29th October 2010
Everton’s form is clearly on the uptrend, as witnessed by the deserved draw at White Hart Lane and Davis Moyes’ men should be able to keep the good run going when they host Stoke. The Potters gave Manchester United a hard time but still lost the game and are currently on the three-match losing run.
A slow start of the season has become a sort of tradition for Everton as whatever they do, they cannot seem to embark on a good run in the opening rounds. Nonetheless, that hardly stops them from returning to where they belong later in the season, with the current Premiership campaign no different than the pasts. The Toffees clearly needed some time to hit the ground running but now when that has happened, they simply look unstoppable. The victories of Birmingham and Liverpool received a confirmation with one point brought from White Hart Lane, and with the way Everton have been playing lately, Stoke don’t have much to hope for at Goodison Park. Marouane Fellaini remains on the injury list, alongside Louis Saha, Leon Osman, Jack Rodwell, Steven Pienaar and Victor Anichebe, but Mikel Arteta should return to the side after missing the Tottenham game with a groin injury.
Stoke’s early season form has been going up and down constantly and one never knows what to expect from Tony Pulis’ side. After the two opening defeats, the Potters embarked on a very good run, but the latest three straight defeats show they are clearly on the downtrend. They remain just one point above the bottom three so they will try to get at least one point from Goodison but that is easier said than done, especially when taking into account their dismal performances away from home. On top of that, the Potters have been in action on Wednesday, unlike Everton, in the Carling Cup game against West Ham and the players are bound to have tired legs having played full 120 minutes against the Hammers. Tony Pulis faces an anxious wait over Kenwyne Jones and Jermaine Pennant, after the pair was forced to come off in midweek, and that only adds to the worries.
Conclusion
I am quite confident Everton will win this game and here is why. The Toffees are playing extremely well at the moment and they had full week to prepare for this clash unlike Stoke, whose players will arrive to Goodison just three days after playing 120 minutes against West Ham. Add to that the fact that the Potters are struggling on the travels and are in very poor form, and you will see why this is one of the best football predictions of the weekend.
Verdict: Home win Everton (1)
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