Match Preview

Having come through two successive trips to Manchester with flying colors, the Blues go into two consecutive Sunday Premiership fixtures.  While next weekend's match at Portsmouth is being screened live on Sky, this week's game was moved to accommodate 'Boro's European commitments midweek.

Another quirky dimension to this weekend — and another pleasing indicator of our terrific start the season (our best ever in the Premiership) — is the fact that the top six teams are playing each other.  Oh, and a couple of mid-table teams meet at Old Trafford on Monday.

Of course, the upside to that is if David Moyes's side can score a victory, they are guaranteed to move up at least one place and gain ground on the top two — not that anyone should have any illusions about title contention, but it's fun to dream!

Tim Cahill is expected to miss another chance to make his home debut since the ludicrous yellow card he picked up for pulling his shirt over his face in celebration of his first Everton goal at Eastlands last week has not yet been rescinded.  He now won't play in front of his home fans until the first week of October.

Thomas Gravesen, who wasn't rushed back to action last week following his injury, will surely be in contention for a starting berth to replace Cahill and Joseph Yobo is also expected be fit after missing two matches with a knee injury.  The manager will have to decide between Alan Stubbs and David Weir which, based on the past two games, won't be easy but his previous preference for the former Celtic man will probably see a return of the Yobo-Stubbs partnership.

Moyes's biggest decision will be in attack where the 4-5-1 formation used in Manchester surely won't wash at Goodison.  Marcus Bent is a shoe-in and it's a toss up between Kevin Campbell and Duncan Ferguson over who will start.  As much as I should probably drop the campaign to give James McFadden an extended run in the first team, as the only forward with genuine flair he has got to be a better alternative to these two elder statesmen.  He may be frustratingly erratic and one-footed but without more experience at the top level he is never going to get any better.  Does Davey not remember the Spurs home game last season?

As annoying as it might be to admit, Middlesbrough are a force to be reckoned with this season and a win against Steve McLaren's team should be regarded as a fine result.  With Mark Viduka and Jimmy-Floyd Haisselbank providing the firepower up front and Gaizka Mendieta orchestrating things in the midfield, 'Boro are usually dangerous outfit, but along with Ugo Ehiogu, Mendieta and Ehiogu will be missing this weekend through injury. Zenden and Boateng will be left to carry the chief threat from midfield.

The assertion that the next opponents will provide a better indication of how the Blues will fair this season is becoming something of a cliche, but as the team continues to surprise us, the bar is being raised higher with each game. On paper, 'Boro are a better side but the new-found unity and dogs of war-esque attitude makes Everton a match for almost everybody these days.

Lyndon Lloyd

Matchday Stats

This will be the 118th meeting between Everton and Middlesbrough in all competitions, and the 59th at Goodison Park.  This match will be the 19th meeting in the Premier League, and the 10th at Goodison Park.

Everton's full record against Middlesbrough is:

Our record at home to Middlesbrough is:

The last match between the sides was on 27 March last season when last week's referee Steve Bennett took charge in a 1-1 draw at Goodison Park with Tomasz Radzinski scoring what was to be his last goal for Everton.

There have been 6 Everton hat-tricks.  The last of these was on 11 March 1939, when Tommy Lawton got 4 goals in a 4-4 draw between the sides at the old Ayresome Park.  In fact this is the only occasion in Everton history that a player has scored 4 goals in a match and not been on the winning side.  The last hat-trick at Goodison was earlier in the same season, 5 November 1938, when Tommy Lawton scored just 3 goals this time in a 4-0 victory.

The most common victory for Everton is 2-0 which has happened 10 times in Everton's 54 victories.  Middlesbrough's most common victory is 1-0 happening 8 times in Boro's 31 victories.  The most common draw between the teams is 1-1, which has occurred 14 times in the 32 draws between the sides.

Everton's record for 19 September is:

This is the third time that the sides have met on this day.  In 1908, Everton beat Middlesbrough 3-2 at Ayresome Park with the Everton goals coming from Bertie Freeman, John Coleman and George Barlow.  Exactly 90 years later and Everton again travel to Middlesbrough, this time the Riverside Stadium, and come away with a 2-2 draw with the Everton goals coming from Michael Ball and John Collins.  This day in 1984 saw Everton embark on their successful European Cup Winners Cup campaign with a stuttering start against University College Dublin ending in a 0-0 draw.

