Everton V Birmingham Betting: Saturday, 23rd January

Everton V Birmingham

Saturday, 23^rd January – 15:00 GMT

Everton

FA Cup Progress: BEAT Carlisle (H3-1)

With a new year comes a fresh new start and well… that wasn’t possible with Everton as their poor position in the deeper half of the table meant the first quarter at least of 2010 would be spent chasing points. However, Everton have made just about the perfect start after picking up four points from their opening two league fixtures of the year; drawing at Arsenal (2-2) and beating Man City (2-0). The pair of results merit a lot of respect and they round off a seven match unbeaten run for the Toffee’s that stretches back November.

It has been a difficult season for everyone involved at the club. David Moyes has had to deal with the Joeleon Lescott saga and so did the players, while the fans have had to endure some terrible performances from their side, but all this appears to be a thing of the past as Everton are showing huge signs of improving, with their draw with Arsenal backed up by a superb 2-0 win at home to Man City. The latter game I watched from start to finish and Everton arguably put in their best shift as a team of the campaign. They had to work extremely hard in defence, they kept their shape when not on the ball and when they did get on the ball they bombed forward at such a pace that it even scared me. The winning margin should have been far greater than two come the end as Everton hit the woodwork twice late one but the three points are all that matters as Everton continue their climb back up the table and back into European contention.

Players thrive on positive results and in the early part of the season, Everton, were severely suffering a case of low self-esteem after a dreadful start to the campaign which ended up with them becoming a possible relegation candidate. However, Everton have proved just what a decent run can do to the morale of the camp as David Moyes’ men look to have found a new lease of life since Christmas, and with players arriving back from injury Everton should be the force of old, the force that seen them finish in fifth position last year.

From a statistical point of view, the omens are good for Everton after winning on their previous two visits to Goodison Park, the home of Everton. They’ve only lost twice at home all season but were struggling for wins before the visit of Burnley just before the new year. They beat the Claret’s 2-0 and that result, which was their first win in seven games, appears to have been the catalyst for bigger and better thing from Everton ever since as they pulled out two huge performances and results against Arsenal & Man City to stretch their unbeaten run in the league to seven. Their last two home games both went in their favour, both finishing 2-0, and perhaps Goodison is returning to it’s old fortress self?

Birmingham City

FA Cup Progress: BEAT Nottingham Forest (A1-1, H1-0)

Birmingham were given the week off after their game with Portsmouth was called off so, in theory anyway, the Birmingham players should be the fresher set of players… but will this extra energy equate into FA Cup progression as they will need to work their socks off just to get a result at Goodison Park, the home of a rejuvenated Everton. City did, however, hold Everton to a 1-1 draw back in December but they’ll be gunning for the victory this time around as neither side will want to play yet another fixture on top of the crucial games they still have to play in the Premiership. 

A draw wouldn’t be the end of the world for Birmingham but it would still be a hindrance. Birmingham are flying high in the league; unbeaten in twelve and sat rather cosily in eighth position. In fact, Birmingham are just five points adrift of the Champions League placed which just goes to show how far the club has come since the start of the season. However, this rich vein of success that the club is enjoying at present is due to the supremely high confidence levels of the players after this mesmerizing run of form, but soon enough their record breaking run will come to an end and defeat at Goodison could send the club into a downward spiral, which is why getting at least a draw at Goodison Park is so important as it could have a lasting effect on their Premiership season

Birmingham haven’t lost an away outing since they were knocked out of the Carling Cup by Sunderland back in September. The club then went on a three match losing streak and it took a 2-1 victory at home to Sunderland to repair the damage and stop the rut. Birmingham have since gone on a twelve match unbeaten run but that defeat in the Carling Cup proved that Birmingham can instantly be drained of confidence after a defeat. At the moment they are flying-high, with even the country’s finest coming unstuck against them, but Birmingham will definitely meet their match on Saturday as Everton have raced through the gears in recent weeks and look a side more than capable of ending Birmingham’s unbeaten and confidence booming run.

For the time being anyway, Birmingham have a group of players playing out of their skin and are full of confidence. They have plenty of momentum, far more than Everton in fact, and are more than capable themselves of recording another big result. After all, they’ve won three of their last four away fixtures in the league, beating Wolves (0-1), Wigan (2-3) and Stoke City (0-1). However, slap bang in the middle of this winning run was a 1-1 draw with their Saturday opponents, Everton, and so the Toffee’s proved that Birmingham are stoppable but actually beating a tough, stubborn and robust Birmingham was still a step too far for them, at the time…

Match Verdict: Everton to WIN – 1.87 Boylesports

We really fancy Everton’s chances after watching their latest performances. They were unbelievably good away at Arsenal and deserved more than just a draw, while they were in a rampant mood at home to Man City last weekend, winning 2-0 in a game they should have scored several more. In attack is where Everton have looked far more lively in recent weeks, especially Steven Pienaar who has now scored in his last two outings. Everton are now getting forward not only at an alarming rate but also in large numbers, and it appears David Moyes is no longer setting his side up in a negative manner and is duly reaping the rewards. Also, the only goals Everton have conceded in 270 minutes of play were the two at The Emirates, but yet even those two goals were due to bad luck on Everton’s part as they were nasty deflections.

Everton are playing so much better now and are rapidly building up ahead of steam and a positive run in the cup, continuing with a victory over Birmingham, would go some to way to apologising to the fans for their abysmal showing in the first part of the season.

Match Odds:

Everton – 1.87 Boylesports

Draw – 3.50 SkyBet

Birmingham City – 4.50 PaddyPower

SoccerBetting Value Tip: Everton to WIN to NIL – 3.10 PaddyPower