Everton v Chelsea Premier League Preview: Can The Toffees Turn Around Poor Home Form Against The Blues 100% Away Record?

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Everton play Luiz Felipe Scolari’s Chelsea in the Premier League at Goodison Park on Monday.

Toffees boss David Moyes will have cause for concern ahead of this clash with Chelsea, having seen his Everton side manage only one win at home in the Premiership this season in eight matches. The only team in the league with a worse home record is Blackburn Rovers and had it not been for the Merseyside clubs away form could easily have found them in a relegation battle instead of 7th in the Premier League. Everton’s only win at home came against Fulham at the beginning of November, which is something Moyes is hoping the Toffees can put right at Goodison on Monday.

Like Everton, Chelsea have also not been their best at Stamford Bridge this season, having lost twice after a four-and-a-half year unbeaten run that went back to 2004 and Claudio Ranieri and drawing four times. However, the Blues have also been superb away from home, winning all eight matches on their travels, scoring 21 goals and conceding just the once. Scolari must surely fancy Chelsea’s chances of extending this winning run. Given Everton’s poor form at Goodison as the Blues continue to push for the Premiership title in 2nd place, just a point behind leaders Liverpool.

As if Everton’s poor home record wasn’t enough to contend with ahead of the visit of Chelsea. Moyes also has no fully fit strikers available, with Victor Anichebe (back), Yakubu (calf) and James Vaughan (knee) all ruled out. In addition to this Louis Saha (hamstring) is also a doubt for the visit of the Blues, which might force Moyes to push Tim Cahill upfront as a makeshift striker or use 16-year-old Jose Baxter. Everton will also be missing defenders Lars Jacobsen (shoulder) and Nuno Valente (knee) for the clash on Monday.

Scolari has less injury worries, with defender Ricardo Carvalho (knee) still a week away from a return to action, while Florent Malouda (hamstring) is struggling to be fit in time to face Everton. Chelsea will also be without long-term injury Michael Essien (knee).

Everton: (from) Howard, Hibbert, Yobo, Jagielka, Neville, Baines, Lescott, Van der Meyde, Castillo, Saha, Arteta, Cahill, Pienaar, Osman, Nash, Fellaini, Rodwell, Jutkiewicz, Gosling, Irving, Kissock, Baxter

Chelsea: (from) Cech, A Cole, Terry, Alex, Ivanovic, Bosingwa, J Cole, Ballack, Lampard, Mikel, Drogba, Kalou, Anelka, Cudicini, Bridge, Sinclair, Deco, Malouda, Di Santo, Ferreira, Mineiro, Belletti, Stoch, Woods

Bolton v Portsmouth Premier League Preview: Can The Trotters get Back To Winning Ways Against Pompey?

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Bolton Wanderers play Tony Adams’ Portsmouth in the Premier League at the Reebok Stadium on Saturday.

The Trotters might go into this clash on the back of two straight defeats to Chelsea at the Reebok and then Aston Villa 4-2 at Villa Park last weekend, but won four of their previous five Premiership games, which earned Bolton boss Gary Megson the Barclays Manager of the Month award for November. However, Bolton have only won twice in the league at home this season and have only managed to score 6 times in front of their own fans, which is a cause of concern for Megson. Bolton, are 11th in table and will hope to collect all 3 points against Portsmouth.

Pompey were soundly beaten last time out 3-0 by Newcastle United at Fratton Park, but were unbeaten in their five league games before that. With, wins against Sunderland and Blackburn Rovers and draws with West Ham United, Hull City and West Bromwich Albion. While Bolton have found goals hard to come by at home, Portsmouth have struggled to find the net away from home and go into this clash 3 points above Bolton in 8th place in the Premier League.

Gary Megson has almost a full squad of players to choose from for this clash with Pompey, with only Joey O’Brien (thigh) and long-term injury Ricardo Vaz Te (knee) unavailable for the game at the Reebok on Saturday.

Portsmouth will be without Lassana Diarra, who is on his way to Real Madrid in January, while Glenn Johnson (knee), Younes Kaboul (ankle) and John Utaka (thigh) are all in a race to be fit in time to face Wanderers.

Bolton Wanderers: (from) Jaaskelainen, Samuel, Nolan, Cahill, Muamba, Taylor, Elmander, Smolarek, Gardner, Davies, Steinsson, Riga, McCann, Al Habsi, Shittu, Cohen, Sinclair, Fojut, Harsanyi, Basham, A O’Brien, Sissons, Obadeyi

Portsmouth: (from) James, Kaboul, Lauren, Johnson, Hreidarsson, Diop, Crouch, Nugent, Thomas, Defoe, Distin, Pamarot, Utaka, Mvuemba, Kranjcar, Ashdown, Hughes, Campbell, Duffy, Little, Sahar, Kanu, Davis, Christophe, A Traore, Begovic, D Traore, Wilson, Belhadj

Villa v Bolton Premier League Preview: Can The Trotters Halt The Villans Charge Into Top Four?

