Middlesbrough host Everton in the Premier League this afternoon.
Pundit Mark Lawrenson has told BBC Sport that he thinks Middlesbrough and Everton will draw 1-1 at the Riverside Stadium this afternoon.
Hosts Middlesbrough head into the game having lost 1-0 at Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, with late missed chances from Alvaro Negredo and Marten de Roon sending Boro home empty-handed.
Aitor Karanka’s haven’t won a league game for almost two months now, notching just three points in the last seven Premier League fixtures.
Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka looks dejected
With just three goals scored in that run, it’s clear where Boro’s problems lie right now, and with clubs below them picking up results of late, Middlesbrough now sit just one point clear of the relegation zone.
Today, they take on a resurgent Everton side, who were involved in a remarkable 6-3 victory over Bournemouth last weekend; yes, they scored twice as many goals in one game as Boro have in the last seven.
The Toffees have now dropped just four points in the last seven Premier League games, and have closed the gap to the top four to seven points, which is still a considerable gap.
Mark Lawrenson
Ronald Koeman’s men are one of the form teams in the Premier League right now, and striker Romelu Lukaku is certainly at the peak of his powers having smashed four goals against Bournemouth.
Ahead of this afternoon’s game, pundit Mark Lawrenson has told BBC Sport that he thinks the two teams will draw 1-1, claiming that Boro are ‘frightened of losing’, and draws won’t be enough to achieve survival.
Lawrenson also hailed two Everton youngsters, claiming that defensive prospect Mason Holgate and teenage midfielder Tom Davies have added energy to the team, allowing Lukaku to play at his best.
“Tom Davies and Mason Holgate have given Everton such a boost since they broke into the team,” said Lawrenson. “Because they are young, they have added energy and pace to the team and they have also lit the fans up for the same reason. The overall effect is that Everton seem to be playing at a quicker tempo now and that helps Romelu Lukaku, because the earlier they get the ball up to him, the more damage he can do.”
“Things are far less rosy for Middlesbrough right now, and their lack of wins – they have the fewest in the top flight this season – is catching up with them. It was fine to pick up a point here and there earlier in the season when they had a bit of a cushion above the relegation zone but it is different now that everyone below them is going for it a bit more.”
Michael Ball offers his verdict on Ademola Lookman and Morgan Schneiderlin’s displays
“Boro still seem frightened of losing games, so they rarely get opened up, but it means that they rarely win games either. Looking at the situation they are in now, that needs to change because draws are not going to be enough to keep them up,” he added.
What’s your prediction for Middlesbrough v Everton?
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