Tactically speaking - Everton

Ahead of West Ham United's trip to Everton this weekend, football statistics website WhoScored.com have previewed the encounter at Goodison Park.

The Hammers have conceded just one goal in their last five league matches, taking 13 points from a possible 15, in the process lifting the east London side into the top half of the league. West Ham currently sit in tenth place. Over the same period, the Toffees have won just once and lost three, significantly denting their European hopes. Everton are currently seventh in the table, eleven points behind fourth-placed Liverpool in the race for Champions League qualification.

In the corresponding fixture earlier this season, West Ham were unlucky to be on the wrong side of a 3-2 scoreline. Late goals from Leighton Baines and on-loan Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku cancelled out strikes from Ravel Morrison and Mark Noble after West Ham had twice taken the lead.

Having kept three clean sheets in their last three away matches - currently the longest streak of its kind in the Premier League - West Ham will be confident of extending this run at Goodison Park.

A Hammers regular that has played a key role in this form, culminating in their recent surge up the table, is right-back Guy Demel. The Ivorian has made 23 appearances in the Premier League this season, including two as a substitute.

While Demel succumbed to injury early in the first half of the 2-0 win over Cardiff, Demel has formed part of the nigh-on watertight backline that has been penetrated by only Southampton's Maya Yoshida in the last 450 minutes of Premier League action. Defensively, the 32-year-old is clearly contributing to the Hammers' recent clean sheet record.

Having developed a style of play from WhoScored.com of 'does not dive into tackles', his insistence on standing up to the opposition will help limit their opportunities to deliver the ball into the 18-yard box. Moreover, Demel's preference to stay on his feet to deny wingers increases the chance of the right-back utilising his statistically calculated strength of 'dribbling', should he be able to successfully rob the opposition of possession.

The right-back has also attacked with vigour in the last five games, utilising his WhoScored.com strength of 'crossing'. With the approach Sam Allardyce adopts, his ability to pick out a team-mate from wide will benefit strikers Carlton Cole and the available Andy Carroll, with this facet of Demel's game allowing either frontman to bring others into play.

Kevin Nolan in particular is the one who has profited from this the most, having scored six in his last seven league appearances, including a brace each in the 2-0 wins against Swansea City and Aston Villa. The midfielder's goals have been crucial in West Ham's resurgence. However, it's pivotal that the likes of Demel continuously provide this attacking influence from deep if Nolan and company are to add to their tallies on Saturday.

With the full-back impressing both defensively and offensively, he'll need to exhibit these qualities if West Ham are to shut out the home side at Goodison Park and come away with all three points on Saturday.

*WhoScored.com is a website and one of the fastest growing in the sports industry, specialising in the in-depth analysis of detailed football data. Follow @WhoScored on Twitter.

Everton

Probable starting XI

Howard

Coleman  Stones/Alcaraz  Distin  Baines

McCarthy  Barry

Mirallas  Barkley  Pienaar

Lukaku

It will be a huge surprise if Everton do not line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation on Saturday, as Roberto Martinez has used that system in 25 of the Toffees' 26 Barclays Premier League matches this season.

Under the Spaniard, Everton have arguably become a more attractive side to watch, keeping possession for longer (56 per cent to 53 per cent) and passing the ball more accurately (83 per cent to 79 per cent) than they did last season under David Moyes.

At the same time, Martinez's Everton have by no means become a soft touch - they make more tackles (20 to 19) and commit more fouls per game (13 to 12) than they did last term.

While the style, approach and playing squad may be different from 12 months ago, Everton's record under the former Wigan Athletic boss is very similar to that achieved under the present Manchester United manager.

In 2012/13, Everton won 16, drew 15 and lost just seven of their 38 league matches on their way to finishing sixth with 63 points.

After 26 matches this time around, the Toffees sit seventh, having won 12, drawn nine and lost five. Extrapolate those statistics over 38 matches and Everton will win 17, draw 13 and lose eight and finish the season with 64 points.

So, any suggestion that Everton are not as 'hard to beat' as they were under Moyes is statistically untrue.

Style-wise, Everton like to keep the ball and get it wide to their speedy and skilful widemen and attack-minded full-backs. At the same time, the continued presence of Phil Jagielka and Sylvain Distin in central defence means they retain dominance from set pieces at both ends of the pitch.

Central to the Toffees' strong showing this season has been the form of their England defensive midfielder Gareth Barry, who joined on a season-long loan from Manchester City last summer.

Nobody attempts more passes for Everton than Barry's 70 per game, of which he completes 86 per cent. The 33-year-old has also made 60 tackles - second only to defensive midfield partner James McCarthy - as well as 58 clearances and 30 interceptions.

Irishman McCarthy, ten years Barry's junior, has also made a big impact since following Martinez from Wigan last September for an eye-catching £13m.

The 23-year-old has made a team-high 75 tackles, as well as 35 interceptions and an impressive eleven blocks. He may pass the ball less often than Barry, but he does so more accurately than his midfield partner.

Everton's impressive 2013/14 has involved a number of other important figures, too.

At the back, goalkeeper Tim Howard remains a consistent presence, most notably with his shot-stopping ability.

In front of him, Jagielka and Distin are both intelligent, experienced centre-backs who rarely lose concentration and will never back down from the physical side of the game.

Wide of them, Everton's full-backs have been a revelation. Irish right-back Seamus Coleman is not only a good defender, but he is superb at bringing the ball forward at his feet and finding his team-mates in dangerous attacking areas.

Left-back Leighton Baines' set play ability needs no introduction. In open play, he is mobile, good in possession and also delivers accurate crosses into the opposition penalty box.

In front of the defensive shield provided by Barry and McCarthy, Martinez has usually opted for Kevin Mirallas and Steven Pienaar in the wide areas.

Belgian Mirallas can create and score goals, chalking up five goals and the same number of assists this term. The 26-year-old can dribble, pass and shoot accurately and with power and is a useful alternative to Baines from set plays. He will likely play on the right, cutting inside on his stronger left foot.

Pienaar is less likely to run with the ball, choosing instead to use his elusive movement to get into space before finding his team-mates with his accurate passing. He is also a hard-working player who will cover whenever Baines goes flying up the left wing.

A third option on the wing is Irishman Aiden McGeady, who joined Everton from Russian side Spartak Moscow in January 2014. He is an old-fashioned dribbler.

In the centre, England youngster Ross Barkley has been a revelation this term and could win his place back from the more defensive Leon Osman on Saturday. A tall, strong player, Barkley likes to bring the ball forward into space before unleashing accurate, well-struck shots or creating chances for his colleagues.

Up front, Mirallas' international team-mate Romelu Lukaku is set to return to lead the line following an ankle injury. Tall, powerful, blessed with a good touch and both finishing aerial ability, Lukaku is a handful, as West Ham found to their cost in the reverse fixture in September. The 20-year-old has a team-high nine league goals to his name since joining on a season-long loan from Chelsea.