The Big Match Tactical: Everton v Tottenham

Everton v Tottenham
Sunday 16:00, Sky Sports 1.
Match Odds: Everton 3.50, Tottenham 2.32, The Draw 3.50.

Everton haven't won in their last four matches, and also have a dreadful record against Tottenham. They've drawn five and lost six of their last 11 matches against this weekend's opponents.

Everton's full-backs will be dangerous

After switching to a five-man defence for the trip to Manchester City last weekend, a 3-1 defeat, Marco Silva is likely to return to his usual 4-2-3-1 here. That will presumably mean Kurt Zouma dropping out of the side, leaving Yerry Mina and Michael Keane.

They'll be flanked by Seamus Coleman and Lucas Digne, and Everton's quality from full-back has perhaps been the brightest aspect of their season thus far - it will be interesting to see how aggressively they play against Spurs' quick attackers.

Sigurdsson up against his old club

In midfield, Idrissa Gueye is a doubt, and he'd be a significant loss in what is likely to be a physical game. Tom Davies is best-placed to replace him, with the impressive Andre Gomes alongside him.

Gylfi Sigurdsson will be keen to shine against his former side, and is always clever at finding pockets of space on the edge of the box for long-range strikes. His intelligence in timing runs to meet cut-backs from Everton's wingers and full-backs has been particularly noteworthy this season.

Theo Walcott and Bernard should play out wide, with Richarlison leading the line. The Brazilian took a while to adjust to this centre-forward role, but he's now scored four times in his last four home matches and his movement in behind a high defensive line could prove dangerous.

Kane to return

Mauricio Pochettino's side come into the game with less rest after their 2-0 victory over Arsenal, but that was a partly rotated side, with Harry Kane only appearing as a substitute. Goals for Son Heung-min and Dele Alli, both racing in behind onto clever passes, was a reminder of how excellent Spurs can be when attacking quickly.

Kane will return to lead the line here, probably with Son, Alli and Christian Eriksen just behind, although Lucas Moura is capable of playing in various midfield roles. Son should be a huge threat breaking into the channels when Everton lose the ball, and his ability to shoot dangerously with either foot has been particularly crucial in recent weeks.

Injury problems in central positions

Spurs are still without Jan Vertonghen, Mousa Dembele and Victor Wanyama, while Eric Dier has joined them on the sidelines. With Davinson Sanchez also doubtful, this means Ben Davies could continue in his unfamiliar centre-back role alongside Toby Alderweireld, and in midfield it's likely that Harry Winks and Mousa Sissoko will continue. Moving Eriksen into a deeper role is a possibility, but remains unlikely.

Spurs' area of concern should be out wide. After a poor display against Burnley last weekend, Danny Rose was impressive against Arsenal, but Kieran Trippier continues to struggle defensively. Against Bernard's dribbling and Digne's overlapping, he could endure a difficult afternoon.

Nevertheless, I still fancy Spurs here. Their ability to compress the play into the opposition half remains crucial, and all of their key attacking players are in good form. 2.32 strikes me as a fantastic price for a side who are clearly superior here, so I'll back Spurs. 

The Betfair Trader's View - Alan Thompson

No club has won more away games than Tottenham so far this season (8) but this weekend they travel to Merseyside to face an Everton side who haven’t lost at home since September (West Ham 1-2) and have secured 18 of their 24 accumulated points on home soil.

Despite sitting eighth in the league though, the Toffees have hit a bit of a sticky patch, having only drawn their last two at home (Newcastle and Watford) and are without a win in the league in their last four, conceding seven times in those games. Spurs have scored on every away trip so far and I don’t see Everton halting that trend.

Spurs are brimming with confidence having lost just one (away to Arsenal in the Premier League) of their last 12 games in all competitions, that includes going to the likes of Barcelona and knocking the Gunners out of the EFL Cup in midweek, a trip to Goodison Parkmay not be too intimidating.

While Everton may well provide another test for Mauricio Pochettino’s men, I don’t see them slipping up and at 2.32 that looks good enough for me in the Match Odds market. If you want to be a bit more cautious and get half your stake should they only draw, then you might want to consider backing Tottenham 0 & -0.5 on the Asian Handicap at 2.00.

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Michael and Alan say: Back Spurs at 2.32