The league table suggests Everton should be safe, but their poor form hints at a tough second half to the season.

It was a little difficult to take Sam Allardyce seriously when, following Everton’s draw with West Brom, he claimed his ninth-placed side are in a relegation battle – per the Telegraph.
The Toffees have endured an awful run in recent weeks, failing to win in their last seven matches in all competitions, but their early form under Allardyce had looked to ensure there would be no danger of the drop.

However, such is the compact nature of the Premier League’s bottom half that Everton are still just six points off the relegation zone.
And defeat at home to in-form Leicester City on Tuesday could well see Allardyce’s side tumble into the bottom half and his claims become a reality.
Everton are towards the bottom of the division’s form table and should some of the previously struggling sides – many of them boosted by new signings – put a run together, they could quickly leave Allardyce’s men behind.

Predicting a relegation battle does not give the Everton manager an excuse to simply accept its inevitability, though.
The Everton squad is good enough to win a home tie with Leicester and it is up to Allardyce, knowing its importance, to win the clash.
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