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Everton vs Norwich City

Match Preview

Sitting 12th in the Premier League, behind two of the three newly-promoted clubs and level on points with the third is probably not how many Evertonians envisaged the Blues would be faring in mid-December.

That is the uncomfortable reality for David Moyes's side, however, as they prepare for back-to-back home games against two of those new-comers from the Championship, fixtures that would have been deemed eminently winnable in seasons past but which now pose a significant challenge for a team that hasn't registered an official shot on target in two matches now — let alone scored a goal.

Indeed, Everton's top scorer is a 19-year-old Greek super-sub while Tim Cahill, a player on whom Moyes has relied for goals ever since he arrived seven years ago, is just days away from going an entire calendar year without a goal.

Of course, to focus on the drought of goals from the strikers would be to miss the broader malaise that stems from a chronic lack of creativity, invention and ideas in midfield and the manager's apparent refusal to try anything new in terms of formation or what personnel he has available to address it. Week after week, Blues fans have become accustomed to expecting the same old, same old and it's unlikely to be much different this weekend — unless, perhaps, Royston Drenthe is passed fit after missing three games with an ankle injury and Moyes decides to put him straight back in the team.

The Dutch winger, Jack Rodwell (hamstring) and Leon Osman (hamstring) could all be available after recovering from injury for the visit of Norwich City and you'd think that, of the three, Rodwell would be the most likely to walk back into the starting line-up to take his place alongside Marouane Fellaini. In that case, Osman and Drenthe could well be rivals for the left-midfield berth likely to be vacated by the struggling Diniyar Bilyaletdinov.

Elsewhere, Sylvain Distin will have to see how Moyes feels about the performance of the Phil Jagielka-John Heitinga partnership during the Frenchman's recent absence before he is handed a birthday present in the form of a return to central defence. While, up front, if Louis Saha and Cahill are fit, they'll likely start.

The Canaries, who, for their part, have no new injury concerns, have shown that they are willing to give anyone a run for their money. Their last visit to Merseyside a couple of weeks ago yielded a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Liverpool and their 4-2 win over Newcastle at Carrow Road last weekend will have them high on confidence.

Unfortunately for James Vaughan, another long-term injury will prevent him from lining up against his former club on the ground where he became the Premier League's youngest ever goalscorer a few years ago, but ex-Blue John Ruddy is expected to play in goal for Norwich.

With the news that Landon Donovan will be returning to Goodison in the New Year and Ross Barkley has been signed to a new long-term contract, there is unquestionably a lift in spirits among supporters and that will hopefully translate to the players as they go in search for what would be only their third home win of the campaign.

A victory would put Everton level on points with Norwich with a game in hand going into next Saturday's clash with Swansea City.

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