West Ham v Everton preview (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

West Ham v Everton preview

1:22pm Wednesday 4th November 2009 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
• Comments(0)

West Ham v Everton
Upton Park, Sunday November 8, 3pm

Last meeting: Everton 3-1 West Ham (16-05-09). The Hammers were in control after Radoslav Kovac put them in front midway through the first half, but the game turned on its head when James Tomkins was sent off after conceding a penalty. Louis Saha scored and Everton made the man advantage count as they ran out 3-1 winners.

The opposition: Everton are in the middle of a bad run of form. Three 1-1 draws at home to Aston Villa, Wolves and Stoke have been interspersed with defeats to Tottenham and Bolton in the league. David Moyes' side lie down in 13th, a far cry from the fifth-place finish they managed last season.

Danger men: Yakubu has bolstered Everton's frontline by returning from a lengthy injury lay-off in the last few weeks. His pace and power will keep the Hammers' backline busy, while they will also have to watch out for the aerial threat of Tim Cahill.

Did you know? Everton's bitter rivals Liverpool were spawned from an offshoot of the Toffees back in 1892. Following a dispute, the club's former president took a few players with him to start afresh elsewhere and they were to be the building blocks of Liverpool FC. The row also saw Everton leave their Anfield home, which was subsequently inhabited by their bitter rivals.

Prediction: West Ham 2 Everton 1.

Betting tip: Jack Collison is hitting form at the right time for the Hammers. And a win against off-colour Everton looks a good bet. Get odds of 75/1 with Paddy Power for Collison to score first and West Ham to win 2-1.