Everton

Luton Town missed the chance to move out of the Premier League's relegation places as they were held to a draw against Everton at Kenilworth Road.

Everton, safe from the drop with three games still to play, went ahead from the penalty spot after 24 minutes.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin coolly converted after Luton defender Teden Mengi was penalised for hauling down Jarrad Branthwaite following an intervention from the video assistant referee.

Elijah Adebayo showed exactly what Luton have been missing as the striker marked his first start since early February with the equaliser seven minutes later, the big forward proving too strong for Ashley Young before shooting low past Jordan Pickford.

Both sides had opportunities after the break with Luton keeper Thomas Kaminski saving well from Jack Harrison's deflected shot and Calvert-Lewin's header but the stalemate was not broken.

The draw leaves Rob Edwards' side in the bottom three, level on points with Nottingham Forest but having played a game more.

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The line-ups for Luton v Everton are in, with less than an hour to go before kick-off at Kenilworth Road.

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Chris Sutton is making predictions for every Premier League game this season against a variety of guests.

For this weekend's matches, he takes on Kings of Leon drummer Nathan Followill.

Sutton's prediction: 1-2

Everton are safe now, and what a tremendous job Sean Dyche has done there.

Dyche says keeping the Toffees up with three games to go is his biggest achievement as a manager, and I can understand why he feels that way after the campaign they have had.

When you look at Premier League managers who have exceeded expectation this season then, with all the nonsense he has had to put up with off the pitch, he is one of them.

If not for their points deductions, Everton would have been a mid-table team for most of the campaign and would not have been worried about the drop.

Luton, meanwhile, are still in the thick of the relegation scrap and you could argue this is a decent opportunity for them, given Everton have just made sure of staying up and might take their foot off the gas a bit.

Looking at their remaining games, Luton have got to play West Ham (away) and Fulham (home) as well this one.

They are three fixtures where you feel they have a chance of picking up some points but, having said that, they are too easy to play against, concede too many goals and might also be low on confidence after losing their past three matches.

We don't know how many points Luton will need to stay up, not helped by the uncertainty over Nottingham Forest's appeal against their points deduction, but they are going to need at least one win.

Luton won at Goodison Park earlier in the season, but I don't see them repeating that result here. The pressure is all on them now, while we should see Everton play with a bit of freedom.

Nathan's prediction: 3-2

I am going with Luton on this one. I like a team that is backed in a corner, and has to claw their way out. Everton could kind of be on cruise control because they have got what they want.

Read the rest of their predictions here

Everton manager Sean Dyche looks ahead to Friday's Premier League game at Luton, and speaks about how he wants to use the positive feeling from securing top-flight safety in the club's final three games of the season.

Everton manager Sean Dyche tells a news conference he is "very pleased" and "relieved" that the club has secured its Premier League status for another season.

Asked later about summer transfer plans, Dyche said the club will "not necessarily" need to sell players to comply with profit and sustainability rules.

Ian Kennedy
BBC Radio Merseyside reporter

Friday's game at Luton seemed massive for Everton a few weeks ago. Thankfully, Sean Dyche's team can go there safe in the knowledge that their Premier League status has been secured.

That has been made possible by a highly impressive run of four successive home wins, all with clean sheets. Games that had to be won, and were, thanks to the determination of the team and the passion of the fans.

Dyche made no secret after last season's escape that things would be tough for a while, but even he probably did not expect so much to be thrown at him - from points deductions, a loss of form and continued uncertainty over the takeover of the club. He has guided the team through it all with a positive attitude and a real sense of the reality of the situation.

His message may well be a similar one now. Until things are concluded off the pitch, the "noise" will be there to be blanked out. But take the deductions out, and Everton would be on 44 points with three games left, a safe mid-table position. So despite that bad run after Christmas, there has been an improvement. Once there is stability in terms of ownership, the club can start to stabilise and move forward.

Everton manager Sean Dyche speaks about appearing in a music video for a new single by indie band Blossoms.

He told a news conference: "I'm pleased it has got some positive traction. For somebody who's a big music fan and gig fan, to be asked was very pleasing. It was a good bit of fun."

Everton could be forced to sell England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, 30, if their proposed takeover by prospective new owners 777 Partners collapses. (Talksport), external

Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Newcastle are among the favourites to sign Everton's Belgium midfielder Amadou Onana, 22. (Football Transfers), external

Finally, the Toffees are monitoring Hull City's English centre-back Jacob Greaves, 23, and Blackburn Rovers' Republic of Ireland forward Sammie Szmodics, 28. (Football Transfers), external

Want more transfer news? Read Thursday's gossip column

Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport football news reporter

What a difference six days makes.

It was doom, gloom and downright misery when Everton were crushed 6-0 at Chelsea in mid-April and they faced a defining run of three home games to make or break their campaign.

But they came through that testing period with flying colours as highly satisfying victories over Nottingham Forest, Liverpool and Brentford within the space of six days secured their Premier League survival with three games to spare.

Now the mood around Finch Farm has totally changed, with dark clouds literally making way for blue skies.

