Tottenham vs Everton preview: Early indicator of who wants European football next season

Tottenham vs Everton preview: Early indicator of who wants European football next season

 

Ever since Gareth Bale left Tottenham for Real Madrid in the summer of 2013, Spurs have been through a continuous transition period. They have never played outstanding football and many have said they'd had better off Bale still at the team. In my opinion, Spurs have only bought one good player who can create chances consistently with the £85 million they banked from Bale. That player is ex-Ajax midfielder Christian Eriksen, who scored the winner last week against Hull City to give Spurs a much needed three points after a shaky run (which saw them slump to a 2-1 defeat at home to Stoke two weeks ago). A few teams have taken a while to climate to this season's unpredictably but Spurs never seem to make an opposition fear them. This will be the case when Everton visit White Hart lane later today, as the Toffees will want to continue a run that has seen them go unbeaten in eight games, in all competitions.

 

From this game, I can expect both teams to be slightly cautious as to how they keep possession for potential attacks. This game is an early indicator of who wants European football for next season, as both managers will most likely have set that as their primary objectives. The source of who will gain the three points will be from the defence. Everton didn't have a great defensive start to their Premier league campaign, the highlight being the 6-3 defeat to Chelsea at home, and had to take time to gain confidence in their back four again. Yes, there are moments when the Everton defence is clear about what they are planning and sometimes suffer a stupid goal. However, Spurs fans will be more worried about keeping a clean sheet than Everton, as the Londoners have kept one clean sheet in the last ten Premier league matches. They will also want to avoid a third straight home defeat, having happened in May to August of 2008. Everton have only conceded three goals in their current unbeaten run, which reflects the hard work put in by Roberto Martinez to close up the ever-so open gaps in the Toffees defence. This game will be decided on the basis of who wants the three points more than the opposition, to move into the top seven.

 

 

The last time Martinez and Pochettino met, Everton lost 2-0 to Southampton at St Mary's to surrender fourth spot to Arsenal. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Champions league groups review: 25-26 November 2014

 

Champions league groups review: 25th-26th November 2014

 

Tuesday and Wednesday saw the fifth matchday of the Champions league take place with the last 16 in sight for some teams. On Tuesday, groups E-H took centre stage and groups A-D took place.

 

Teams that have already qualified for the last 16:

 

• Atletico Madrid
• Real Madrid
• Bayer Leverkusen
• Arsenal
• Borussia Dortmund
• Bayern Munich
• Barcelona
• Paris Saint-Germain
• FC Porto

 

Group A

Atletico Madrid got revenge on Olympiakos from the first matchday by winning 4-0. Ex-Bayern Munich striker Mario Mandzukic got a hat-trick and scored his second and third goals within three minutes. Despite the loss, it seems likely that Olympiakos will be qualify for the Europa league round of 32 because of Malmo -9 goal difference in bottom place. Malmo lost 2-0 to Juventus as Llorente and Tevez scored one each. The big game on the final matchday (Juventus vs Atletico Madrid) should be a good game even though there isn't really anything to play for.

 

Group B

Real Madrid beat Basel in Switzerland 1-0 as Ronaldo grabbed his 71st Champions league goal. For Real, this game and the final game is just a chance to rotate their squad. Liverpool drew 2-2 with Ludogorets in Bulgaria and Brendan Rodgers is under more pressure after dropping two points. second place looks open for any of the teams in 2nd,3rd and bottom at the moment.

 

Group C

Bayer Leverkusen lost 1-0 to Monaco which is surprising given the form of the Bundesliga stronghold. Zenit secured a big three points against Benfica to give them hope of advancing out the group stages. Monaco vs Zenit looks to shape the final group standings, with Bayer Leverkusen expected to beat Benfica.

 

Group D

Arsenal stopped Dortmund's 100% streak in the Champions league after a 2-0 win at the Emirates. Danny Welbeck and Alexis Sanchez bagged a goal each to qualify for the last 16. Anderlecht beat Galatasaray 2-0 to give them hope of a spot in the Europa league round of 32. It looks likely that Dortmund will finish top as they face Anderlecht at home.

Group E
Manchester City looked like their hopes of continuing in this year's Champions league were over as they were down 2-1 to Bayern Munich. However, Sergio Aguero had other ideas as he levelled the game to give the City faithful some hope. Then, the little Argentine magician threaded through the Bayern defence and slotted past Neuer to give City their first win this season. This game was extremely fast-paced and fun to watch. Roma and CSKA Moscow drew 1-1 in Russia to keep the possibility of any of the bottom three teams to qualify for the last 16 (or the round of 32 in the Europa league).

