Everton v West Ham

Last updated : 21 January 2011 By BBC Sport

West Ham's Lars Jacobsen will miss the chance to face his former club due to a heel injury.

Manuel Da Costa and Thomas Hitzlsperger are still out, Herita Ilunga remains doubtful and Victor Obinna is banned.

EvertonDoubtful: Saha & Jagielka (both thigh)

Injured/unavailable: Barkley (leg), Cahill (international duty)

West Ham

Suspended: Obinna (two matches) Doubtful: Ilunga (hamstring)

Injured: Collison & Kurucz (both knee), Da Costa (ankle), Dyer & Hitzlsperger (both thigh), Jacobsen (heel), Stanislas (hernia)

MATCH PREVIEW

West Ham boss Avram Grant must be the first manager in history to have led a club to the foot of the table only to see his stock and reputation rise. The Hammers' hierarchy has presided over such a PR catastrophe surrounding his future at Upton Park that he has somehow emerged in a stronger position and with sympathy on his side.

The entire board is 100 per cent behind Avram... He is a really decent person who deserves our support. West Ham United is a club that does the right thing and the right thing at this time is to support the manager

West Ham co-owner David Sullivan

When Grant threw a claret and blue scarf to the crowd as a symbolic gesture of farewell following the club's chastening defeat to Arsenal, his fate was seemingly sealed with Martin O'Neill reportedly waiting in the wings to take over.

But the club's co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold and managing director Karren Brady performed a dramatic u-turn to bring Grant back from the abyss and have publicly backed him to rescue the club from relegation. Now the Israeli has to consign the past week to history and focus his side on a crucial seven-day period that takes in three games in three different competitions and could see them book their first trip to Wembley since 1981.

First up are Everton. Sullivan, Gold and Brady could do with taking a long hard look at the time and patience the Toffees manager David Moyes has been afforded during his near nine-year stay at Goodison Park.

Everton have enjoyed a superb recent record over West Ham and, with the Hammers' minds elsewhere with a Carling Cup semi-final second leg against Birmingham to come on Wednesday, Moyes will be confident of edging the Toffees into the top half of the table.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• Everton have won over half (16) of 31 Premier League matches against West Ham, more victories than they have enjoyed against any other opponents.

• The Toffees are unbeaten in their last seven league matches against the Hammers. Their only defeat in the last 10 was a 1-0 loss at Upton Park in April 2007.

• West Ham have won just two of their 15 Premier League meetings at Goodison Park and have scored only 10 goals in those games.

• The Hammers didn't manage a single shot on target against Everton last month, their goal being an own goal scored by Tony Hibbert.

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Everton

• The Toffees have drawn 11 games in this season's Premier League, the joint-highest tally in the league.

• David Moyes's side have kept just one clean sheet in their last 12 league matches.

• Everton have managed just two wins in their last 12 league matches, but both victories were against current top-five clubs - 2-1 at Manchester City and 2-1 at home against Tottenham.

West Ham

• Only one team that was bottom of the Premier League after 23 games has avoided relegation and that was West Bromwich Albion in the 2004-05 season.

• West Ham have kept just two clean sheets in their last 17 league games.

• The Hammers have conceded 10 headed goals this season, more than any other team.

• West Ham are the only team in the top flight that have not conceded a goal from a shot from outside the penalty area.

LEADING GOALSCORERS

Everton

Cahill: 9 goals (9 league); Coleman & Beckford: 5 goals (3 league)

West Ham

Piquionne: 7 goals (5 league); Parker: 6 goals (4 league)

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Peter Walton

Assistant referees: Trevor Massey & Adam Watts

Fourth official: Colin Webster

LAST LEAGUE MATCH LINE-UPS

Everton (D2-2 v Liverpool, a): Howard, Neville, Heitinga, Distin, Baines, Coleman, Fellaini, Arteta, Osman (Rodwell 77), Beckford (Vaughan 73), Anichebe (Bilyaletdinov 81). Subs not used: Mucha, Hibbert, Gueye, Baxter.

West Ham (L0-3 v Arsenal, h): Green, Faubert, Tomkins, Upson, Bridge (Nouble 89), Spector, Kovac, Noble (Boa Morte 20), Sears (Barrera 64), Cole, Hines. Subs not used: Boffin, Reid, Gabbidon, McCarthy.

Source: BBC Sport

Source: BBC Sport