Following a good performance in the 2-2 draw with Norwich, Everton will be aiming to start a new winning run when they host West Bromwich on Saturday afternoon. The Baggies are hoping to make amends for the home defeat to Southampton, but getting something from Goodison Park is easier said than done.

No major changes

After David Moyes took Everton as far as he could and the Toffees failing to mount a serious top 4 challenge last term, it is now up to Roberto Martinez to try and take the Goodison Park outfit one step further and ensure they become genuine top 4 contenders. The first signs of the Spaniard’s reign have been more than positive, as he managed to prevent Marouane Fellaini and Leighton Baines from leaving, while signings three of his former players Arouna Kone, Antolin Alcaraz and Joel Robles, plus loaning Gerard Deulofeu from Barcelona. And while the new signings have yet to prove they deserve to fight for starting places, old forces have picked up where they left off, playing some excellent football in the opening match against Norwich. It was especially impressive to see youngsters Seamus Coleman and Ross Barkley produce stunning performances in what was a high-pressure match, and it would look as though they are here to stay. The time has come for Everton to return to their Goodison Park, where they were pretty outstanding last term, and 12-6-1 home record can give them reason for optimism as they prepare to host out-of-form West Bromwich. With the back line likely to look much better than on the opening day, the Toffees might just win the game without conceding a goal in the process.

There are no fresh selection worries for Roberto Martinez, but Antolin Alcaraz, Magaye Gueye and Tony Hibbert are out injured.

Poor start for West Brom

While impressing in the opening exchanges last term, when they even found themselves in top 4, the Baggies have been utterly disappointing in the second part of the league campaign and it appears they are still trying to recover. After key striker Romelu Lukaku returned to Stamford Bridge, signing a proper replacement was the main priority, but it appears the club chiefs haven’t succeeded in their quest. Nicolas Anelka and Matej Vydra did arrive at the Hawthorns, but with the former well past his prime and latter lacking Premier League experience, the Baggies may have to heavily rely on Shane Long, who has never scored more than 8 Premier League goals in a single campaign. Taking everything into account, nobody was surprised to see West Brom struggle in their opening match against Southampton, but the fact they failed to carve out a single clear-cut opportunity is definitely a cause for concern. Given that the Baggies are set to face one of league’s best home sides and considering that Nicolas Anelka will not be taking part, I just don’t see how they are going to fare much better than in their opening fixture.

Nicolas Anelka has been granted a compassionate leave following the death of his agent. George Thorne and Zoltan Gera miss out through injury.

Verdict

Everton looked pretty convincing in their opening match against heavily reinforced Norwich side, so we can trust them to keep the rich vein of form against struggling West Brom. The Baggies seem to be unable to find their form at the start of the new campaign and they could be at least a goal behind even before half-time.

Top pick: Everton/Everton   2.40 (7/5) @ Stan James

Alternative pick 1: Everton to win to nil   2.80 (9/5) @ Ladbrokes

Alternative pick 2: Everton to score two or more   1.62 (5/8) @ William Hill

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