Everton v Bolton Wanderers,
Barclays Premier League,
Saturday 7 February, 2009,
Goodison Park, 3pm Kick-Off.

Wanderers travel to the blue half of Merseyside looking to avenge the 1-0 reverse suffered in the corresponding fixture back in October, however an Everton side that has lost only once in their last 11 matches lies in wait.

Gary Megson will no doubt be buoyed by the impressive 3-2 home victory over Tottenham last weekend and will therefore be looking to inflict Everton's 250^th defeat in the Premier League since its conception in 1992.

With 14 matches remaining this season, Bolton are five points better off than they were at the same stage a year ago, and three points at Goodison could see the Whites occupy ninth position come Saturday evening, depending on results elsewhere.

However the pre-match statistics reveal that Wanderers have only won one of their last 17 North West derbies and have succumbed to defeats on their last two trips to Goodison Park.

Phil Neville believes that the midweek victory over Liverpool hasn't left the Everton squad feeling tired, and instead there is a fresh buzz about the club.

He told Everton's official website: "We are looking forward to Saturday. We are going to be fit and the game will make us stronger. We have got Jo, the new signing, coming back so he will give us fresh legs and the two lads who came on - Jack Rodwell and Dan Gosling - made an impact.

"They have done that for the last month or so. They have made an impression and we are now in a position where we have young lads coming through."

Peter Walton is the man who has been handed the whistle-blowing duties, in what will be his first Bolton match of the season. In his past 24 matches, the Northamptonshire-based official has branded 58 yellow cards and has dismissed three players.

Supporters who are planning on heading to the game are reminded that tickets can be purchased on the day of the game from Goodison Park.

Team News
Tamir Cohen (hamstring) and Nicky Hunt (thigh) have returned to training this week but the trip to Goodison Park comes too soon for the pair. Johan Elmander is still out injured so Ariza Makukula is expected to spearhead Wanderers attack for the fourth successive game.

Joey O'Brien will definitely miss the trip to Merseyside, whilst Gavin McCann hasn't recovered from a broken toe in time to face his former club.

Jo could be in line to make his first appearance for the Blues since completing his loan switch from Manchester City on transfer deadline day. Yakubu, Louis Saha and James Vaughan all remain sidelined.

Opposition Key Player - Mikel Arteta



The Spanish midfielder joined Everton from Real Sociedad, initially on loan, before signing a five-year deal in July 2005. Rangers paid Barcelona £6m to take the highly-rated prospect to Ibrox in 2002, and he scored 14 goals in 49 appearances for the Glasgow club before moving back to Spain in 2004.

The midfielder, who can support both defence and attack, sought the advice of two other Spaniards on Merseyside - Xabi Alonso and Luis Garcia - before making the switch to Goodison Park.

Arteta has made seven appearances, scoring once for the Spanish U21 side. Although born in Spain, the 26-year-old may soon become eligible to play for England under the FIFA five-year residency rule and in October 2008, a group of Everton fans began an online campaign to get the midfielder selected.

So far this season, Arteta has chipped in with five goals for the Toffees, including a superb free-kick against Hull City last month.

Opposition Manager - David Moyes



David Moyes took the helm at Goodison Park in 2002 and since then he has transformed a side previously accustomed to the bottom half of the table into one challenging for European qualification.

After a successful spell at Preston, where he took the Lilywhites to the First Division Play-off Final in 2001, Moyes took the post vacated by Walter Smith at the relegation-threatened Blues and his arrival precipitated an instant upturn in the club's fortunes.

Moyes referred to Everton as the "people's club" in his opening press conference and also spoke of his great ambitions for the Toffees. Everton won three of their next four games and relegation was avoided. The following season the Blues finished seventh, only missing out on European qualification on the final day, but the capaign later was a dramatic anticlimax and after the previous highs, Everton finished fourth from bottom on just 37 points.

Wayne Rooney was sold for £27m, and Everton were considered favourites for relegation in the 2004/05 season. This turned out to be a complete wrong assumption as Everton qualified for the Champions League with a fourth position. A mid-table finished ensued the followed in 2006 before the Toffees secured impressive sixth and fifth placed standings in the last two seasons.

Betting
To get all the best odds for the game, visit our official betting partner Bet2Go.

Wanderers are best priced at 9/2 to take all three points with a draw available at 13/5. For the pessimists out there who think that the Toffees will win the match, they can find odds of 8/11.

Kevin Davies, who is looking for his 50^th goal for the club, is 10/1 to score the first goal of the game, whilst a draw at half-time and Bolton win at full-time is available at 10/1 also.

A 2-0 Wanderers victory is 28/1 with a 1-1 draw priced at 13/2.

Click here for more information and hundreds more of superb odds.

Listen Live
If you can't make it to Goodison Park on Saturday afternoon, you can listen to live uninterrupted commentary on Wanderers World with the club's new official commentator Phil Gittins and special guest summariser Tony Kelly. The broadcast starts at 2.30pm.

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