Everton vs Leicester City: Premier League match preview

A look ahead to this weekend’s fixture at Goodison Park

New heights: Roberto Martinez (right) deserves better than to hear Romelu Lukaku saying he wants to move on up to ‘a big club’ (Getty Images)

Leicester travel to Merseyside fresh from a full week’s rest and will hope Everton’s midweek Europa League trip to Switzerland will have an effect on their performance levels.

Everton currently lie 12th in the league table in what they may consider to have been a season of under-achievement, but a home win against struggling Leicester may provide a kick start.

Nigel Pearson remains in charge at the Premier League’s bottom placed club, who currently find themselves five points adrift of safety.

Kick-Off: Sunday 2.05pm.

Past Three Meetings...

Leicester 2 (Ulloa, Wood) Everton 2 (McGeady, Naismith), Premier League, August 2014

Leicester 1 (Bent) Everton 1 (Rooney), Premier League, March 2004

Everton 3 (Carsley, Rooney, Radzinski) Leicester 2 (Ferdinand, Scowcroft), Premier League, December 2003

Stats...

Everton’s Romelu Lukaku and Leicester’s Leonardo Ulloa have both hit seven league goals so far this term.

Games between the two teams currently stand at 38 Everton wins, 30 Leicester wins and 31 draws.

Leicester’s last away win in the league was on 28th December when they beat Hull 1-0 at the KC Stadium.

Everton have lost 10 games so far this season, the most games they’ve lost since 2011/12.

Odds...

Everton to win: 1.8

Leicester City to win: 5.5

Draw: 3.8

Classic Match...

March 20th 2004, Duncan Ferguson is sent off after lashing out at Leicester defender Steffen Freund. Ferguson received a four match ban for grabbing the German by the throat and gesturing to the crowd as he trudged off after receiving his marching orders. Wayne Rooney scored one of his last ever goals in an Everton shirt, but Marcus Bent’s last gasp equaliser stole a point for the Foxes.

TV: Live on Sky Sports 1 at 2.05pm, highlights on BBC1 at 10.30pm.