Mark Lawrenson backs 'battered' Burnley to recover and makes intriguing Everton prediction


Writing in his weekly predictions column for BBC Sport, pundit Mark Lawrenson backed a 1-1 draw between the two top-tier sides.
Justifying his prediction, the ex-Liverpool defender claimed: "This is what used to be called an old Lancashire derby. The Clarets got battered last week by Manchester City, but that was to be expected.
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Hide Ad"However, before that they seemed to rediscover some spirit with a draw at Brighton followed by a win against Crystal Palace - their first of the season. I've read they're still talking about a takeover - this will be manager Sean Dyche's 200th Premier League game in charge and I hope any new owners give him more money because he hasn't really made any bad signings."
He continued: "Everton have lost their way a little bit - they've only won one in five. The fixtures weren't that difficult for them during the first few games of the season until they faced Liverpool.
"It was a classic case of making a good start before teams worked out how to play against them. I still think they'll finish in the top 10, but they have a little work to do because I'm not convinced about them defensively."
Meanwhile, Lawro's sparring partner for the week, Faithless' Sister Bliss, tipped a 3-0 win for the visitors.
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Hide AdLast time the two sides met, back on Boxing Day last year, the Toffees were 1-0 winners at Goodison Park, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin ensuring Ancelotti was victorious in his first game as Everton manager.