vs
Everton v Chelsea
- Ch 23 - 9:45 pm (Live)
Everton pair Phil Neville and Leon Osman could return to the side
after injury, while James McFadden could replace struggling James
Beattie.
Mikel Arteta, Tim Cahill, Tony Hibbert, Alessandro Pistone and Gary
Naysmith are all injured.
Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho (ankle) and keeper Carlo Cudicini
(thigh) are doubtful.
Joe Cole (broken foot) is out, but Didier Drogba is expected to
have recovered from a hamstring strain.
EVERTON were the first club to take a point off
the newly crowned champions Chelsea in this corresponding fixture
last season, and will need a similar or better result this time to
arrest a steady slide down the table. The Merseysiders are just
holding their own in the top half, having been a top three club
three months ago.
Tim CAHILL is Everton's top scorer with seven goals. Andrew JOHNSON
leads the way for the club in the Premiership with six goals, but
he hasn't netted in 11 matches for club and country, since scoring
the opener in the 1-1 home draw with Manchester City on 30
September.
CHELSEA were made to fight hard for their 1-0 home
victory over Newcastle on Wednesday night, which closed the gap on
leaders Manchester United to five points. Now they go to Merseyside
seeking a sixth away maximum of the League campaign to close that
gap further to just two points ahead of the Red Devils' match at
West Ham, which is not due to kick off until a quarter of an hour
after the final whistle of this one.
Didier DROGBA is the highest scoring Premiership player this season
with 15 goals, nine of which are League goals.
Everton : Howard, Yobo, Lescott, Stubbs, Weir,
Valente, Neville, Carsley, Davies, Osman, Beattie, Johnson,
McFadden, Vaughan, Anichebe, Wright, Van der Meyde, Hughes,
Vidarsson.
Chelsea : Cudicini, Hilario, Hedman, Ferreira,
Geremi, Terry, Carvalho, Boulahrouz, Bridge, A Cole, Lampard,
Essien, Ballack, Makelele, Diarra, Robben, Drogba, Shevchenko,
Kalou, Wright-Phillips.
REFEREE
Mark Halsey (Lancashire)
LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME
Everton 1-1 Chelsea
23 October 2005 - Ref: Mark Clattenburg
Everton scorer: Beattie 37 pen
Chelsea scorer: Lampard 50
HEAD TO HEAD TOTALS
at Everton only
League: Everton 33 wins, Chelsea 13, Draws 21
Prem: Everton 3 wins, Chelsea 5, Draws 6
