Sunderland are currently at the bottom of the Premier League with just 25 points. With 2 games in hand on both Fulham and Cardiff however, a win against Everton could still see the Black Cats escape the drop.
Sunderland star man Adam Johnson will be expected to ignite his sides campaign to escape the drop zone. Johnson is the Black Cat’s top scorer with 8 goals in 29 Premier League appearances. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index shows that he has had 14 out of a possible 33 shots on target. He has also made 98 attacking contributions (shots on target, crosses, assists and dribbles); the highest at the club.
John O’Shea will be expected to use his experience to sure up the Sunderland defence following their embarrassing 5-1 defeat to Spurs. The 32 year-old has made 228 defensive contributions (tackles won, blocks, interceptions and clearances) this season.
Marco Alonso won 100% of the 4 tackles he made last week against Spurs. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index shows that the Spaniard also made 12 defensive contributions more than any of his team mates. Alonso, will be have his work cut out against the likes of Everton’s Lukaku this weekend.
With a game in hand against 4th placed Arsenal and only 1 point behind them in 5th place, Everton will be looking to take the dream of Champions League football one step closer to reality this weekend when they take on struggling Sunderland. The Toffees will be full of confidence following their convincing victory over the Gunners.
Romelu Lukaku once again featured on the score sheet for Everton as he took his season total to 13; the highest at the club. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index shows that he has had 37 out of a possible 58 shots on target this season; that’s an accuracy of 64%.
Ross Barkley will feel that he is giving Roy Hodgson something to think about as he considers the squad selection for England’s trip to Brazil this summer. Barkley had 2 shots on target against Arsenal as well as completing 27 passes in the Gunners’ half.
Sylvain Distin will be charged with keeping Adam Johnson under control when Everton travel to Sunderland this weekend. Distin leads the way at Everton this season in defence with 357 defensive contributions (tackles won, blocks, interceptions and clearances).