When Craig Dawson headed West Brom into a 2-0 lead last Monday, it looked as though, despite a promising start to the campaign, the blues had reverted to last season’s guise. 2 goals down away to a Tony Pulis team; you’d have given the very best teams in the league little chance of salvaging a point. Yet the blues somehow still grabbed all 3, and with it came the feeling that there’s something a bit different about Martinez’s men this season. A steelier determination to put the disappointments of the last 12 months behind them, and a belief that this group of young players may just be able to achieve something special in the coming years. Time will tell, but there was an overwhelming sense after Monday’s game that what took place was most ‘un-Everton’ like; a self-deprecating term used to identify anything that goes wrong for the Toffees.
If this is the case, then up there with the most ‘un-Everton’ things to do, certainly in recent times, would be to win a Merseyside Derby…
The Opposition – Liverpool
Brendan Rogers is coming under increasing pressure after the Reds lacklustre start to the campaign. The funds from the sale of Raheem Sterling have been reinvested and then some, with the likes of Christian Benteke, Roberto Firmino and Nathaniel Clyne all arriving at Anfield for big money, but questions are still being raised about the clubs transfer policy.
Goals have been difficult to come by for the Reds, with results and performances failing to live up to expectations. The return of Daniel Sturridge will go a long way to aiding their cause, although it remains to be seen just how long he stays fit for. It goes without saying that the former Chelsea man and Phillipe Countiho will be the players the blues have to stop on Sunday.
What the managers say
Roberto Martinez – “I don’t think it matters a lot who is favourites going into a derby. When you go into these kind of games, it matters what you can do in the 90 minutes.
“We have shown a little bit of form with the way that we have started and the way that we have played – and that could see us as favourites.
“But if you are looking at the amount of money the two teams have spent in the last three seasons – clearly, they need to be the favourites and carrying expectations.
“I don’t think you can take much going into the game. It’s all about how you adapt as soon as that first whistle goes.
“I think in any squad you have players who can really bring that edge in your performances and I think Sturridge is one of those.
“Liverpool have got certain players who can do that – it’s not just one or two players – and those players will always be important.
“They are coming off the back of a good win against Aston Villa in the league last time out and we’ll need to be aware of every single individual.”
Brendan Rodgers – “We’re not giving away so many opportunities but we’re getting punished for mistakes.
“We arrive into every game and our work is very much balanced in terms of the offensive and defensive side of our game.
“So it’s about cutting out the mistakes, that’s key for us to not concede.
“But also in the same token, we respect and understand that every opponent that we play is really fighting and working as hard in our game as they do in any game.
“When the chances come along, we have to take them. The game last night we had something like seven clear cut chances and we’re getting punished for little defensive mistakes and obviously we’re looking to improve that ratio of taking our chances.
“We go into the game with confidence, we’ve got quality in the team and we’ll look to take those chances while remaining solid defensively.”
Team News
Martinez will make late calls on John Stones and Seamus Coleman.
Bryan Oviedo should be in the squad after playing for the u21’s this week, but Muhamed Besic is unlikely to make it.
Leighton Baines, Tom Cleverley, Steven Pienaar and Tony Hibbert remain sidelined and Kevin Mirallas is suspended.
Previous Meetings
It’s safe to say there hasn’t been too much to cheer about in recent derbies, but there have been some highlights.
Andy Johnson (x2) and Tim Cahill scored in a 3-0 win at Goodison in 2006, whilst Dan Gosling scored a dramatic late winner in an FA Cup Replay in 2009.
Tim Cahill and Mikel Arteta scored the last time Everton beat Liverpool; a 2-0 win in 2010.
Phil Jagielka’s late minute equaliser at Anfield last season will go down as one of the great derby goals.
No one enjoys them, but this surely represents Everton’s best chance for Derby success for some time. Following the 4-0 nightmare at Anfield in 13-14, Martinez seems to favour a more conservative set-up in Derbies. We created very little in either game last season, and so this time round, the manager needs to be brave with his team selection. We owe them one.
Expected Starting XI – 4-2-3-1 – Howard; Coleman, Stones, Jagielka, Galloway; Barry, McCarthy; Kone, Barkley, Naismith; Lukaku