Boss Sean Dyche was - understandably - in a jovial mood during today's news conference to preview Friday's trip to Luton, a game with much less significance for the Toffees than earmarked a couple of weeks ago.

Dyche was in such high spirits he was more than happy to talk about his 100% winning record switching from a suit to a tracksuit on the touchline and he mentioned his appearance in a recently released music video by the band Blossoms.

He even managed to crack a smile when I asked him if the next game "wasn't a must win" for the first time since he took charge in January 2023.

The former Burnley boss is often challenging to deal with when he gives short-shrift to questions you ask and can sometimes rub people up the wrong way with his abrasive nature.

After last season's final day escape amid fans' protests and being deducted points this season, Dyche is in much more relaxed territory than he is used to being at the club.

Survival has been ensured but with the uncertainty over the 777 Partners takeover rumbling on, he might want to keep that smile on his face until any further potential bad news comes his way.

Nat Hayward
BBC Sport journalist

Everton boss Sean Dyche has been speaking to the media before Friday's Premier League match at Luton.

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Dyche began by saying he is "very pleased" survival has been secured: "So thankful to the staff and players for all of their efforts and of course the fans, who played their part as well. A very big week - not just in the results but in the feel of the situation and how quickly it changes from a real negative to a real heavy positive."

• He confirmed Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Seamus Coleman have trained and will "be in consideration" for Friday while Beto has recovered from concussion and has also trained. James Tarkowski missed training as he waits on the birth of his child.

• On the prospective takeover from 777 Holdings: "Still waiting on more news. It's very simple - I've met with the group once and that hasn't changed."

• On performing in their final three games: "We're finding that balance. The feel-good factor has obviously affected everyone and we want to use that to our advantage. The freedom comes back into your play because our objective is achieved. It's about using all the things we've learned in these last three games and delivering performances."

• On opponents Luton: "We're going against a team who are fighting and had a really tough run of results. They're still fighting, still working. We have to go there with the right attitude and we intend to do so. We want to take it on, win and finish the season correctly."

• Dyche did not speculate when asked about whether the club's financial situation may force them into selling players this summer: "Not necessarily. There are obvious questions to be answered but possible it's new ownership might change things. Various things go into PSR [profitability and sustainability rules] not just player sales."

Follow the rest of Wednesday's football news

Here are the key facts and figures before Friday's game between Luton and Everton in the Premier League.

• Luton Town have already beaten Everton twice this season, once in the Premier League and once in the FA Cup fourth round. As a league club, the Hatters last beat another team three times in one season in 1988-89 against West Ham. The last newly promoted club to beat the Toffees three times in a season were Leeds United in 1964-65.

• This is Everton's first away match against Luton since a 1-0 win in the League Cup in October 2007, with Tim Cahill netting an extra-time winner. Their most recent league visit to Kenilworth Road was also a 1-0 victory back in November 1991 with Robert Warzycha the scorer.

• Luton have won just one of their past 14 Premier League games (D3 L10), with no side picking up fewer points than the Hatters since the start of this run (six). Despite this, they have only failed to score in one of their past 23 league games - a 2-0 defeat at league leaders Arsenal last month.

• Everton are winless in nine away Premier League games (D3 L6) since beating Burnley 2-0 in December. Five of the Toffees' first eight league wins this season came away from home - each of their past four have all been at Goodison Park.

• Carlton Morris is Luton's top scorer in the Premier League this season with 10 goals. He has scored in four of his past six appearances at Kenilworth Road, and also netted the Hatters' winner in the reverse fixture against Everton.

• Luton's Ross Barkley, who made 150 league appearances for Everton between 2011 and 2017, has scored just one goal in 10 Premier League games against sides he has previously played for in the competition. That strike came in a match at Kenilworth Road this season in a 3-2 defeat by Chelsea.

Image source, Getty Images

Everton defender Vitaliy Mykolenko will not play again this season after damaging ankle ligaments in the 2-0 win over Liverpool.

The 24-year-old, who has made 28 appearances for the Blues in the Premier League this season, was substituted at half-time of last week's Merseyside derby.

A club statement said left-back Mykolenko had been assessed by a specialist and will not need to have surgery, but did not put a timescale on his recovery.

Everton are 15th in the table and guaranteed their top-flight safety with a 1-0 victory over Brentford on Saturday.

Mike Richards
Fan writer

So there we have it. Against all odds, we have secured our Premier League status with plenty of room to spare.

The past week has been one of the most un-Everton like weeks I have known. Faced with three home games in six days, the majority of Evertonians never would have envisaged that we would win all three, especially after 'that' performance at Chelsea.

Relegation rivals beaten, local rivals outfought and a message of congratulations from Green Day. The past seven days have had it all.

It is only right the bulk of my words are reserved for the manager and players.

Greeted with points deductions, ownership uncertainty, national ridicule and everything in between, they have shown incredible togetherness when it would have been much easier to wilt under the most intense of operating conditions.

Everton are the story of the season and the success of the season. They deserve immense respect and plaudits for what has been achieved.

Sean Dyche deserves manager of the season.

Some will laugh at such a suggestion, but I would not trust many other managers with our club currently. There is not much more praise I can give than that.