Group F
PSG's 3-1 win over Ajax means that they stay at the top of the group (for the time being). Edison Cavani scored a brace and Ibrahimovic scored his first goal since returning from injury that kept him out for two months. Barcelona beat Apoel 4-0 as Lionel Messi became the all-time Champions league goalscorer (74) with a hat-trick. PSG and Barcelona will fight it out for top spot at the Nou Camp on the final matchday. A win or draw against Apoel will see Ajax qualify for the Europa league knock-out stages but a win for Apoel will see them jump into third spot and into Europe's second competition.

Group G
Chelsea booked their place in the last 16 with a 5-0 demolition of Schalke in Germany and have also guaranteed top spot. Sporting beat Maribor 3-1 to give the Portuguese outfit some hope of progression. For that to happen, Sporting must beat Chelsea. Maribor can qualify for the Europa league by beating Schalke.

Group H
Group H is really decided before the final matchday, as Porto are group winners with Shakhtar finishing second. The attention will be on who can qualify for the Europa league when Atletico Bilbao play BATE Borisov. Bilbao can qualify through a win or a draw and BATE must win to qualify.

My player of the week
Sergio Aguero. Single-handedly kept Manchester City's hopes of progressing in the Champions league alive by scoring a hat-trick to beat Bayern Munich 3-2.

Aguero scores his first goal on 15 minutes, after being taken down by Benatia in the penalty area.

 



Wolfsburg vs Everton review: Everton top Group H in free-flowing game

Wolfsburg vs Everton: Everton top Group H in free-flowing game

 

At the Volkswagen Arena, Wolfsburg and Everton faced off in a lively and free-flowing game of football. Many thought previous to the match that is game would be more of a contest, compared to the 4-1 win over Wolfsburg by Everton in September. In the early stages of the game, Wolfsburg looked sharp and dominant, with Ivan Perisic putting in dangerous near Everton's goal. Wolfsburg had only lost one of their last ten games, prior to this Europa league contest, and this was shown by pressing high up the pitch and focusing Mirallas to stay out wide. Perisic thought he'd taken the lead on 20 minutes but the linesman on the far side ruled him offside from when ex-Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner played in a cheeky back heel. Shortly afterwards, James McCarthy was forced off with the hamstring injury that has caused tension between Roy Keane and Roberto Martinez in recent weeks. The game continued to have an attacking flow and Everton counter attacked superbly off a Wolfsburg corner on 43 minutes. Mirallas flicked on a lovely pass to Lukaku, who ran towards goal uneasily, and struck the ball calmly into the Wolfsburg goal. Against the balance of play, Everton looking in prime position to top the group.

 

Halftime brought good news for Everton, as Krasnodar against Lille had finished 1-1 meaning that the Toffees would qualify for the round of 32 no matter what the result against Wolfsburg. The game continued to have a huge physical energy about it, with Everton and Wolfsburg really abandoning their defensive priories at times to pursue a goal. Bendtner thought he'd clinched his 4th goal of the season for Wolfsburg but was denied by the offside flag. Everton kept going strong, both defensively and offensively, and were rewarded when Lukaku played in Mirallas to wrong-foot the trailing defender and score to confirm Everton as group winners. Wolfsburg may feel some injustice with the decisions but ultimately they didn't make it count when it mattered. As for Everton, many fans will be thrilled with being unbeaten in Europe and at the chance to again show off what they can do on Europe's second biggest stage.

 

My man of the match: Muhammad Besic

 

 

 

Lukaku runs away to celebrate his 43rd minute strike with the travelling Everton fans. This was his first European goal since October 2010, when he scored for Anderlecht.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Wolfsburg vs Everton preview: Good European run expected of both teams

 

Wolfsburg vs Everton preview: Good European run expected of both teams

 

Heading into the fifth Europa league matchday, Wolfsburg and Everton are in strong positions both domestically and on a European front . After losing 4-1 to Everton on matchday one at Goodison Park, Wolfsburg has recovered fast and have turned around an average start to the season. Everton are unbeaten the group stages so far and this mainly down to Samuel Eto'o, who scored a vital equaliser away to Krasnodar on matchday two. Wolfsburg will look for inspiration from Belgian midfielder Kevin De Byrne and Croatian forward Ivan Perisic in order to make the fight for top spot in Group H interesting. It seems likely that both teams will progress comfortably out the group and for the Europa league. As an Everton fan, getting out the group is an achievement with the string of injuries to our squad and the lack of squad rotation at our fingertips. For Wolfsburg, the quarter-finals would be a great achievement for them, as they have a good team but don't have quality in every position on the pitch. I see both teams going deep into the tournament and I think Everton fans will grateful of a European run. However, up first is finishing the group stage games and this game practically sorts out the winner of the group and the unfortunate runner-up.

