Premier League Everton’s recent poor form in the English top-flight has led to talk of the Toffees potential involvement in the fight for survival. A 1-0 defeat at Watford on Saturday means that the Merseysiders have lost six of their last eight league games in the English top-flight, winning just twice in the process.
Boss Marco Silva is under severe pressure to turn things around on Merseyside with some suggesting that his exit from the club may be imminent.
At first glance, the Toffees do not look in any danger, as the Merseysiders are currently ninth place in the Premier League table. However, they are just nine points clear of the relegation zone, having played a game extra than the teams in the bottom three.
The gap between Silva’s side and the relegation zone could become uncomfortably small when the top-flight games resume after a short hiatus for the FA Cup, which the Toffees are no longer involved in.
In fact, Everton have a long time to wait to play their next league fixture, two weeks, due to having played their gameweek 25 fixture in gameweek 27 against Manchester City. That is a long time for the players to stew or for Silva to work with his players and attempt to revive the teams form.
If results do not improve, the Portuguese boss may not see out of the season as Everton boss. The Toffees could end up fighting an unexpected relegation battle after such early season promise.
Their next game against Cardiff could be a crucial one, as they play arch-rivals Liverpool in their next match. The Toffees also have to play Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham before the end of the campaign.
Everton should have enough quality within their ranks to stay clear of the relegation zone. However, there is often a team that is sucked into the relegation battle late in the season and the Toffees recent form suggests it could be them this time around.