Everton will play Leicester City in the opening round of the 2014 English Premier League. Join The Roar for live scores from 11:55pm (AEST).
Everton coach Roberto Martinez has kept his squad almost entirely intact through the offseason, holding on to key players Leighton Baines, and captain Phil Jagielka, and signing Gareth Barry and Lukaku on permanent deals.
Martinez regarded as one of the best up-and-coming coaches in the league and will not want to get his season off to a poor start against the competition newcomers. While the side has certainly struggled to attract mega-stars they are Champions League contenders with Martinez at the helm.
In contrast, a 21 game winning streak propelled the Foxes into the EPL for the first time in a decade. Leicester City will have lofty ambitions for their first year in the league and manager Nigel Pearson has made the clubs intentions clear stating that the team is not there to simply ‘make up the numbers’.
The side has also had a near perfect off-season preparation and have also opted to retain much of their championship team, choosing not to sign ‘quick fix’ players.
Romelu Lakaku will be key to Everton’s chances as always but young English star Ross Barkley will be the centre of their hopes and dreams. Combined the two are deadly on attack and Leicester City will need to contain the two is they are realistically trouble Toffees.
For Leicester, Danny Drinkwater will carry a lot of the offensive burden on his shoulders but he will also have Ulloa to share this duty with. Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that the duo will be able to outscore Everton.
With Everton continuing to rise and knock on the door of the competitions top four it will be difficult to see them lose to a side that will undoubtedly be finding its feat in the first few rounds of the season.
Tip: Everton 2-0.
Join The Roar for live scores on the Everton vs Leicester City clash from 11:55pm (AEST).
If you are following the action live, be sure to share your thoughts on the match in the comments below.
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