Everton take on Stoke City at Goodison Park this afternoon.
Mark Lawrenson
Pundit Mark Lawrenson has told BBC Sport that he thinks Everton will beat Stoke City 2-0 at Goodison Park this afternoon.
Everton head into the game having made a strong start to the campaign, drawing 1-1 with Tottenham Hotspur on the opening day of the season before beating West Bromwich Albion 2-1 last weekend.
Everton manager Ronald Koeman
New manager Ronald Koeman has shown signs of progress already, and with new signings Ashley Williams and Yannick Bolasie both in contention to start this afternoon, the Toffees will be hoping to preserve their unbeaten record.
They take on a Stoke City side who have yet to really impress so far, though the season is only two games old. A 1-1 draw at Middlesbrough on the opening day saw Mark Hughes’ men show character to fight back from an early goal, but they were demolished 4-1 by Manchester City last weekend.
Stoke City manager Mark Hughes
The Potters won’t want their wait for a first win of the campaign to drag on, and they will certainly be hoping for a repeat performance of last season’s stunning 4-3 win over Everton at Goodison Park.
Ahead of today’s game, pundit Mark Lawrenson has offered his prediction for the game to BBC Sport, stating that he expects a 2-0 win for Everton this afternoon.
Lawrenson suggested that the 4-1 defeat to Manchester City was harsh on Stoke, but was pleased to see Ryan Shawcross penalised for holding in the box for a penalty.
Everton’s Ross Barkley celebrates scoring
The former Liverpool defender added that he is a huge fan of Everton boss Koeman, and lauded his ‘really clever’ decision to make Ross Barkley captain for the midweek EFL Cup win over Yeovil Town.
“The scoreline was a bit harsh on Stoke in their 4-1 defeat by Manchester City last week but I agreed with the penalty decision for City’s opener because Ryan Shawcross has been doing that for years,” said Lawrenson.
“Everton have made a strong start and have integrated their new players in nicely, and I am backing them to continue that on Saturday. I think Ronald Koeman is an excellent manager and he was really clever when he made Ross Barkley captain for the Toffees’ EFL Cup win over Yeovil. Koeman was basically saying ‘you’re a local lad and a great talent, go and show me what you can do’,” he added.
What’s your prediction for Everton v Stoke City.
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