Everton v Tottenham Odds : Lukaku proving popular with punters to fire Toffees to victory
After twice struggling past Hull in the same week Andre Villas Boas called on the Tottenham faithful to show their support more readily and if his side are to get anything at Everton on Sunday his players will need to be on song themselves.
It was in Goodison last season that the wheels began to lossen on Spurs’ Champions League wagon as they gave up two goals in the dying stages to lose all three points from a winning position.
This season the addition of Paulinho and return of Sandro to the Spurs midfield has made them a more formidable defensive outfit and their high possession statistics and miserly defence are evident in the fact they have kept the most clean sheets in the Premier League this season with six out of nine games.
Everton |
6/4 |
Draw  |
9/4 |
| Tottenham |
11/5 |
at the other end of the pitch where they seem to have difficulty, with many teams happy to pack the box and watch Spurs’ talented if not yet gelled midfield artists pass the ball in a methodical and sometimes mechanical manner.
If new striker Roberto Soldado cannot start to find more league goals from open play – three of his four have come from the penalty spot – Villas Boas will need to become more adaptable with his system.
Everton on the other hand have a rampaging striker in the shape of on loan Romelu Lukaku who has netted in five goals in five games for the Merseysiders and Kevin Mirallas has been enjoying a creative season so far with four assists.
That’s not to say that Roberto Martinez’s men are light at the back either, the Toffees have dropped only two points at home this season in a 0-0 draw with West Bromwich Albion and it was actually Martinez’s Wigan who last left Goodison with a win, in last year’s FA Cup quarter final.
The arrival of Gareth Barry has added a patience and experience to Martinez’s usual midfield control which will mean Spurs may not enjoy quite as much possession as they are used to and if Villas-Boas’s men fail to up the tempo when they ado hold the ball, Everton might leap-frog the Londonerers in the table and claim a stake in the top four race.
