Everton Vs Sunderland: Official Sunderland Not606 Match Thread please log in to view this image Goodison Park please log in to view this image Match Appointments Referee: Lee Probert. Assistants: G Beswick, A Holmes. Fourth Official: C Sarginson. Everton Team News Everton manager Roberto Martinez could receive a late Christmas gift with left-back Leighton Baines set to be in contention against Sunderland. The defender has missed the last five games after suffering a broken toe and will provide added impetus for Everton as they look to improve on their fifth-placed positioning. Blues striker Nikica Jelavic is also expected to be available having missed Sunday's 2-1 win over Swansea with a minor hamstring injury. Midfielder Steven Pienaar and defender Sylvain Distin both sustained knocks at the Liberty Stadium but neither should be ruled out, while veteran full back Tony Hibbert is also over a knee problem. Sunderland Team News Sunderland manager Gus Poyet will have to sweat on the fitness of John O'Shea who faces a fight to be available for the trip to Goodison Park. The Republic of Ireland international is currently undergoing assessments on shoulder damage sustained in the Black Cats' goalless stalemate with Norwich at the Stadium of Light on Saturday. O'Shea defensive partner Wes Brown is unavailable as he serves the first of a three-match ban following his late red card against the Canaries. Poyet is still with goalkeeper Keiren Westwood and defender Carlos Cuellar who are both ruled out with shoulder and hip injuries respectively. MartÃnez "Leighton is getting really close. Depending how today and tomorrow go, he should be ready for Thursday, which is terrific news. "Of course we have missed him. You can't underestimate the quality of Leighton and his experience, know-how and what that represents. "We have had an incredible replacement in Bryan Oviedo, he has been terrific. "But you want players in good moments of form to be available. "We are desperate to have Leighton Baines back and desperate for Bryan to be in that moment of form. "We need to make sure we use that well for the good of the squad." Poyet "At this moment in time, there's still a lot to play for and a lot of fight in us and in the squad and the club itself, so we will be still trying to march on to get points against Everton. "But talk is cheap, isn't it? We know there are a few teams around us who are going to struggle or are going to find it hard this season. "At this moment in time, we are one of them, but we need to make sure that come the end of the season, we are not. "But like I said, talk is cheap. We just need to start getting some wins. The performances have been getting better and better, even though the last one, I don't think, was one of our better ones. "But overall, I think it's been improving. I watched the games before we got here and I can see an improvement in the way that we play, the way that we defend. "But we just need to start winning games now." One To Watch please log in to view this image Lee Cattermole With what could be a make shift CB pairing behind him and with the possibility of having the captains armband back on his arm, it's of massive importance the he performs against Everton. He needs to keep his cool and focus on protecting the back four against a very good Everton side. Last 4 Meetings [table="width: 500, class: grid, align: center"] [tr] [td]Season[/td] [td]Date[/td] [td]Home[/td] [td]Score[/td] [td]Away[/td] [td]Competition[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]2012/2013[/td] [td]20 Apr 2013[/td] [td]Sunderland[/td] [td]1-0[/td] [td]Everton[/td] [td]Premier League[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]2[/td] [td]10 Nov 201[/td] [td]Everton[/td] [td]2-1[/td] [td]Sunderland[/td] [td]Premier League[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]2011/2012[/td] [td]09 Apr 2012[/td] [td]Everton[/td] [td]4-0[/td] [td]Sunderland[/td] [td]Premier League[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td][/td] [td]27 Mar 2012[/td] [td]Sunderland[/td] [td]0-2[/td] [td]Everton[/td] [td]FA Cup[/td] [/tr] [/table] What the 'Experts' Say please log in to view this image Lawrenson Everton are like a machine at the moment: they just keep picking up points. The only league game they have lost this season was at Manchester City, where everyone else has been thrashed, and they gave that one a real go too. I expected them to slip up against Swansea at the weekend but you only have to look at the way they kept going to win that game to see they have some real steel about them, and consistency too. They play to a high level every week, which is a real credit to their manager Roberto Martinez. His star is in the ascendancy at the moment and he looks an inspired appointment. Sunderland will not fancy going to Goodison Park and the Black Cats' failure to score goals is now becoming a real problem. Gus Poyet's side will battle for him and I think they will give the Toffees a good game but I just think Everton will win. Lawro's prediction: 2-0 Guy Mowbray Sunderland rarely get anything at Everton (2 points from their last 11 Premier League visits) - and it would be a big surprise if they did this time. 3-1 Merson Everton are flying along and getting great