Everton now told Sean Dyche has an ‘atrocious’ issue he must fix by pundit

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Michael Ball slams Everton for having an ‘atrocious’ record away from Goodison Park for ‘a long, long time’. He also fears a ‘tough week’ with trips to Arsenal and Nottingham Forest.

The Toffees travel to north London to face the top of the Premier League table Gunners on Wednesday night. Sean Dyche’s team are then back on the road this Sunday in a relegation six-pointer at the City Ground. Brentford are their next match on Merseyside on March 11.

Everton head to the capital to face Arsenal sitting in the relegation zone in 18th place after 24 games. The Blues have won just five times and taken six draws for 21 from a possible 72 points. Of their haul, 14 points have also come at Goodison after four wins and two draws.

Everton have won just one and drawn four of their 11 away matches in the Premier League this season. Only West Ham United, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest have been worse on the road. The trio of fellow relegation-threatened clubs have each taken just six points.

Nottingham Forest are the ninth-best top-flight club at home so far this term on 19 points. While Arsenal (26) are the fourth-best with only Manchester City (31), Manchester United (29) and Tottenham Hotspur (27) with more points. But Arsenal have played fewer games.

Everton’s away record frightens Ball ahead of visiting Arsenal and Forest

Everton must now visit Arsenal and Nottingham Forest this week and strive to better their record away from Goodison Park. It was also woeful last season with no team taking fewer points on the road. Both of Everton and Norwich City claimed just 10 points with two wins.

Yet the 2020/21 season is in stark contrast to the Toffees’ last one and a half seasons. The Blues were the fourth-best Premier League team on the road that term. Only Manchester City (45), Manchester United (43) and Leicester City (38) bettered Everton’s (37) away run.

Yet the drastic decline of Everton’s away record frightens ex-Toffees left-back Ball ahead of visiting Arsenal and Nottingham Forest. The City Ground team are 13th in the table with 25 points after 24 games. Everton will visit having played one more game after facing Arsenal.

“This is going to be a tough week for Everton with two away games back-to-back and we’ve got a massive test at Arsenal now,” Ball wrote in his column for the Liverpool Echo.

“We came across them recently in Dyche’s first game. But we know they’re going to have a lot of possession with technically very good players. If we switch off like we did against Aston Villa, then we’re going to get punished.

“Our away form has been atrocious for a long, long time and Nottingham Forest ended up getting a hiding last weekend at West Ham United. So, they’ll be determined to put things right in front of their own home fans.”