da pinnacle： Premier League fans are being treated to an absolute feast of football this week, with two rounds of action due before Monday comes around.
da 888： Last night saw Liverpool host Chelsea in a firey title clash and although Manchester City and Manchester United may grab the headlines tonight, we at FootballFanCast have a feeling Stoke vs. Everton will provide a little more bang for our buck.
After all, there’s so little to choose between these sides ahead of kick-off. Before Tuesday night’s run of fixtures, they were separated by just two places in the Premier League table, and perhaps most tellingly of all, the last six meetings between the Potters and the Toffees have been split exactly down the middle with three wins apiece.
With that in mind, tonight’s encounter under the Bet365 Stadium floodlights looks set to come down to which side dominates the key individual battles. We take a look at THREE that could decide the outcome.
Romelu Lukaku vs. Ryan Shawcross
After conceding four goals to Liverpool and Chelsea in consecutive fixtures at the end of December, Stoke’s defence has tightened up in recent weeks, keeping clean sheets against Watford and Wolves whilst conceding only one apiece during the win over Sunderland and draw with Manchester United.
But Everton striker Romelu Lukaku has enjoyed a similar revival in 2017; after enduring a dry spell of three goals in ten appearances across all competitions, the Belgian battering ram has netted three in four outings – and bagged one assist – since the turn of the year.
Vital to stopping the 6ft. 3″ striker will be Stoke skipper Ryan Shawcross, perhaps not performing to the same levels he was a few years ago but nonetheless a solid Premier League centre-back and a key member of the Potters defence. He’s got the strength, height and aggression to match Lukaku’s, but won’t want to find himself in a footrace with the 23-year-old.
Marco Arnautovic vs. Seamus Coleman
It’s not been a stellar season for Marko Arnautovic, especially when compared to his twelve-goal haul during the 2016/17 campaign. Nonetheless, we all know how talented the Austrian attacker is and there has been evidence of an uplift in form recently, performing well against Watford before grabbing a brace in the win over Sunderland.
His battle with Everton right-back Seamus Coleman could be a pivotal one this evening. Despite lining up at the back, the Irishman is the Toffees’ second top scorer this term with four goals, whilst Arnautovic incidentally holds that title for the Potters – albeit shared with three of his team-mates.
With that in mind, Coleman and Arnautovic face a similar challenge; aiding their teams’ attacking efforts as much as possible, whilst making sure the other doesn’t have a similar or greater impact on the match. It’s a real balance of responsibilities and the duo’s shared mix of pace and power adds another exciting dynamic to this potentially result-defining battle.
Ross Barkley vs. Joe Allen
Albeit operating in slightly different systems and slightly different positions, Joe Allen and Ross Barkley essentially have the same role in their respective engine rooms – offering box-to-box dynamism whilst providing that killer pass to the front line.
Allen’s struggled to maintain an early-season flurry that saw him clinch three goals and two assists in five outings but has unquestionably proved his quality since leaving Liverpool for the Bet365 Stadium in the summer. Even amid the absence of such prominent output, yet to score or assist in 2017, he remains Mark Hughes’ preferred choice at No.10.
Barkley, meanwhile, has been asked to operate slightly deeper as part of a midfield three in Ronald Koeman’s 3-5-2, yet it appears to be getting the best out of him offensively. Barkley’s form has notably improved since the start of December, notching up three assists and one goal in his last eight appearances.
Ultimately, this battle will come down to which British talent can do the most for their side going forward, whilst putting in a shift off the ball. Both are creative and gifted technicians – now it’s a question of who can deliver on Wednesday night.