Can Everton Take Advantage Of The Struggling Leicester?

Leicester will be at risk of becoming stranded at the bottom of the Premier League table should Nigel Pearson`s Foxes fail to win away at Everton today. Leicester currently sit in 20th place on 17 points, five from safety following yesterday`s games.

Everton, contrarily, are 12th and level on points with the likes of Crystal Palace and West Brom. Whilst Roberto Martinez`s men won`t be able to climb the top tier of English football with a victory in this afternoon`s 14:05 kick-off, they will close the gap on 11th placed Newcastle to two points. A big enough loss could cause them to be usurped by either of the two teams below them though the Toffees would need to taste defeat by a difference of at least four goals.

The last time the two sides met was on the opening day of the season, the two clubs playing out a 2-2 draw at Leicester`s King Power Stadium. Everton took the lead in the first half through Aiden McGeady though Leonardo Ulloa levelled things up just two minutes later. The Merseyside club would restore their advantage in the dying minutes of the first 45, Steven Naismith grabbing the goal to send them into the dressing room in the driving seat.

It looked as though Everton would begin their season with three points until substitute Chris Wood equalised in the last five minutes of the match. It`s 11/4 (boylesports, Skybet) should you think that Goodison Park will play host to a draw this afternoon, whilst another 2-2 encounter can be backed at 18/1 with both betfred and Betvictor. The Toffees` home advantage and superior league position means that it is they who are the favourites to send the Foxes home empty-handed this afternoon. Martinez`s side are just 5/6 with a number of bookmakers to secure the victory today. Conversely, most turf accounts have odds of 4/1 on an away win.

The Goodison Park outfit have managed to pick up just six points from their last five games at home though these results have included draws against reigning Premier League champions Manchester City and Merseyside rivals Liverpool. The team`s last home win was back in December, a 3-1 triumph over the struggling Queens Park Rangers.

The Blues have failed to score more than one goal in any one home match since this pre-Christmas encounter and are available at 10/11 (Betvictor, boylesports, Coral) to score less than 1.5 in today`s clash. A clean sheet for the Toffees would be their third consecutive Goodison Park game without conceding a goal and this can be picked up at 11/8 with bet365 and Spreadex. Indeed, an Everton win to nil is on offer at 2/1 with Betvictor, Coral and Totesport.

They will be coming up against a Leicester team who have scored in all of their last four away matches despite having won only one of them, a 1-0 victory over Hull back in December. All five of these goals have come from different players though the man who carries the pressure of favouritism is Ulloa who is 10/3 with betfair and ladbrokes to hit the back of the net at any time. The Uruguayan last scored in the Premier League for the Foxes in their 2-1 defeat at Tottenham in their penultimate match of 2014.

In contrast, the East Midlands club have conceded nine goals in their last five matches away from home which will give Everton some confidence of netting against the experienced Mark Schwarzer. Everton can be supported at 37/40 (Betvictor) to score over 1.5 times today, that will be Leicester third time in as many away matches that Pearson`s men have shipped more than two goals.

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22/02/2015     © Frixo 2024