EPL - Everton v Chelsea

• zocoss

  17 Apr 08, 13:36

   vs

   

  Everton v Chelsea

  Thursday, 17 April 2008 - (Friday Morning)

  Channel 27: 3:00 AM (Live)

   

  Everton midfield duo Mikel Arteta and Leon Osman are struggling to be fit for the visit of Chelsea to Goodison Park.

  Arteta (stomach muscle) and Osman (hamstring) have had treatment this week but are unlikely to be ready.

  Chelsea are expected to make the trip north without midfielder Frank Lampard and striker Didier Drogba.

  Lampard missed Monday's game against Wigan because his mother is in hospital with pneumonia, while Drogba has not trained because of a knee injury.

   

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  • Everton boss David Moyes:
  "In a strange way maybe the pressure has relented a bit. "I think Manchester United will now win the Premier League and it's very difficult for us to make fourth position so maybe the game is gone as far as what both teams can do above us. "But Chelsea won't want to be caught by anyone from behind them and we have a job to at least hang on to fifth."

   

  • Chelsea boss Avram Grant:
  "I will not give up until it is over and we will keep fighting - in football anything can happen. "But first we need to win, it's an important game and then we'll think about other things. "It's very difficult to play at Goodison Park, they are a good team and it's never easy to play them."

   

   

  HEAD TO HEAD

  This is the fourth time these sides are meeting this season. Chelsea have won nine and drawn five of the last 14 Premier League matches against Everton, including four wins in the last five visits to Goodison.

  The last two league meetings, home and away, have been 1-1 draws. The Toffees have not beaten the Londoners in six home league games, since 25 November 2000.

   

  at Everton only
  League (inc PL): Everton 33 wins, Chelsea 14, Draws 21
  Prem: Everton 3 wins, Chelsea 6, Draws 6

   

   

  LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME

  Everton 2-3 Chelsea
  16 December 2006 - Ref: Mark Halsey
  Everton scorers: Arteta 38 pen, Yobo 64
  Chelsea scorers: Howard 49 og, Lampard 81, Drogba 87

   

   

  THIS SEASON'S REVERSE FIXTURE

  Chelsea 1-1 Everton
  11 November 2007 - Ref: Alan Wiley
  Chelsea scorer: Drogba 70
  Everton scorer: Cahill 90

   

   

  REFEREE

  Martin Atkinson (Yorkshire)

   

• zocoss

  17 Apr 08, 13:42

  

   

  PHIL NEVILLE is desperate to end Everton’s big-gun hoodoo — and earn himself a pat on the back off his big brother.

  There is no doubt Phil — at 31 two years younger than Gary — would much prefer to see the title stay with his former club at Old Trafford than head south even though his main focus is on Goodison glory.

  Everton's former United keeper Tim Howard can equal Neville Southall’s club record of 15 clean sheets in a season if he shuts out Chelsea tonight. It is a tough ask as they have not stopped them scoring since 2004. And Howard himself has shelved all thoughts of a place in the Goodison record books — and is merely focused on helping his side regain winning ways.

   

   

  Tonight's referee Martin Atkinson... Hmmm...