The anger we all feel towards the Premier League will take a long time to subside. Being hung out to dry, made an example of and being used in a battle against independent regulation would have destroyed many clubs.

Thankfully, we are made of much stronger stuff and Goodison Park rightly gets her final season swansong exactly where she should do.

Mike Richards can be found at the Unholy Trinity, external

After finishing 16th in 2021-22 and 17th in 2022-23, Everton have spent another season fighting for survival in the Premier League.

However, the Toffees did manage to secure their top-flight status for another year, despite receiving an eight-point deduction for breaching the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules.

Former Blues midfielder Leon Osman has been discussing the club's ambitions on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, stating: "Battling relegation is not the plan for the team or for the club.

"We are bigger than that - we feel that we are bigger than that - but you have to actually get the results on the pitch.

"What always makes it more difficult is the instability we have had. We had seven managers in seven years before Sean Dyche. So you are going to find it difficult to get momentum, keep momentum and move forward.

"Our managers for the most part - barring Carlo Ancelotti who left to go to Real Madrid - left because they had been doing a bad job and they had been sacked or moved on.

"Sean Dyche's first role last season was to keep the club in the Premier League. The next step, after he had managed that on the final day, was to rebuild the club and make progress - but then he was hit with all of the points deductions.

"He has actually made a stride forward. We would be on 44 points, which would probably get us about 12th or 13th place at the minute, had we not had those points deductions.

"We aren't the easiest team on the eye at times. We are not the team that is going to win games by having more possession than the opposition. We are good at what we do - set pieces, defensively and on the counter-attack."

Catch up on Monday Night Club on BBC iPlayer or BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

New York Times journalist Rory Smith has hailed the "extraordinary job" Sean Dyche has done at Everton this season.

The Toffees were deducted eight points across the campaign for breaching Premier League financial rules, but have achieved safety with three games to spare.

"Dyche deserves huge amounts of credit for what he has done at Everton," Smith told BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club.

"What he's done this season has been fantastic.

"Given where Everton were, everything he has had to deal with and the fact the club's finances were - and are - in such a state that he could not really reinforce last summer, it's hugely impressive.

"They have taken 44 points - if you add on the points they have been deducted - which would have them comfortably mid-table.

"They were poor for two or three months in the middle of the season, but they have found a way to respond to it. He's done an extraordinary job this season."

The prospective takeover of the club by 777 Partners, however, is another issue that has dragged on throughout the season and Smith believes the uncertainty over the club's future means Dyche is unlikely to be able to significantly build on this season's performance.

"The reason things have been like this at Everton for so long is that they have spent money appallingly in vast sums and they are still paying the price for that," he added.

"I'm sure Sean Dyche will be sitting at home wanting to think about how he can get the club into the top half next season - but he can't think like that because of the two potential ownership groups.

"Farhad Moshiri seems to have checked out completely. He has run the club into the ground and was reliant on money from someone who is no longer allowed to put money into the club.

"And nobody thinks 777 is a good idea because there is something clearly very unsettling to the Premier League about that takeover option.

"Unless something else appears on the horizon, Dyche will probably go into next season with roughly the same aim as he did for this: ensuring they don't get relegated."

Watch the full Monday Night Club on BBC iPlayer or listen to the podcast on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

Premier League clubs have voted in favour of adopting an anchoring economic model, which will be linked to the earnings of the bottom club (tv and prize money).

The proposed system would operate like a spending cap.

The next stage is final analysis and drafting of rules, which will potentially be put to clubs at an AGM in June.

The model will be presented to clubs and - should clubs vote in favour then - it will replace the Profit and Sustainability Rules currently in place, from the 2025-26 season onwards.

Any new element of the financial system would come in shadow next season, to fully replace PSR in 2025-26.

“We will obviously wait to see further details of these specific proposals, but we have always been clear that we would oppose any measure that would place a ‘hard’ cap on player wages," said the PFA

“There is an established process in place to ensure that proposals like this, which would directly impact our members, have to be properly consulted on.”

Aston Villa, Manchester City and Manchester United opposed the vote, with Chelsea abstaining.

BBC Sport's chief football news reporter Simon Stone has been answering your questions.

Alex asked: With Sean Dyche being lauded for keeping Everton in the Premier League with three games too spare, is his job now safe? Everton have been awful for the majority of the season and the last three home games have glossed over another dire campaign. Board and FFP uncertainty mean he will probably stay but with supporters calling for his head two weeks ago, is it time for the club to be brave and try something new?

Simon replied: I don’t see anything changing on Sean Dyche until the club’s ownership situation is resolved Alex. Even if they had lost every game, who would make the decision on Dyche and where would the money come from the pay his compensation?

The Premier League are yet to sign off the 777 Partners deal, which clearly is a worry. Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s co-ownership of Manchester United was put to them after the Everton deal and has already been signed off. It is stating the obvious to say the Premier League need to be absolutely certain there are no issues looming with any new owner. But until Everton have one, further problems will hang over the club.

I hope it gets sorted properly. Everton are one of England’s great names and their fans have shown huge loyalty. But other, better run, clubs have moved ahead of them and even with a new stadium, it is a long way back to the position they used to enjoy.