Season › 2013-14 › News Everton vs Tottenham Hotspur Lyndon Lloyd , 2 November, 0comments | Jump to most recent Match Preview At the midway point of the first half of Sunday's intriguing clash with Tottenham Hotspur at Goodison Park, Everton will be a quarter of the way through their first Premier League season under Roberto Martinez. They come into the weekend programme of fixtures on a run of five wins from their last six matches — the odd game out there being their only League defeat of the campaign so far — and they trail Andre Villas-Boas's dilligently but expensively assembled outfit by a single point. Even allowing for the platform he inherited from which to launch his tenure as Blues boss, as transitions go, Martinez has overseen a remarkably smooth one since taking over from David Moyes in the summer. Thanks to his targeted acquisitions he made on transfer Deadline Day — all three of James McCarthy, Gareth Barry and Romelu Lukaku have proved to be astute signings — Everton have established themselves as a force to be reckoned with so far, as all but Manchester City have found to a varying degree of cost in the nine games up to this point. Now, as Martinez has rightly pointed out in the lead-up to this match, the Blues must make a statement of intent as they look to build on their impressive start to life under the new regime with victory over a rival team for the Champions League places this season. Article continues below video content The task is aided by a relatively clean bill of health, at least to the current first-choice XI. Darron Gibson has, of course, been ruled out of the season and Arouna Kone may be battling a succession of injuries that have prevented him from getting his Everton career up and running, but the likely consensus is that the side that started in that important 2-0 win at Aston Villa last weekend is the strongest permutation from Martinez's squad. Leon Osman will feel that his heroics at Villa Park would severely test that belief, but the case could be made that his advancing years mean that his impact could be increasingly restricted to partial matches. That need not be a bad thing, as his crucial assist and icing-on-the-cake goal last time out proved; coming off the bench, the 32-year-old offered the perfect blend of experience and guile to finally turn the game in the Blues' favour. The decision over whether to restore him to the starting line-up at the expense of the man he replaced last Saturday, Ross Barkley, is perhaps the only real question that the manager will be pondering as he plots Spurs' downfall. Barkley has started all nine League games thus far and has repaid Martinez's faith with a series of precocious displays that have exhibited his prodigious talents, given him a stage on which to make and learn from his mistakes, while also revealing the areas where he still needs the most improvement — most noticeably, his decision-making. The 19-year-old's unpredictability, his burgeoning understanding with Lukaku, and sheer desire to drive the team forward from midfield will probably tip the boss's mind in his favour, with Martinez comfortable in the knowledge that he has Osman up his sleeve should he be needed in the second half. Tottenham, for their part, will come to Merseyside in confident enough mood after recording four successive victories in all competitions, though, given the weaponry provided by the likes of Barkley and Kevin Mirallas on the break, Everton will be mindful of the manner in which West Ham ripped them apart in the space of 13 second-half minutes at White Hart Lane four weeks ago. Then there is Lukaku, who has scored five goals in as many League games for the Blues and his goal at the Etihad Stadium has already demonstrated his desire to rise to the big occasion. David Silva and Sergio Aguero posed the individual threats that underpinned the Blues' defeat to Manchester City but, while keeping the likes of Andros Townsend quiet and avoiding offering Roberto Soldado a gift from the penalty spot will be important, the key to beating Spurs would appear to be more about preventing them establishing any kind of attacking rhythm as a unit. Villas-Boas has tremendous depth at his disposal but he can only field eleven men at a time and if Everton can dictate the game on their own terms — which would include impressing their will on the opposition through dominance of possession and passing — while remaining hyper-vigilant at the back, they will have the platform from which to win, though it will likely require an elevated performance from Mirallas and sufficient service to Lukaku. Referee: Kevin Friend KO: 1:30pm GMT Quotes or other material sourced from ToffeeWeb Match Reports Memory Lane – Match 10 Betting Preview Live Forum About these ads © ToffeeWeb