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Aston Villa play, Gary Megson’s Bolton Wanderers in the Premier League at Villa Park on Saturday.

Martin O’Neill’s Villa side go into this match with Bolton on a 4-game unbeaten run, which has seen the Villans win at the Emirates Stadium against Arsenal and more recently last Sunday at 3-2 at Goodison Park against Everton. Despite this run, Villa have failed to win their last three games at Villa Park, with O’Neill’s side drawing 0-0 against both Manchester United and Fulham and losing 2-1 to Middlesbrough. However, the Midlands club are 5th in the Premiership and just a point off the Champions League places.

The Trotters might have lost last weekend 2-0 to Chelsea at the Reebok Stadium, but have still won 4 of their last 6 matches in the Premiership, with wins against Sunderland, Manchester City, Middlesbrough and Hull City. Megson will be buoyed that Wanderers have taken more points away from home so far this season, but concerned about Bolton’s form at the Reebok, usually a hard place to get a result. With Bolton’s eratic home form seeing them only mid-table in 10th place in the Premier League.

Aston Villa, will be without striker John Carew, who has a back injury, while O’Neill is still unable to call on long-term absentee Wilfred Bouma, who is still six weeks away from a return to the Villans side with an ankle injury.

Gary Megson has almost a full compliment of players to choose from ahead of the trip to Villa Park, with only long-term injury Ricardo Vaz Te (knee) unavailable for the Trotters.

Aston Villa: (from) Friedel, Shorey, L Young, Laursen, Davies, Sidwell, Barry, Milner, A Young, Agbonlahor, Petrov, Delfouneso, Knight, Salifou, Reo-Coker, Guzan, Cuellar. Gardner, Osbourne

Bolton Wanderers: (from) Jaaskelainen, Hunt, Nolan, Samuel, Cahill, Muamba, Taylor, J O’Brien, Elmander, Smolarek, Gardner, Davies, Steinsson, Riga, McCann, Al Habsi, Shittu, Cohen, Sinclair, Fojut, Harsanyi, Basham, A O’Brien, Sissons

Man City v Everton Premier League Preview: Have The Toffees Got The Firepower To Inflict More Woe On City?

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Manchester City, play David Moyes’ Everton in the Premier League at the Eastlands Stadium on Saturday.

Manchester City despite their riches find themselves just 3 points off the drop-zone and go into this clash with Everton on the back of a dismal run of form, which has seen the Blues win just once in the last 7 Premiership matches and slide down the Premier League table. City have yet to draw a match at the Eastlands this season, winning 4 and losing 4 of 8 games at home so far, with their last win the 3-0 defeat of Arsenal at the Eastlands. Something manager Mark Hughes will hope to rectify against Everton on Saturday.

The Toffees have been superb on their travels away from Goodison Park this season, with Everton only losing twice, while winning five and drawing the other of their 8 away games. It is Everton’s home form that will worry Moyes, with the Merseyside club only managing to win once at home so far this season, but for their poor form at Goodison, where they lost 3-2 to Aston Villa last week, Everton could have found themselves higher in the table than the 8th place they occupy now.

Hughes expects to have British record signing Robinho available for the clash with Everton, with the Brazilian expected to recover from a sprained ankle, but the visit of the Toffees could come to soon for compatriot Elano (groin) and Gelson Fernandes, who is still struggling with a hamstring injury. Michael Johnson (groin) Martin Petrov (knee) and Valeri Bojinov (calf), will all miss the clash with Moyes’ side.

Everton have a striker crisis at Goodison Park, with Yakubu (calf), and James Vaughan (knee) both ruled out. Summer signing Louis Saha is still struggling with a hamstring injury, but Moyes could be tempted to name him on the bench due to the lack of strikers available to the Toffees. Defenders Tony Hibbert (groin), Lars Jacobson (shoulder) and Nuno Valente (knee), will all miss the trip to City.

Manchester City: (from) Hart, Dunne, Richards, Garrido, Ball, Onuoha, Zabaleta, Ireland, Wright-Phillips, Robinho, Jo, Vassell, Schmeichel, Mills, Caceido, Hamann, Evans, Castillo, Ben Haim, Benjani, Sturridge, Etuhu, Logan, Kompany, Glauber

Everton: (from) Howard, Lescott, Jagielka, Yobo, Baines, Van der Meyde, Castillo, Saha, Arteta, Turner, Cahill, Neville, Pienaar, Osman, Nash, Fellaini, Rodwell, Jutkiewicz, Anichebe, Ruddy, Gosling, Kissock, Baxter, Irving, Agard, Wallace