Tony Hibbert and Leon Osman will be focused about gaining something from the game against Wolfsburg in order to qualify for the last 32 of the Europa league.

 

Everton vs West Ham review: Average game overshadowed by confrontations

 

Everton vs West Ham review: Average game overshadowed by confrontations

 

 

Everton and West Ham faced off at Goodison Park on Saturday evening and the game was expected to be full of attacking football. This expectation was not helped before the game when Baines, Sahko and Valencia were ruled out. Neither side was at full strength and this was shown by the lack of chances created for both sides. The flow of the game never really got going, as 23 fouls were committed altogether. Anyway, Romelu Lukaku scored a much-debated goal on 26 minutes, taking his tally to five goals this season. Everton didn't help themselves after taking the lead as their defence and midfield kept losing possession from unnecessary long passes. West Ham could and should have been level at half-time, but Everton did enough to protect their lead.

 

West Ham introduced Marco Zarate for Carlton Cole on 51 minutes and the substitution added a slight change to the mentality of both teams. Everton became more defensive of their lead and West Ham charged forward through Zarate's quick dribbling and step-overs. He was rewarded for his hard work by putting his team level through a hugely deflected goal, that came off Everton captain Phil Jagielka. Mirallas then made a decent attempt to get the ball from Amalfitano but resulted in West Ham players pushing Mirallas for trying to injure the ex-West Brom winger. Mirallas and Tomkins exchanged pushes and Tomkins went down holding his face like a three-year old. There is no place for this intentional unsporting behaviour in any sport and Tomkins should really think about what he's doing. Everton then had a second breath as Eto'o started to fix the empty threat on West Ham's goal that had been present for much of the game. A counter-attack was launched on 74 minutes as Lukaku drove into the centre of the pitch and was taken down by James Collins. Advantage was played and Eto'o slid the ball across to Leon Osman to score his 55th goal for Everton, on his 400th appearance for the club. West Ham never recovered and lost for the first time in six league games.

 

Expect the goals and the introduction of Zarate and Eto'o, this game didn't have many fantastic footballing moments to remember and the aftermath of the game was spent talking about both sets of players trying to fight. I suppose not every game can be brilliant.

 

 

 

 

Romelu Lukaku celebrates putting Everton 1-0 up on 26 minutes, taking him to five league goals this season.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everton vs West Ham preview: Character and consistency can lead West Ham to finish alongside Everton

Everton vs West Ham preview: Character and consistency can lead West Ham to finish alongside Everton

 

 

Saturday sees the Premier league return to England's top football grounds after a long but encouraging duo of games for England fans. Everton face West Ham in a game which certainly promises a high quality of attacking football. Although many people think that West Ham will slip up a few times before the season is over (and finish mid-table), I think that The Hammers will have a successful season and finish in the top nine. Sam Allardyce's side have collected 18 points from eleven league games and currently sit in fourth, four places above Everton. The summer signings of Sahko and Enner Valencia upfront have spur-headed a team which has developed into a well-balanced squad (which was highlighted by the 2-1 win over Manchester City at Upton Park). It seems that West Ham have decided to play with a sense of no fear and has materialised into a strong run of results, which reflects their work effort. The key to not falling down the league is consistency and if Sahko and Valencia stay fit and in form, the Upton Park faithful will thoroughly enjoy this season.

 

As for Everton, the international break hasn't brought any positives to Goodison Park. Leighton Baines was ruled out for up to two weeks with a thigh injury. James McCarthy was sent home by the Republic of Ireland due to his complaints of an ankle injury. Roy Keane has launched a attack on Roberto Martinez over the handing of Goodison Park's ROI players and I think that Roy Keane needs to think about who Martinez really is, as I really don't see the Spaniard threatening players over international duty. Maybe other managers like Van Gaal and Mourinho, possibly, not Martinez. Everton seem to have taken one step forward this season, only to go two steps back. Injuries have taken a toll on the squad (like it does to any team) but the quality and expectancy of a top six side is to roll with whatever events stand in the way. However, come the end of the season I can see Everton finishing strong and West Ham being alongside them. Character and consistency can lead these two teams to where they want to be.

