Everton V Birmingham City

Sunday 20^th December – 15:00 GMT

Everton

League Position: 15th

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This is a big game for David Moyes and Everton, although those words will be uttered before every game until Everton find some safe ground and somehow steer themselves away from the relegation zone, with the Toffee’s currently just a single point off Wolves who occupy the closest of three relegation spots. However, what stands in front of them is a Birmingham side on top of their game and so Everton will need to raise theirs significantly if they are to take anything out of this fixture.

Everton may have had no Premiership ties to concern themselves with in midweek but they did have a Europa League outing to contend with, albeit on Merseyside. As our previews are written up prior to Thursday’s news, we have no idea on how they performed nor who started for Everton, but the Toffee’s were assured of a last sixteen spot before that fixture and we would like to think that David Moyes did rest several key players ahead of this key clash with Birmingham on Sunday.

As far as the league goes, Everton have been in dreadful form all season, winning four games in sixteen attempts. They are, however, unbeaten in two outings and their confidence will have been boosted by their valiant efforts at Stamford Bridge the previous weekend. Everton’s efforts didn’t go unrewarded, as David Moyes watched on as his team of underachievers overachieved for once in earning a valuable and creditable point, drawing 3-3 with the league leaders. Everton had previously fought back at home to Tottenham Hotspur, clawing back a 2-0 deficit to draw 2-2-, so perhaps David Moyes has installed some fighting qualities back into the Everton dressing room.

At Goodison Park this season, Everton have been well below par, managing just two wins in eight. Those rare sightings of an Everton victory at Goodison have probably been long forgotten as they did occur so long ago, way back in September, and Everton have now gone five home games without a win, drawing four and losing one. However, if you’re desperate for a shinging light then Everton fans look no further than this – Not only have Everton scored in all but one of their eight home fixtures this season (the 2-0 defeat to Liverpool being the only one) but Everton have never lost to Birmingham at home in the league, unbeaten in four meetings at Goodison Park, although three of them finished all square.

Birmingham City

League Position: 7th

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Birmingham City put their unbeaten run of eight games to the test this Sunday when they travel to Merseyside to face an Everton side well below par. However, in four visits to Goodison Park, Birmingham have never beaten Everton in a Premiership fixture but their 2-1 victory over Blackburn in midweek set a new club record of five successive wins so Alex McLeish and Birmingham are all for re-writing the record books.

After watching Birmingham in their opening few encounters, we were pretty confident that they would be alright for the season. However, not even we envisaged that Alex McLeish would guide Birmingham to not only an unbeaten run of eight games but also one of five successive wins, a club record in the Premiership. However, although Birmingham have avoided defeat in three away game along the way, this will be a huge test of character for the players as they’re facing an Everton side desperate for any points they can get their hands on.

The foundations for Birmingham’s rich vein of form has been from a solid back line, although this has had a negative affect at the other end. Thus far, Joe Hart has only conceded 17 goals in the Birmingham goal, but the strikers, due to Alex McLeish’s defensive thinking, have only managed 18 in return, one of the worst offensive records in the league. However, it’s been a successful formula for McLeish and that’s all that matters in the current climate and this hugely beneficial run of eight games unbeaten has seen Birmingham stretch the gap between themselves and the relegation zone to 11 points.

Defending is their best attribute but on the road has been where they’ve been more vulnerable in defence, conceding seven more than they have at St. Andrews. Still, they boast a far better away defensive record than even Liverpool, a team that didn’t concede against Everton at Goodison Park only a few weeks ago. Birmingham’s away record this season currently stands at 3-1-4, but they are unbeaten in three away outings and are on a hot away streak of two successive wins so the confidence within the camp will remain high, especially as they’ve already been to Merseyside once this season and came back without any scars, drawing 2-2 with Liverpool, a team struggling this season but still performing a whole lot better than Everton.

Birmingham’s form is great and the players attitudes on the pitch is a credit to Alex McLeish, but this really will be a tester for them and we do have reservations, for one reason or another. IN their last away encounter, a 3-2 victory at Wigan, they were non-existent for large parts of the game and a dormant spell like that at Goodison Park won’t go unpunished. A bright start is needed, much alike to the one we seen on Tuesday night, if Birmingham want to stretch their unbeaten run to nine games.

Head-to-Head (Last 10):

Everton W: 3 Birmingham City W: 0 Draws: 5

Draws have been the norm in this fixture but what’s more concerning from a Birmingham fans perspective is that their side have never beaten Everton in Premiership fixture. In eight failed attempts since 2002, Birmingham have only picked up three points (Three draws), with Everton dominating with five wins. Also. Birmingham’s last visit to Goodison Park didn’t go too well when they lost 3-1 back in 2007.

There have been five draws in previous meetings and four of them have finished 1-1, with the one exception being a 0-0 draw at Goosion in 2006. Also, in the eight encounters, just one has finished with three goals or more (7 Under 2.5, 1 Over 2.5).

Match Verdict: Everton to WIN – 1.85 Expekt.com

We quite like the odds of Everton spoiling Birmingham’s run of eight games unbeaten just because it would be so typical of them to pluck out a big win after a horrific run of bad results. David Moyes didn’t have to take his thin squad too far when they took on Bate Borisov on Thursday night. We expect a few of his youngsters to start on the night and that should pave the way for those who ar3e fresh in the squad to put in a stand out performance on Sunday. Birmingham will be a tough proposition, but will the players start to relax now that they are in the top ten and have a comfortable margin between themselves and the bottom three. Everton, however, are much closer to danger and are desperate not just points but all three and we feel they will grab all the spoils in this contest.

Match Odds:

Everton – 1.85 Expekt.com

Draw – 3.50 SkyBet

Birmingham City – 4.60 WilliamHill

SoccerBetting Value Tip: Louis Saha FGS – 9/2 Bet365