results but I don't think Sunderland are a bottom-of-the-table team and they should stay up. Everton will win this game but they aren't playing a group of no-hopers so I think this will be closer than a lot of people would expect. PAUL PREDICTS: 2-0 Opta facts N stats Romelu Lukaku has scored three goals in two Barclays Premier League appearances against Sunderland. Sunderland's victory over Everton in April ended a run of 16 without a win in the Premier League for the Black Cats against the Toffees (D4 L12). The last time that Everton went unbeaten a home in the league for a whole calendar year was back in 1962. They have only managed this three times previously (1894, 1939, 1962). Everton have lost just two of their last 36 Premier League home games (W24 D10 L2). No team has picked up fewer away points than Sunderland this season (three, level with Crystal Palace) Everton have not lost a Premier League game on December 26 since 2005 (W3 D3 since then). Everton's haul of 34 points this season is only two fewer than Roberto Martinez managed in the whole of 2012-13 with Wigan. Five of Everton's last 11 Premier League goals have come from their full-backs (Coleman 3, Oviedo 2). Sunderland have been given more red cards in Premier League games than any other side this season (5). Betting please log in to view this image Links please log in to view this image Click here for links to a choice of match streams Everton Team Howard, Jagielka, Distin, Oviedo, Coleman, Mirallas, McCarthy, Barry, Osman, Pienaar, Lukaku. Sunderland Team Mannone, Celustka, Diakite, Roberge, Bardsley, Cattermole, Larsson, Ki, Colback, Borini, Fletcher Subs: Dossena, Cabral, Johnson, Altidore, Ba, Giaccherini, Pickford.
I like his comments re Liverpool "They may not beat the very top teams but I would back them to beat pretty much everyone else" You mean like you always have - even when they're ****e (which they aren;t this season admittedly!) Hope we can prove the twat wrong - but I actually agree with everything he says about our game. Lets hope that the Everton lads have that little doubt in their minds as we beat them last time we played them!!
This could be a very good day or very bad day indeed, if they turn it on they'll destroy us, we have to suck them in and hit them on the break and get crosses into the box ------------------Mannone--------------------- Bardsley---Cuellar-----Roberge-----Dossena ---------Cattermole--Ki--Colback------------- Borini-------------------------------Giaccherini -------------------Fletcher----------------------- Think we need Borini's pace to run at Baines/Oviedo, Colback is quicker/better than Larsson so id prefer him tracking Barkley. Dossena is good at overlapping and there seemed to be a good understanding between him and Giaccherini against Chelsea. Coleman also likes to get forward from right back so its an area we should look to exploit on the break. If its not happening id bring Altidore on for Dossena, Colback into left back Fletcher into the hole with Jozy leading the line
WBA to win at Spurs !, I doubt it. We are playing the best Everton team since the 1980's we have lost every premier league game there (I think) it is the one ground in the world I dread us going to, so we better get the shutters out go 5-4-1 and hope to keep the score down. I would put Colback at left back, Gardner on the right, with Celustka ?, Roberge AND Diakite in the middle, Cattermole, Gecchi, Larsson, Borini in the middle midfield and start Fletcher. I notice Barkley Is getting rave reviews at the minute.
On all known form this should be a walk in the park for my team.But i have a sneaky feeling this is going to be one game too far for us. Yes we score for fun at home against SAFC,but this time i see it differently.Gus has added a bit of steel to your team,though you dont score many you certainly dont ship as many. Cattermole has the most important yet the most difficult job for SAFC,and its absolutely paramount that he sticks to his role just in front of the back floor,otherwise Barkley has the potential to tear Sunderlands defence to pieces. That said, i wish you all the best and i hope you stay up.
I prefer Diakite to & hopefully he starts against Everton because if he doesn't then I think we will get over powed from Lukaku like.
My last Boxing Day memory of this exact fixture wasnt very festive. I travelled to Goodison still full of good spirit and Turkey to meet up with my Uncle who lived near Warrington (so for once it was almost a home game for him instead of travelling the the NE) and we were both full of hope and optimism. 5 goals later (including a brace from Don the Mag slayer Hutchinson) and we were on our way home with a Christmas hangover. I was there the the last time we won there and to say that it was Michael Bridges and Craig Russell (2 players many younger supporters wont have even see play) who scored for us tells its own take of what a woeful record we have there. That said we are so unpredictable at the minute no result would shock me. Another 5-0 thrashing is of course very possible but so is even a 1-0 away win but tbh, I'd be delighted with a draw and a win at turmoil ridden Cardiff. Team selection will be interesting and as ever, the first goal will be so vitally important.
