Aveek Chaudhuri, March 2, 2021

Normally, Everton are talked about as the inferior Merseyside team, overshadowed by their rivals, Liverpool, across Stanley Park. But this season, it seems to be the opposite as Everton defeated a struggling Southampton side 1-0 on Monday to go level on points with Liverpool and 2 points behind fourth-place West Ham. Although Everton had a weak performance, they were able to grab the one goal needed courtesy of Richarlison early in the 9' minute to secure the win and move level with Liverpool along with having a game in hand. Thus, they sit on 43 points while West Ham sit fourth with 45, meaning that a win with the game in hand can push Everton to fourth, assuming they maintain this winning form. They have struggled in some of the games in the past, losing to teams like Fulham and Newcastle, but they seem to be on good form now after their historical win against Liverpool on February 20th. And so, it is possible that it's Everton's time to get back to the Champions League since 2005, when they were managed by West Ham's David Moyes.

Both Everton and Southampton had a quiet day at the office as there wasn't much action throughout the game. Everton had 7 shots in total with a mighty 1 on target while Southampton had 9 shots in total, also with a mighty 1 on target. Possession wise, it was pretty equal with Everton keeping the ball 46% of the time while Southampton had 54% possession. Although this game wasn't very entertaining, at the end of the day, Everton only needed that one shot on target to get their goal and secure all three points.

This win is big for Ancelotti's men as they push for that final Champions league spot. They have bounced back tremendously from their slump in form with wins over Liverpool and Southampton, giving them a legitimate chance to secure top European football. Everton forward Richarlison will also be pleased with his recent performances, scoring in two games in a row. With such confidence, there is no doubt that Ancelotti's team will do everything in their power to get back to Europe's top competition. On the other hand, this result just sees the situation at Southampton worsen. The Saints haven't won in 9 consecutive Premier League games, their last win coming against Liverpool on January 4th. In that time period, they have lost 8 and drawn 1, thus picking up a single point from 27 possible points. This terrible form has seen them drop all the way to 14 from their starting position in the top half of the table. There is simply nothing positive about Southampton's situation and unless something changes, manager Ralph Hasenhüttl could soon be on the chopping block.