Everton v Chelsea
Venue: Goodison Park Date: Thursday, 17 April Kick-off: 2000 BST
Coverage: sky sports 1 & bbc sport website
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Everton midfield duo Mikel Arteta and Leon Osman are struggling to be fit for the visit of Chelsea to Goodison Park.
Arteta (stomach muscle) and Osman (hamstring) have had treatment this week but are unlikely to be ready.
Chelsea are expected to make the trip north without midfielder Frank Lampard and striker Didier Drogba.
Lampard missed Monday’s game against Wigan because his mother is in hospital with pneumonia, while Drogba has not trained because of a knee injury.
• Everton boss David Moyes:
“In a strange way maybe the pressure has relented a bit.
“I think Manchester United will now win the Premier League and it’s very difficult for us to make fourth position so maybe the game is gone as far as what both teams can do above us.
“But Chelsea won’t want to be caught by anyone from behind them and we have a job to at least hang on to fifth.”
• Chelsea boss Avram Grant:
“I will not give up until it is over and we will keep fighting – in football anything can happen.
“But first we need to win, it’s an important game and then we’ll think about other things.
“It’s very difficult to play at Goodison Park, they are a good team and it’s never easy to play them.”
Chelsea visit Everton four days after conceding a critical stoppage-time equaliser at home to relegation threatened Wigan. It means anything short of victory against the Toffees, coupled with a win for Manchester United at Blackburn on Saturday evening, will leave the Red Devils needing just a draw at Stamford Bridge on Saturday week to retain their Premier League title.
Everton need a win to close the gap on Liverpool to two points in the race for fourth spot and the final qualifying place for the Champions League. Both Merseyside clubs have four to play, but the Reds remain in the driving seat.
If the Toffees avoid defeat, they will set a new club record Premier League points total. Their current tally of 61, equals the previous best totals accumulated in 1995-96 when they finished sixth, and 2004-05, when they achieved a Premier League highest fourth.
These clubs meet for the first time since Chelsea’s 3-1 aggregate victory in the Carling Cup semi-finals in January.
Chelsea are chasing their 50th league win over Everton.
EVERTON
Highest achievable after Saturday’s matches: 5th
Lowest could fall: 5th
All statistics and sequences refer to the Premier League only, unless otherwise stated.
1. Won one of five; 1-0, home to Derby in the last home game.
2. Conceded six goals in 2008; fewer than any other club.
3. Completed 14 matches since conceding more than a single goal in a game, and six matches since scoring more than a single goal in a game; they are the longest current such sequences in this league.
4. The only club not awarded a penalty.
5. Picked up just one point out of the last available 18 against the ‘Big Four’ clubs, and gained one win in 13 attempts against the quartet of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United; drawn 1-1, away to Chelsea on 11 November, and beat Arsenal 1-0 at home on 18 March 2007.
6. Opened the scoring in 22 matches; only Manchester United have scored the first goal more often (27).
7. Picked up fewer cards than any other club from matches in this league; 39 (three red, 36 yellow).
8. Not lost in seven league and cup games at home, since Chelsea’s 0-1 victory in the Carling Cup second leg on 23 January.
9. Unbeaten in six at home in 2008; won four and drawn two at Goodison Park, since losing 1-4 to Arsenal on 29 December; their only defeat in 11.
10. The run-in is:-
Aston Villa (h)
Arsenal (a)
Newcastle (h)
CHELSEA
Highest achievable after Saturday’s matches: 2nd
Lowest could fall: 2nd
All statistics and sequences refer to the Premier League only, unless otherwise stated.
1. On the longest unbeaten sequence of the season; won 12 and drawn five of the last 17, since losing 1-0, away to Arsenal on 16 December – their only reverse in 27.
2. Netted in each of the last eight, failing to score in only one of the last 17.
3. Won 32, drawn 10 and lost five of 47 league and cup matches under Avram Grant; the losses being against Manchester United (a) and Arsenal (a) in the league, Tottenham in the Carling Cup final, Barnsley in the FA Cup and Fenerbahce in the first leg of the Champions League.
4. Won 19, drawn seven and lost two of the 27 league outings under the Israeli.
5. Won 22 matches; only Manchester United (25) have won more. Lost three; no club has lost fewer. Dropped 27 points in the top division; only Manchester United (22) have dropped fewer.
6. Let in 24 goals at one every 128 minutes (two hours eight minutes) on average this season; only Manchester United (18) have shipped fewer.
7. Kept 19 clean sheets; only the Red Devils beat that (20). Also, not lost when scoring first; won 18 and drawn four of 22.
8. Picked up six red cards in this league. Only Blackburn and Fulham have also had that many players sent off.
9. On the longest unbeaten run away from home of any club in this league, of eight matches; won six and drawn two on their travels since the 1-0 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on 16 December. The next defeat will be their 100th loss on the road in this league. Also, won the last four trips to the North-West.
10. The first leg of the Champions League semi-final, away to Liverpool, follows this next Tuesday.
The league run-in is:-
Manchester United (h)
Newcastle (a)
Bolton (h)
EVERTON
YAKUBU is Everton’s top scorer with 19 goals.
YAKUBU is also the clubs’ top Premier League marksman with 13.
Andy JOHNSON is one short of 100 career league goals (Birmingham, Crystal Palace and Everton).
If selected:-
Joseph YOBO will be making his 200th appearance in an Everton shirt.
If on the field from the outset:-
Lee CARSLEY will be making his 150th Premier League start for the Toffees.
JOHNSON will be making his 50th Premier League start in Everton colours.
CHELSEA
Frank LAMPARD is Chelsea’s top scorer with 18 goals.
LAMPARD is also the clubs’ leading marksmen in the Premier League, with 10. (Nicolas ANELKA scored 10 for Bolton and has got one for Chelsea.)
If on the field from the outset:-
Joe COLE will be making his 200th career league start (West Ham and Chelsea).
John Mikel OBI will be making his 50th start in a Chelsea shirt.
