Sunderland vs. Everton: Key Issues and Decisions That Will Shape EPL Game
Everton travel to the Stadium of Light this Sunday to face Guy Poyet's Sunderland.
The Black Cats managed an important, moral-boosting win against Crystal Palace on Monday Night Football, erasing memories of their 8-0 thumping at Southampton.
Everton's most recent fixture saw them unable to break down Swansea City, with the 0-0 draw still a seventh point out of a possible nine.
Last season, both away sides took the points in this fixture: Sunderland capitalised on Tim Howard's red card at Goodison Park, while Wes Brown's own goal returned the favour last April.
Here's a look at some of the factors set to influence this contest.
Can Sunderland Do a Newcastle?
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Poyet's side were desperate to win against Crystal Palace on Monday, just as their north-easterly counterparts were a little earlier in the season.
In Newcastle United's case, they could not manage a win in their opening seven Premier League games, cranking up the pressure on Alan Pardew.
When that win finally arrived, against Leicester City, suddenly all the anxiety and tension surrounding the team was released.
The Magpies have now reeled off four straight wins, including away triumphs at Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City, as well as a home win over Liverpool.
Sunderland's 8-0 battering at Southampton attracted similar pressure around the Black Cats, who were in the relegation zone with just one win in nine before Monday's game at Palace.
Having achieved that vital win, Poyet's side will experience a similar lift as Newcastle, which is something Everton must anticipate.
Who Starts in Everton's Front Two Positions
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Roberto Martinez has regularly rotated his side this season, but his Premier League XI has generally featured Romelu Lukaku as his main striker just in front of Steven Naismith.
The impressive recent form of Samuel Eto'o and the return of Ross Barkley has increased the competition around these selections.
Eto'o's brace against Burnley ensured he started against Swansea with Lukaku dropped to the bench. The Belgium international then responded against Lille on Thursday night with his best game of the season.
Naismith was also impressive in that match, after it appeared his red hot start to the season had cooled, somewhat.
With Barkley most comfortable in the No. 10 spot, and Eto'o also performing in that role against Burnley, Martinez has several options.
The Catalan must select the best combination for this game and be careful not to play all four players for the sake of it. Naismith, Barkley and Eto'o have all looked far less effective when used in wider roles.
Which Defence Errs First
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This match features two of the most error prone defences in the division.
Everton have made 12 defensive errors, the most in the Premier League and four more than Sunderland's eight.
The more alarming number, though, is the amount of goals that have come from these mistakes.
Everton have seen six of these defensive errors lead directly to a goal, again the most in the division, one ahead of Sunderland's five, who are second.
To add some context to that; combined, both sides have conceded 11 goals on the back of an individual error, while four Premier League teams are yet to even concede one.
Clearly, both back fours have the potential to implode at any time, which may well prove decisive in this game.
This was certainly the case last season, with Howard's red card and Brown's own goal sealing both results.
Everton's Preparation
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Finally, as has been a recurring theme in these slides, Everton's preparation time will be a factor.
Once again, the Toffees will have been completely focused on a Europa League tie up until Thursday night, giving them just two full days to hone in on this fixture.
Sunderland, on the other hand, have had since Tuesday to fully plan for this game. The players will be more refreshed, the tactics potentially more extensive and the opposition far more forensically assessed.
Everton have lost two of their three fixtures to follow a Europa League game, winning their most recent clash with Burnley.
Statistics via WhoScored.com and Squawka.com.
