Everton v Sunderland - Moyes hopeful on Champions League spot - English Premier League
- 10 years ago
Everton will be without Tony Hibbert, Darron Gibson and Victor Anichebe against Sunderland.
Hibbert is sidelined by a calf problem, Gibson is not yet ready to return from a thigh injury, and Anichebe has a hamstring complaint.
Sunderland's James McFadden is doubtful with a hamstring problem ahead of the trip to his former club.
Manager Martin O'Neill said a couple of his players are nursing injuries but he would not reveal their names.
MATCH PREVIEW
Whilst Everton are finding goals easier to come by than for many a year, for Sunderland they're all too rare. Here we are at the second weekend of November, and STILL Steven Fletcher is the only Black Cat to have scored in the Premier League this season.
When you consider that he's now gone four league games without a goal you really get to the scale of the problem.
Sunderland's total of six goals scored is the lowest across all four of England's top divisions, although some who saw their 1-0 defeat by Aston Villa last Saturday have told me that a level of attacking intent was at least there. Into double figures in terms of shots - but only one on target.
The players they rely on for creating and taking chances just haven't delivered yet - and not for a while in some cases:
Seb Larsson - a set-piece master, but a scorer in just one of his last 27 league games.
Stephane Sessegnon - 21 games without scoring.
Adam Johnson - yet to show what the big money has bought.
James McClean - 'second-season syndrome'?
Four draws in a row might have slowed Everton's early charge, but don't be fooled by results alone. Their performances have continued to be top class, and how they didn't win at Fulham last week bemused even Martin Jol.
Earlier in the season David Moyes urged "judge us after 10 games". Well I would say that after those 10 games they're unlucky to ONLY be fourth. The Toffees could easily have gathered five or six more points than they've got.
Most would expect three more on the board after this, Moyes's 400th Premier L
Hibbert is sidelined by a calf problem, Gibson is not yet ready to return from a thigh injury, and Anichebe has a hamstring complaint.
Sunderland's James McFadden is doubtful with a hamstring problem ahead of the trip to his former club.
Manager Martin O'Neill said a couple of his players are nursing injuries but he would not reveal their names.
MATCH PREVIEW
Whilst Everton are finding goals easier to come by than for many a year, for Sunderland they're all too rare. Here we are at the second weekend of November, and STILL Steven Fletcher is the only Black Cat to have scored in the Premier League this season.
When you consider that he's now gone four league games without a goal you really get to the scale of the problem.
Sunderland's total of six goals scored is the lowest across all four of England's top divisions, although some who saw their 1-0 defeat by Aston Villa last Saturday have told me that a level of attacking intent was at least there. Into double figures in terms of shots - but only one on target.
The players they rely on for creating and taking chances just haven't delivered yet - and not for a while in some cases:
Seb Larsson - a set-piece master, but a scorer in just one of his last 27 league games.
Stephane Sessegnon - 21 games without scoring.
Adam Johnson - yet to show what the big money has bought.
James McClean - 'second-season syndrome'?
Four draws in a row might have slowed Everton's early charge, but don't be fooled by results alone. Their performances have continued to be top class, and how they didn't win at Fulham last week bemused even Martin Jol.
Earlier in the season David Moyes urged "judge us after 10 games". Well I would say that after those 10 games they're unlucky to ONLY be fourth. The Toffees could easily have gathered five or six more points than they've got.
Most would expect three more on the board after this, Moyes's 400th Premier L