Sean Dyche has said the new Everton owners are backing him as manager ahead of their Premier League match against Chelsea on Sunday.
Dyche told a news conference that he had met new executive chairman Marc Watts and that the meeting had been positive.
“It was about the format moving forward. They fully support me, the staff and the team. They asked questions about what I have learned in my time and the general feeling of the club,” he said.
Midway through the week it was announced that the club had officially changed hands, with Farhad Moshiri handing over responsibility for the club to the Friedkin Group, who also own Serie A club Roma.
Dyche hopes the change will bring more stability and positivity to the club, who are currently 16th in the Premier League and three points above the relegation zone.
“It's not an immediate change, but it would be good if it is a bit more stable than it has been since I came here. The possible change of ownership has now been arranged. I hope it is.” [the takeover] brings a positive atmosphere to the team,” he said.
“There's only so much that can be done with immediacy, they know that. The immediate [situation] in January will be dominated by the PSR [Profit and Sustainability Rules] position over the previous years of what the club had done.”
Club statement: Everton Football Club acquired by Roundhouse Capital Holdings Limited, part of The Friedkin Group.
— Everton (@Everton) December 19, 2024
Meanwhile, Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca suggested Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall could leave the club in January.
Dewsbury-Hall only joined the club in July, having followed Maresca to Stamford Bridge in a £30 million deal from Leicester City after they won the Championship title in 2023-24.
But the midfielder has struggled for playing time since his transfer. He failed to start a Premier League match and played most of his minutes in the Europa Conference League. When asked whether he will stay after January, Maresca gave no guarantees.
“Unfortunately I can't say that, not about Kiernan, but about the whole squad, because when the transfer window is open, unfortunately anything can happen,” he said.
“So I'm not focused on January. The only thing I can say about Kiernan is that we are very happy with the way he is working, we are very happy with his performance, and this is my opinion of Kiernan.
“We don't want any of our players to leave. The problem is that sometimes the question is more up to them, that if they say: okay, you don't want me to leave, but I'm not happy, I want to.” to play more.
“So in that case we are not going to say: no, you have to stay, yes or yes. It is a matter of agreement between the club and the player. All I can say is that we are happy with Kiernan.” Then we'll see.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Everton -Dwight McNeil
Dwight McNeil is Everton's top scorer this season with four goals in all competitions, including three in the Premier League.
The 25-year-old has also provided three assists in the competition, tying him with Ashley Young as the most productive players in the squad.
Chelsea Cole Palmer
Cole Palmer sits third in the Premier League Golden Boot standings after scoring 11 goals so far this season, while also contributing six assists in his 16 league appearances.
Palmer has registered 57 shots on target and created 44 chances so far, making him the only player to have been directly involved in more than 100 attempts in the Premier League this season. With 33 goals and 17 assists in the league during his time at Chelsea, he is already the fourth player to score more than 50 goals in his first 50 Premier League games for a club.
MATCH PREDICTION: CHELSEA WIN
Second-placed Chelsea come into this match having won eight games in a row in all competitions, while being unbeaten in 11 games (W9 D2). That unbeaten run includes eight Premier League matches and has brought them to within two points of leaders Liverpool.
That unbeaten run includes three straight wins, against Tottenham, Southampton and Leicester.
Sunday's win will take Chelsea to the top of the Premier League – albeit possibly short-lived as Liverpool play later – and they have won six of their eight away games (D1 L1) in the competition this season.
Since the start of May, the visitors have scored more goals (51), won more games (15) and earned more points (49) than any other side in the Premier League. They also defeated Everton 6-0 in their previous meeting in April.
Everton have failed to score in eight league games this season, which is more than any other Premier League club. Chelsea, meanwhile, scored in 15 of their 16 games – no team scored more.
OPTA CHANCE OF WINNING
Everton – 21.2%
Draw – 23.1%
Chelsea – 55.6%
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