The Toffees host a Sunderland team high on confidence after yet another Tyne-Wear Derby victory.
Everton have slumped to two defeats in a row, albeit against difficult opposition in Manchester United and Arsenal. Last week at the Emirates, the damage was done in a matter of minutes, with the Blues conceding twice in 120 seconds. Tim Howard’s effort in dealing with both goals was heavily criticised after the 2-1 defeat. The keeper appeared indecisive in the first instance and followed up by allowing Laurent Koscielny to beat him to Santi Cazorla’s free kick.
However, the Blues will take a degree of belief from their midweek penalty shootout victory in the League Cup against Norwich.
Meanwhile, Sam Allardyce’s Black Cats are coming off their first win of the campaign. Despite a comfortable-looking 3-0 scoreline against bitter rivals Newcastle, their performance, at least prior to Fabrizio Coloccini’s controversial sending off, was nothing to write home about. The Magpies had Sunderland pinned in their own half; the red card swayed the momentum of the contest entirely.
With that in mind, it is difficult to gauge exactly where Sunderland sit under their new boss.
Key Battle – Seamus Coleman vs Jeremain Lens
Much like the contest between these sides at the end of last campaign, Everton are expected to enjoy the lion’s share of possession with Sunderland absorbing plenty of pressure.
Key to converting territorial dominance into genuine goalscoring opportunities will be Everton’s wide men, particularly premier full-back Seamus Coleman. The Blues will look to the Irishman to deliver quality from deeper areas as well as further up the pitch.
The man likely to be his direct opponent, Jeremain Lens, will need to be disciplined. Aside from counter-attacking spurts, he is unlikely to have many opportunities to attack, so will need to be accountable and track back at all times.
With those few attacking opportunities, however, the Dutchman must use his blistering pace and endeavour to keep Coleman honest going the other way.
Team News
Roberto Martinez will be forced into two changes after Phil Jagielka sustained a knee injury against Arsenal, with which he is expected to miss nine weeks. Ramiro Funes Mori will replace him, while a midfielder will need to be drafted in for the suspended Gareth Barry. Tom Cleverley looks likeliest to come in for the veteran.
Howard is expected to maintain his place in the lineup despite a poor performance in North London.
Like his Spanish counterpart, Allardyce has injury concerns of his own. John O’Shea and Ola Toivonen both sustained knocks within minutes of each other against Newcastle, while Younes Kaboul struggled in the dying stages of the derby with a calf complaint. All three look likely to miss the trip to Merseyside and place Sunderland’s depth under close examination.
Wes Brown and Sebastian Coates are natural replacements for the defensive pair and should be drafted into the starting XI. Meanwhile, Jordi Gomez is a strong chance to replace Toivonen.
Head-to-Head
Everton lead the head-to-head in the fixture with 65 wins versus Sunderland’s 53. There have been 23 draws between the pair.
Previous Meeting
With top flight safety seemingly slipping away, Sunderland travelled to Goodison Park in May needing a win to ensure survival. That is exactly what they got, with former manager Dick Advocaat masterminding an incredible smash-and-grab. Defoe and Danny Graham hit the scoresheet in the 2-0 triumph.
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Prediction
After two-straight league defeats, Everton will be desperate to get back on the winner’s list and they have the perfect opportunity to do so here. Even after a morale-boosting 3-0 win, Sunderland’s performance when things remained as 11 versus 11 was poor. They will sit back and be a tough nut to crack, but the home side’s sustained pressure will eventually pay dividends.
Everton 2 Sunderland 0
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