

Anthony Gordon – 6/10

It’s a toss-up who starts on the right wing. Theo Walcott got the nod after scoring against Aston Villa, while Alex Iwobi has had a lot of time there since the restart.

But with the end of the season here, one would hope that Gordon will get the chance to impress once again.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin – 7/10

He’s led the line well all season, but there’s a chance Moise Kean could be given just his sixth start of the season as a bit of motivation heading into the summer break.

Bench

Maarten Stekelenburg

Seamus Coleman

Leighton Baines – Hopefully not his last moments in a Blue shirt.

Beni Baningime

Theo Walcott

Alex Iwobi

Bernard

Moise Kean – Should expect at least a decent run-out here after missing the trip to Sheffield United with a knock.

Ellis Simms – Could the 19-year-old striker make his Everton debut from the bench?