Tactically speaking - Everton

West Ham United

West Ham United have teamed up with football stats website WhoScored.com to preview the upcoming Barclays Premier League meeting with Everton.
 
The Hammers will aim to secure back-to-back league wins at home on Saturday, in the process extending their current four-match unbeaten run in East London. They are presented with the ideal opportunity to continue their good home form against an Everton side struggling on their travels. The Toffees have just one win to their name from their last six league games away from Goodison Park, with that coming at relegated Queens Park Rangers.
 
Outstanding left-back Aaron Cresswell is likely to play a key role when the two teams meet. The England hopeful won a hat-trick of trophies at the Player Awards ceremony earlier this month, which included the Hammer of the Year award.
 
Cresswell has been ever-present in the West Ham starting XI and is one of only seven players to play every minute of the current Barclays Premier League season. The 25-year-old has been a consistent performer under Sam Allardyce this term, catching the eye going forward and in defensive areas.
 
The defender’s best asset is his ability to create goalscoring chances for his teammates. The modern day full-back is tasked with providing an offensive threat from deep, which Cresswell offers for his side. The former Ipswich star has gained statistically calculated WhoScored.com strengths of ‘key passes’ and ‘crossing’, further accentuating his creative ability.
 
The defensive side of his game also stands out, with Cresswell boasting a WhoScored.com strength of ‘concentration’. He rarely commits errors that put his team under pressure and with Everton boss Roberto Martínez implementing a system that allows right-back Seamus Coleman to flourish, the latter looks set to go toe-to-toe with his Hammers counterpart.
 
Cresswell will need to keep his wits about him to ensure Coleman does not catch him out when the Irishman does press forward. However, as he has proven time and time again, Cresswell is rarely caught out of position in defence, which should limit Coleman’s influence.
 
As West Ham aim to send their fans away from the Boleyn Ground with a smile on their face for the final time this season, the welcome of an Everton side which has lost its last two matches offers a chance to pick up a further three points and cross the 50-point barrier for the first time since 2008/09.
 
*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

The possible starting XI
  The formation
 
Roberto Martinez has chopped and changed his formation in recent months, seeking the winning formula that has eluded his Everton team for much of the 2014/15 season.

The Spaniard prefers a 4-2-3-1 system, however, and utilised that shape in last weekend’s 2-0 home Barclays Premier League defeat by Sunderland.

While that result, on paper, suggests Everton played particularly badly, the statistics – 73% possession, 22 shots on goal, 15 corners – illustrate a rather different story. It was a lack of cutting edge, and two hugely fortunate Sunderland goals, that cost the Toffees a deserved victory.

Formation-wise, Everton play with a flat back four, with attacking full-backs and two deep-lying midfielders sitting in front of the defence.

In attacking positions, Ross Barkley roams from a central position, with two wide midfielders combining with their full-backs and supporting centre forward Romelu Lukaku.

The playing style
 
Everton like to play the possession-based game favoured by Martinez throughout his time in British football – illustrated by an average of 55% possession and 83% pass completion achieved this season.

When Everton get the ball, they keep it for extended periods, but the criticism of the Toffees in 2014/15 is that they simply have not done enough with that possession.

Indeed, overplaying inside their own half has caused Everton problems this season, exposing their defence to quick opposition attacks. As a result, Martinez’s side have conceded more goals (48) than they have scored (46).

However, when Everton do get it right, they are a joy to behold. With two outstanding attacking full-backs flying forward at every opportunity and Belgian frontman Romelu Lukaku providing a focal point, the Toffees can get the ball forward, in behind and rip opposition defences to shreds.

Everton love to get the ball wide, with 72% of their attacks coming down the flanks. However, when it comes to shooting, 59% of the Toffees’ attempts on goal are taken from the middle third of the pitch.

From set pieces, Everton usually benefit from the outstanding delivery of Leighton Baines, with the likes of Lukaku and Phil Jagielka providing decent-sized targets inside the penalty area, but the left-back is injured.
 
The players
 
Everton have got a very good starting XI and, in all honesty, a very strong squad. For that reason, it is surprising that they have struggled for consistency this season.

Has it been down to a draining UEFA Europa League run? Was it complacency after finishing in an outstanding fifth position last season? Has it been down to the perceived inflexibility in Everton’s style of play?

Whatever the reason, West Ham United would still be hugely foolish to under-estimate Everton this afternoon.

American veteran Tim Howard is back from injury in goal.

Everton’s full-backs Seamus Coleman and Baines are outstanding attacking outlets, linking with their midfielders and getting in behind and quality crosses into the opposition box. Luke Garbutt will fill in for the England international on Saturday.

In the centre, youngster John Stones is a ball-playing defender who is also physical enough to give any striker a run for their money. Jagielka is more of a stopper, but the captain is strong, committed and a threat from set plays.

Of the deep-lying midfielders, James McCarthy is more likely to get forward, with and without the ball, while Gareth Barry will collect from the defence and prompt attacks with his accurate passing.

Aaron Lennon is quick, direct and will cut inside to give Coleman room to overlap, while on the left Leon Osman is energetic, mobile and technically proficient. Either could be replaced by Belgian Kevin Mirallas, and is a threat cutting inside from the left on his strong right foot.

Ross Barkley is an enigmatic talent who loves to pick the ball up and run at the opposition from deep.

Lukaku can be unstoppable on his day – which usually comes against West Ham – when his ability to play with his back to goal, link up the play, shoot or head powerfully and run in behind provide a real menace.