Our writers select their Everton teams for tonight’s Premier League opener against Leeds United at Elland Road
ECHO Everton reporter Chris Beesley has covered Everton and Liverpool both in the Premier League and abroad since 2005. He cut his teeth in professional sports journalism at the Ellesmere Port Pioneer and then the Welsh edition of the Daily Post, where he also covered Manchester United.
Prior to that he worked on the student newspaper Pluto at the University of Central Lancashire, a role in which he first encountered David Moyes. Chris is well-known for his sartorial elegance and the aforementioned Scottish manager once enquired of him at a press conference: “Is that your dad’s suit you’ve got on?” while the tradition continued in 2023 with new Blues boss Sean Dyche complimenting him on his smart appearance.
Jack Grealish checks in at Finch Farm after signing on loan for Everton
The wait is over! Everton kick-off their 2025-26 Premier League campaign tonight (August 18) when they travel to Elland Road to take on newly promoted Leeds United (8pm).
After watching the rest of their league rivals get their seasons up and running over the weekend, Everton are now preparing to kick their first ball in anger.
Positivity abounds at the Blues. Seven new signings have been made under new owners The Friedkin Group and with the promise of more to come before the transfer window closes on September 1.
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However there is a recognition that certain positions have yet to be filled – particularly at right back and right wing – and there was a dint to the feelgood factor around Hill Dickinson Stadium when it emerged last week that star centre back Jarrad Branthwaite had followed left-back Vitalii Mykolenko in picking up an untimely injury.
It won’t be easy, either, at a fired-up Leeds side whose squad has been bolstered by the arrival of Dominic Calvert-Lewin on a free transfer following his summer exit from Everton.
Calvert-Lewin could even make his debut tonight. But what will Blues boss David Moyes do when it comes to his starting line-up?
Our writers have their say…
Joe Thomas
I was going to start this by saying that, if Vitalli Mykolenko was to be available then it would make this selection much easier. Clearly, it would allow Everton to keep the flat back four preferred over recent seasons and with Jake O’Brien at right back the defence would be solid, if still missing the quality of Jarrad Branthwaite and the know-how of a specialist right back.
Having begun this, however, I’m hit by issues further forward too. Everton are yet to solve the problem on the right wing and of all the options available, none are happy ones.
The potential attacking impact of Iliman Ndiaye, Dwight McNeil and Carlos Alcaraz are all neutered by playing out of position. I could cling to Ndiaye’s good display on the right for Senegal against England at the start of the summer, but he’s been best off the left for his time at Everton.
You then consider what to do with him, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Jack Grealish – as well as McNeil – who all prefer to operate between central and the left of the pitch.
I’m going to go into this on the basis Mykolenko is unavailable, largely because it makes this more interesting!
If that was to be the case, I think I’d look at playing wing backs. Bear with me on this.
Sometimes you have to be pragmatic, and this season isn’t beginning with the options David Moyes hoped it would. He still has to prepare a side though and this approach would allow for a solid spine and extra protection out wide.
James Tarkowski, Michael Keane and O’Brien would give me a tall, strong, resilient backline that should be able to deal with a lot. O’Brien’s pace would be useful in recovery but at the very least this team should be able to protect the box and provide weapons in both boxes for set pieces.
I would play McNeil and Seamus Coleman at wing backs. McNeil is defensively astute and hard-working and can deliver well from deep. He will be tested defensively by an opponent like Wilfried Gnonto but would have protection from midfield and the covering centre back. Coleman, meanwhile, is a safe pair of hands and could have a bit of license to push on.
That is because in the middle I would have James Garner and Idrissa Gueye – who else can you really have? The back five and that pair would provide a solid base that would give the rest of the team the freedom to attack.
My third central midfielder would be Dewsbury-Hall, and he could have the freedom to push on and support Ndiaye, who would sit behind Beto. Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye would have the ability to interchange and cause a bit of havoc.
I’d then have Alcaraz and Grealish available on the bench to add a spark of change things around in the second half. Alcaraz could slot in as a third central midfielder if needed – he played a deeper role well against Crystal Palace, Wolves and Brentford last year – while Grealish could operate in the 10 or off the left.
Grealish is on my bench simply because I’m not sure his match fit.
My team (3-5-1-1): Pickford; O’Brien, Tarkowski, Keane; Coleman, Garner, Dewsbury-Hall, Gueye, McNeil; Ndiaye; Beto.
Chris Beesley
Everton got the signing of Jack Grealish over the line and all looked rosy in the royal blue garden – for a day – and then Jarrad Branthwaite’s fresh injury problem struck.
David Moyes, whose backline already had a major doubt over Vitalii Mykolenko, was angry and frustrated, firstly by the setback to his most valuable asset but secondly because of the Finch Farm ‘mole’ and who can blame him after Leeds United were handed a heads up over a significant blow?
Given this double whammy (or should that be triple with the leak?), while I’m normally loathed to switch away from a flat back four, I think having three centre-backs might be the best way to get around this if the Ukraine international is unavailable at Elland Road as his understudy Adam Aznou struggled having been thrown in at the deep end early on against Roma.
Therefore, I’ve got Jake O’Brien and Michael Keane either side of James Tarkowski in the heart of defence and as much as it’s not ideal, James Garner and Dwight McNeil reprising their MetLife Stadium roles as wing-backs.
It also means a slightly deeper starting position for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall away from home and while it would be great to think Grealish could start, perhaps this trip across the Pennines comes a little too early for him as Beto’s experience ensures he gets the nod ahead of Thierno Barry to spearhead the attack.
My team (3-4-3): Pickford; O’Brien, Tarkowski, Keane; Garner, Gueye, Dewsbury-Hall, McNeil; Ndiaye, Alcaraz, Beto.