Follow me on Twitter! @Weston1878

 

Premier league review 2014/15: September- Mid November 2014

Premier league review 2014/15: September- Mid November 2014

Heading into this week's international break, I look back at how the Premier league has shaped up in the first spell of fixtures. After eleven matchdays, many teams haven't been performing to expectations and some teams have played like they have nothing to lose. Summer signings have varied in form, with some players entering the form of their career (where as some know they've had better runs of form).

Surprise teams playing like there is no tomorrow
After Southampton sold most of their star players and had a budget of over £80 million to rebuild their team, many fans and pundits thought that Southampton had had their time in the Sun and that they'd have a dreadful season, no matter who they signed. However, after eleven matches, Southampton have 25 points and have a brilliant +18 goal difference (one better than leaders Chelsea). The reason for The Saints success is that they have bought smart, young players who are more than capable of featuring in this league. Some would say that they have gotten lucky in who they have played but every game is difficult in the Premier league.

On Transfer deadline day, Swansea fans were praying that their star striker Wilfried Bony didn't jump ship to one of the lurking sharks that were chasing his signature (Arsenal and Inter Milan were among those clubs). Bony stayed and helped lead Swansea into 5th place after eleven games. The stand out player has got to be Gylfi Sigurdsson. The Icleand midfilder has scored two goals and provided seven assists for Gary Monk's side, making people wonder why tottenham ever let him go.

Some star summer signings
Diego Costa- Although he may not be the top goalscorer in the Preimer league at the moment, Costa has finally filled the boots of Didger Drogba and become the clincal finisher that Cheslea have lacked in recent seasons. His hardwork and endless running, which he mastered under Altechcio boss Diego Simeone, has set the tempo for Chelsea's steam roller of a campiagn, so far. Many bet that Costa will be the top goalscorer come the end of the season and I am among those people.

Alexis Sanchez- Without Sanchez's eight league goals, Arsenal would be 15th. The Chilean forward swapped the Nou Camp for the Emirates in a £35 million deal and I was shocked by this move. Barcelona have some of the best attacking forwards in Europe in Neymar, Messi and now Suarez but surely Sanchez is worth keeping in your squad?? He does deserve to be starting every game but he needs to be careful not to burn himself out before the season comes to its exciting winter run-in.

Gylfi Sigurdsson- As stated above, Sigurdsson has scored two goals and provided seven assists and has also combined fantastically with Wilfried Bony to give the Welsh club's fans high expectations for the remainder of the season. Hopefully he can continue his fine form as he been the most improved player this season for me (as I'd assume many people would agree with).

Samuel Eto'o- I never thought I'd see the day when Everton signed one of my favourite players of all-time, Samuel Eto'o. The 33 year-old had almost every team in the world knocking on his agent's door this summer, desperate for his signature, but he decided Goodison Park was where he'd write the next chapter of his wonderful career. Roberto Martinez has described Eto'o as a 'gift from the Gods' and as an Everton fan, his class and footballing brain can really help us for the long season a head.

Some teams not playing so well
Liverpool- Brendan Rodgers spent £116 million on 10 players this gone summer and he has bought quantity over quality. Ballotelli has been the most high-profile flop, with 0 goals in the Premier league and has only scored once in the Champions league and the Capital One Cup. it now seems that when you spend big in one transfer window, your squad takes a long amount of time to gel (maybe not in Tottenham's case). However, Brendan Rodgers is a good manager and this is just a bump in the road for the ex-Swansea boss.

Tottenham- Ever since Gareth Bale left White Hart lane for Real Madrid (for £85 million) in the summer of 2013, Tottenham have failed to pose any threaht to the big teams in this league. Having made one good signing (Christian Eriksen, £14 from Ajax) and one average signing (Erik Lamela, £30 from Roma) since Bale's departue, Spurs don't know who their leaders are and what formation to play. This was highlighted by their 2-1 loss to Stoke City in their last game in the Prem and the fact that Abeyador would rather play away from home because of the awful atmosphere in and around White Hart lane.

Manchester United- The summer's biggest spenders (£151 million) and probably the team with the most unbalaced squad. The fact that United had more points under David Moyes at this stage last season than they currently do this season shows the lack of brains behind not buying quality defenders. Although many think that United can stll get into the top four, I think that they need to release that their time in the spotlight is fading rapidly and they need to paln for the next three or four seasons (instead of expecting a quick turn around in one).


