Football writer Alex Keble assesses each Premier League club and their prospects for the 2024/25 season.
Everton
When you consider the obstacles in his path, Sean Dyche did a brilliant job steadying the ship last season. Unfortunately, he faces a similarly thorny task in 2024/25 to maintain Everton's Premier League status for another campaign as they enter their final season at Goodison Park.
The collapse of a proposed takeover by the Friedkin Group leaves the Toffees in an uncertain position on the eve of the new season.
But Dyche won’t complain. He didn’t in the last campaign when Everton battled through two points deductions to stay up comfortably.
Expect more of the same: the Toffees stuck in a holding pattern, gritting their teeth and staying alive.
Performance last season
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 |
Fulham
FUL
|
38 | -6 | 47 |
| 14 |
Wolves
WOL
|
38 | -15 | 46 |
| 15 |
Everton
EVE
|
38 | -11 | 40 |
| 16 |
Brentford
BRE
|
38 | -9 | 39 |
| 17 |
Nott'm Forest
NFO
|
38 | -18 | 32 |
FA Cup: Fourth round
EFL Cup: Quarter-final
Last five seasons
| Season | League position |
|---|---|
| 2019/20 | 12th |
| 2020/21 | 10th |
| 2021/22 | 16th |
| 2022/23 | 17th |
| 2023/24 | 15th |
Best Premier League finish
Fourth: 2004/05
See: More about Everton's history
Season aims
Had it not been for the points deductions, Everton would have finished with 48 last season, a good return in the circumstances, but a total that Dyche will firmly believe he can improve upon.
Yet there is a limit on what a club in Everton’s financial position can achieve, and anything above Premier League safety will be good enough until an investor is found.
Key transfers
Losing Amadou Onana to Aston Villa is significant, and yet he had struggled to get into the first team towards the end of last season.
Jake O’Brien, a centre-back who impressed at Lyon, has been signed and might well play alongside Jarrad Branthwaite, whom Everton are hoping to hold onto.
Everton's key transfers so far
| Player | Transfer Type | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Jack Harrison |  Loan In |
Leeds United |
| Ben Godfrey |  Transfer Out |
Atalanta |
| Iliman Ndiaye | Transfer In |
Marseille |
| Amadou Onana | Transfer Out |
Aston Villa |
| Jesper Lindstrom | Loan In |
Napoli |
| Jake O'Brien | Transfer In |
Lyon |
See: Clubs' summer 2024 transfers
Tactics
Dyche is often mislabelled as an old-school, meat-and-potatoes 4-4-2 manager. There is some truth in that – Everton play the percentages and are happy to concede possession – but Dyche is no dinosaur.
Everton are more like Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid: feisty and combative, but well-drilled in a mid-block and, thanks to their strength at set-pieces, particularly good at eking out 1-0 wins.
Injury report
| Player | Injury | Latest Updates |
|---|---|---|
| Nathan Patterson | - | Details |
| Jarrad Branthwaite | - | Details |
| Iliman Ndiaye | Knock | Details |
| Youssef Chermiti | - | Details |
| James Garner | - | Details |
Pre-season results and fixtures
19 July Sligo Rovers 3-3 Everton Report
27 July Salford 2-1 Everton Reaction
30 July Coventry 3-0 Everton Report
3 Aug Preston North End 0-3 Everton Report
6 Aug Everton 6-0 Motherwell Report
10 Aug v AS Roma (H) Details
Best XI (4-4-1-1)
Jordan Pickford; Ashley Young, Jarrad Branthwaite, Jake O’Brien, Vitalii Mykolenko; Jack Harrison, James Garner, Idrissa Gueye, Dwight McNeil; Abdoulaye Doucoure; Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Opening PL fixtures
Kits
See: More details at Everton’s online store