A bad 45 minutes against Birmingham does not destroy a season, nor does it indicate “attitude problems” as some are saying. Where were these supposed problems during the come-back against Spurs, the draw at Arsenal and the victory over City. The game against Sunderland on Wednesday evening probably can’t come soon enough for the Everton team who will be champing at the bit to get out there and show that the Birmingham result was a one-off. Since Saturday Swiss international Philippe Senderos has joined on loan from the Gunners to bolster our central defensive options and Mikel Arteta and Victor Anichebe have apparently played in a ‘behind closed doors’ practice match against Bury, during which Arteta picked up a slight groin strain. Despite David Moyes muttering darkly about changes being made, we suspect the only alteration to the team to face the Wearsiders will be an in-form Leon Osman displacing Bilyaletdinov. It is likely that Senderos and Arteta will warm the bench, thus giving the overall squad more depth than for many weeks.
Sunderland’s form of late has been poor, winning only one of their last 12 Premier League games – against Arsenal. They famously lost 7-2 at Chelsea and were knocked out of the FA Cup by Portsmouth 2-1 last Saturday. At the Stadium of Light on Boxing Day Fellaini scored an 85th minute equalizer to Bent’s early counter-attack goal. Lee Cattermole, along with defenders John Mensah and Nyron Nosworthy, have recovered from injury, and Cattermole is likely to resume his productive mid-field partnership with Lorik Cana. Defenders Michael Turner and Phil Bardsley were hurt at Portsmouth and are definitely out, as is long-term injury victim Anton Ferdinand. New signing 26 year old Matthew Kilgallon is available and Steve Bruce has said that “he will be thrown in at the deep end” making his debut in central defence.
EVERTON Dixies60 probable XI (4-4-1-1): Howard; Neville ©, Heitinga, Distin, Baines; Fellaini, Donovan, Osman, Pienaar; Cahill; Saha
Subs from: Nash, Coleman, Senderos, Arteta, Bilyaletdinov, Vaughan, Duffy, Baxter, Forshaw, Agard
SUNDERLAND possible XI (4-4-2): Gordon; Mensah, Kilgallon, Da Silva, Richardson; Henderson, Cattermole, Cana, Reid; Bent, Kenwyne Jones
Subs from: Carson, Fulop, Zenden, Meyler, Nosworthy, Healy, Murphy, Campbell, Noble, Malbranque
Referee: Phil Dowd Kick-off: 1945
