Relegation-threatened West Brom play host to high-flying Everton in what will be the first game in charge for new boss Pepe Mel.

His main task is obviously to arrest the downtrend that saw the Baggies slip into the danger zone, although interim manager Keith Downing did pretty well to steady the ship following the dismissal of Steve Clarke.

Successive stalemates against Hull City, Tottenham and West Ham were followed by a narrow win over Newcastle, which seriously boosted team’s survival hopes.

West Brom were then eliminated from the FA Cup at the hands of improving Crystal Palace, before also losing to Southampton in the league last weekend.

The Baggies now have a chance to create a six-point advantage over the bottom three, and they are 3.60 (13/5) to defeat Everton on Monday night.

With Shane Long having been sold to Hull City, Nicolas Anelka looks set to lead the line, with Billy Jones the only unavailable player at the moment.

Probable starting line-up (4-2-3-1): Foster – Reid, McAuley, Olsson, Ridgewell – Mulumbu, Yacob – Amalfitano, Morrison, Brunt – Anelka.

Everton are enjoying a truly amazing season under Roberto Martinez, with everybody at the club hoping a top 4 finish will become a reality.

The Toffees have so far done brilliantly to remain close to their rivals for Champions League places, and with Liverpool dropping points against Villa, the Goodison Park outfit can finally dislodge their arch rivals from the fourth place.

Everton have been quite convincing on the road of late, winning three and drawing as many of their last six away matches, so no wonder they are 2.30 (13/10) favourites to win at the Hawthorns.

The Toffees have added another amazing player to their ranks, having signed Irish winger Aiden McGeady from Spartak Moscow, with the 27-year-old likely to play a part.

Ross Barkley has been ruled out for a month with a broken toe, whereas Arouna Kone, Darron Gibson and Gerard Deulofeu are not yet ready to return.

Sylvain Distin has resumed training after missing last three weeks with a hamstring problem and he could be recalled.

Probable starting line-up (4-2-3-1): Howard – Coleman, Jagielka, Distin, Baines – McCarthy, Barry – Mirallas, Osman, Pienaar – Lukaku.