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Gylfi Sigurdsson celebrates scoring a wonderful free-kick against Arsenal on 9th November. Swansea won 2-1 against Arsenal, thanks to Sigurdsson's free-kick and Gomis' late header.





Champions league groups review: 4-5 November 2014

Champions league groups review: 4-5 November 2014

 

 

On Tuesday and Wednesday, matchday four took place with four teams qualifying with two games to spare. Group A to D took centre stage on Tuesday and Groups E to H took place on Wednesday across Europe.

 

 

Group A

 

Juventus continued their fine form at home this season as they beat Olympiakos 3-2. Veteran Serie A player Pirlo was making his 100th Champions league appearance in this game and celebrated in with a goal in the 21st minute. Juventus are now third, with a chance of clinching second place. In the other game in Group A, Atletico Madrid playing in Sweden against Malmo. Star man Koke scored and played excellently to lead Simeone's men to a 2-0 win which cemented their place at the top of the group.

 

 

Group B

 

Group B saw Brendan Rodger's side play a conversational line-up against the competition's holders, Real Madrid. Surprisingly though, the result was only 1-0 to Real and Kolo Toure played possibly the best game of his career by keeping Cristiano Ronaldo quiet all game. The win sees Real qualify for the last 16 with two games to spare, and leaves Liverpool needing to win their next two games with a chance of taking second place. Basel rolled to an easy win over Ludogorets after scoring four goals past them at the Saint Jakob Park. Basel climb to second with hopes of staying there and sending Liverpool or Ludogorets to the Europa league round of 32.

 

Group C

 

Bayer Leverkusen's Japanese striker Son struck twice as Bayer won 2-1 away at Zenit St Petersburg. It now seems likely that Leverkusen will finish in pole position, come the end of the group stages. Benfica beat Monaco 1-0 and this was the first goal that Monaco conceded in this season's Champions league. After this win, second place looks possible for Benfica, Zenit and Monaco (who have 4,4, and 5 points respectively).

 

Group D

 

Borussia Dortmund continued their 100% run in this season's Champions league by beating Galatasaray 4-1 at the Signal Iduna Park and qualified for the last 16. Marco Reus got a goal and an assist as Klopp's side continued an amazing run of form, which isn't matched by their league form. Arsenal have been kicking themselves ever since they let a 3-0 lead fall to a 3-3 draw with Anderlecht. 60,000 in the Emirates saw Arteta score a penalty and Sanchez and Oxlade-Chamberlain score inside 59 minutes, only to see them come away with a point. However, Arsenal look set to finish second as they have seven points .

 

Group E

 

CSKA Moscow beat Manchester City 2-1 in the most surprising result of the week's action. Doumbia scored a brace to guide CSKA to their first win this season in Europe's elite competition. City finished the game with nine men, after Yaya Toure and Fernandinho were sent off for two bookable offences each. Bayern Munich qualified for the last 16 by beating Roma 2-0 at the Allianz Arena. Goals from Ribery and Gotze provided a comfortable qualification for the German champions. Like in other groups, Group E's second qualification spot for the last 16 is very achievable for Roma, CSKA or Manchester City.

 

Group F

 

Barcelona beat Ajax 2-0 as Lionel Messi scored two to tie Raul as the Champions league all-time goalscorer. This win unofficially secured Barcelona a place in the knockout stages. PSG beat APOEL Nicosia 1-0 at the Parc des Princes thanks to a Edison Cavani goal in the first minute. This win show PSG join Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid and FC Porto in the knockout stages of the Champions league.

 

Group G

 

Chelsea failed to qualify for the last 16 with two games to spare as Eden Hazard missed a penalty that could have given his side a 2-1 win over Maribor. Sporting beat Di Matteo's Schalke 4-2 in a game which was full of excitement and goals and very similar to the reserve fixture in Germany (without the speculation afterwards). sporting will have high hopes of nicking second place off Schalke with two games to go.

 

Group H

 

Shakhtar Donetsk continued their fine scoring form as they beat BATE Borisov 5-0.Star striker Adriano scored a hat-trick to make him the current leading goalscorer in the competition this season, with nine goals. FC Porto qualified for the last 16 as they beat Atletico Bilbao 2-0 away from home. Colombian striker Jackson Martinez scored in a comfortable victory for the Portuguese side. Group H looks all about rapped up, with Shakhtar and Proto to fight it out for top spot on the final matchday.