Peter Scott was born on this day in 1952 in Walton.  Signed as an apprentice in July 1970, Peter made 48 appearances for Everton, scoring 2 goals.  Peter also won 2 Northern Ireland caps whilst with Everton.  Both of these came in 1975 just before Peter's move to York City in December that year.

Also born on this day in 1973 was Billy Kenny Junior in Liverpool.  Billy, like Peter, was also signed as an apprentice in June 1992 and went on to make 22 appearances and score 1 goal during his time with the club, as well as winning an England U21 cap.  However, off-the-field problems continued to haunt the youngster and he was officially released from his contract in March 1994.

Peter Farrell turned out for the Republic of Ireland on this day in 1955, in a 4-1 friendly defeat against Yugoslavia, with the unfortunate Irish goalkeeper being Peter's team mate, Jimmy O'Neill.

Billy Wright won his first England U21 cap as an Everton player in a 2-1 victory over their Danish counterparts.

In 1934, Cliff Britton played for the Football League side against the Irish League, with team mate Ted Sagar playing in goal.

Milestone's that can be reached in this game:

• If Duncan Ferguson starts the match, it will be his 150th start for Everton in the league.
• If Lee Carsley starts the match, it will be his 50th start for Everton in the league.

Steve Flanagan

Report

After the first 15 minutes, it became apparent there weren't going to be many goals.  Decent headers from Bent and then Kilbane were well saved by Schwarzer.  Boro rarely threatened and when they did, Martyn dealt with it easily.  Kudos to Weir and Stubbs — excellent again, completely snuffing out Hasselbaink and Viduka.

Osman and Gravesen between them bossed the midfield.  The system of five in midfield works well and takes the pressure off Gravesen — most of his howlers last season were when he was trying to do too much.  That's not the case anymore and Gravesen revelled in the extra options available to him.

Good chance just before half-time for Bent, one-on-one with Schwarzer; he didn't do as well as he could have done, but made up for it just after the break when Schwarzer couldn't hold his shot and it bobbled over into the net.  Boro were getting riled and their frustration led to them giving away several free-kicks.  We could have increased the lead, McFadden in particular having an excellent chance to seal it but instead of chipping the keeper who was off his line, tried to go round him and ended up putting the ball in his hands.  Faddy looks very low on confidence and at the moment — you have to wonder whether he'll make it in the Premiership.

Backs to the wall towards the end and it looked like they'd get a point they didn't deserve when Martyn couldn't hold on to a shot and it spilled into the danger area but thankfully we got it away and that was that.

Third in the league!  4 wins from 6 games.  Can't ask for more.  It's not going to last but what a fantastic start.  Bent looks a quality acquisition, although he could have done better on a couple of occasions; he holds the ball up really well and works his socks off.  He fully deserved his goal and got a standing ovation when he came off.

• Martyn 7 - assured as usual. Spilled the ball once but it was a fierce shot.
• Hibbert 7 - excellent.  Uncompromising in the tackle and played to his strengths
• Pistone 6 - a couple of dodgy moments.  Not one for the future but a reasonable display.
• Weir 8 - criminally under-rated IMO.  Great reader of the game.
• Stubbs 8 - in a rich vein of form.  Dealt with everything competently.
• Carsley 7 - very important player for us at the moment.  Tackling good, distribution a bit iffy at times but overall held things together well
• Gravesen 9 - A class act when he's on his game.  Long range passing as good as any other midfielder in the top flight.
• Osman 9 - a bundle of energy, surged forward time and time again and provided the attacking impetus in place of the absent Cahill
• Watson 6 - didn't really get into the game but did nothing wrong
• Kilbane 7 - great all-round performance, running at defenders, crossing and an eye for goal
• Bent 7 - perhaps lacking the killer touch that separates the good from the great but held the ball up and won the game for us with his goal
• Ferguson (Sub) 6 - put himself about as usual
• McFadden (Sub) 6 - should have scored near the end.  Looks a bit out of sorts, could do with a confidence boost.

A great 3 points. Very professional, workmanlike performance.

Deep Blue