 

For more Champions league coverage and fixtures, go to BBC Sport Champions league

 

 

Follow me on Twitter @Weston1878 

 

 

 Doumbia scores inside two minutes against Manchester City in a game which left many wondering how long it will take for City to adapt to the Champions league.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Bayern Munich vs Borrusia Dortmund review: Close game shows there is some hope for Klopp

Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund review: Close game shows there is some hope for Klopp 

 

 

As the world gathered to watch 'Der Klassier', there was a sense of what this blockbuster of an occasion would produce. Would Dortmund cripple like Bremen did earlier this season at the feet of Bayern Munich? Would ex-players such as Robert Lewandoski and Mario Gotze break Dortmund hearts? Or would Dortmund turn their form around in the biggest game in the Bundesliga?

 

Firstly, Dortmund didn't cripple like so many teams have done over the past year to Bayern Munich. They produced very fast flowing football from the off and added to the argument that form isn't a factor when it comes to derbies. They took the lead on 31 minutes when Aubameyang played a lovely one-two with Kagawa and ran down the wing to find Reus larking in the centre of the Bayern penalty area. The game with littered with chances for both teams, as 74,000 fans in the Allianz Arena enjoyed one of the world's best derbies. Secondly, an ex-player did strike against Dortmund and it was last season's top goalscorer, Robert Lewandowski. The Polish international struck a rebound past Weidenfeller on 72 minutes and pointed to the sky to dedicate the goal to his Father. Finally, Dortmund didn't turn around their form in the Bundesliga as they lost 2-1, thanks to Subtoic bringing down Ribery on 85 minutes. Arjen Robben slotted home the penalty to continue his great goal scoring form against Dortmund (seven in seven games). The positive for Klopp and his men was that for a long period of time, they played without fear and for the Signal Iduna Park faithful, this should be the last time, for a while, that they play well but don't collect the three points.

 

 

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Everton vs Swansea review: Frustating game exposes weaknesses

Everton vs Swansea review: Frustrating game exposes weaknesses

 

 

Everton and Swansea played out a goalless draw in front of 39,000 spectators on Saturday evening. It was a game which had so much potential for goals and great displays of attacking football, but ultimately faded into a frustrating stalemate for both sides. Swansea never really threatened Everton continually through the game and it was only when ex-Lyon player Gomis came on that they showed a hint of recovery. As Everton, it feels that the same issues keep coming up in games like this. Corner delivery was very inconsistent as well as the fact that they didn't seem to drive forward into space when it was available to drive into. There is a growing sense among Everton fans that Martinez's football philosophy sometimes blinds his ability to admit to where his team needs to improve. Having had 66 percent possession and Swansea taking no shots on Tim Howard's goal, Everton will head into the week feeling that seriously need to convert possession into more effective chances.

 

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Romelu Lukaku fails to steal the three points with the last attempt of the game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everton vs Swansea preview: Both sides looking for another boost

 

Everton vs Swansea preview: Both sides looking for another boost

 

 

In a game which many Everton supporters wouldn't had wanted to see not so long ago, two of the Premier league's best possession sides met at Goodison Park today. Everton's objective now is to slowly but surely build Goodison Park into the fortress it was in the 2013 calendar year. As for Swansea, the objective of this game is to continue their form and ,in particular, to allow the duo of Wilfred Bony and Gylfi Sigurdsson. Sigurdsson has been the surprise of the season so far, with eight assists and one goal from his last nine Premier league appearances. Despite their deadly duo in Bony and Sigurdsson, before beating Leicester 2-0 last weekend, Swansea went on a run of five league games without a win. This relates to my title in the fact that neither team is fully up and running yet and that these three points are huge in terms of confidence and position.

 

Everton will again look for the talent of Ross Barkley and Seamus Coleman to provide them with the attacking mentality that lacked before they played Aston Villa a few weeks ago. Leighton Baines is also back in form as he is one assist away from becoming the defender with the record for most Premier league assists. This is also Roberto Martinez's 200th game as a manager, having managed Swansea from 2007-2009, Wigan from 2009-2013 and Everton since 2013. This game looks to have everything. Star players, great managers and a need for a boost for both teams in the early-mid point of the season. Hopefully it lives up to expectations.

 

As I am going the game today, I predict that the final score will be 1-1, with a solid performance from both teams.

 

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Everton will hope that Eto'o continues his form into today's game after a brace against Burnley last weekend.