Everton v Leicester City: Team news, predictions & odds

The game kicks off at 1600 GMT at Goodison Park, live on Sky Sports HD.

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Everton v Leicester City: Manager quotes  

Ronald Koeman (Everton)

On Ashley Williams and Romelu Lukaku's on-pitch row: "What I like to see is passion and they need to understand we need to support each other, but finally I saw a reaction because in this case I think we are too nice together.

"You have to ask, you have to talk and maybe sometimes you need to shout. I don't have any problem with that because it's also an emotional part.

"The two boys spoke already to each other and there's no problem. I like this because you need to do everything to win the game and after you can be friends, but not on the pitch." 

On the rest of the season: "We are fighting for European football, maybe that is something to realise for everybody.

"If you finish seventh, it's a really successful season. If we get more out of that, then it's fantastic.

"I expect if we get six points out of the next two home games with Leicester and Burnley that we will fight for the fifth and sixth places." 

Craig Shakespeare (Leicester City)

On Wes Morgan: "Wes Morgan is still out, although he's put his boots on and been on the grass.

"It would be a lot to ask him to come back for a game of that magnitude in Madrid. I would want him to do a few training sessions first and at the moment that looks highly unlikely.

"It is a big loss but Yohan (Benalouane) has come in and done well.

"Wes, since I've been here, rarely misses a day's training. It is a new experience. He is still in and around the lads, playing a part off the pitch. He comes in the dressing room, before the game and at half-time. I encourage him to be in and around it." 

Asked if he might rest key players against Everton, just three days ahead of the club's first ever Champions League quarter-final, he added: "I'll assess the squad over the next 24 hours.

"I'll talk to the staff and I will pick a team who can win the game at Everton. My sole focus is on Everton, not Madrid." 

Everton v Leicester City: Team news 

Ashley Williams is suspended for Everton's Premier League clash with Leicester at Goodison Park on Sunday.

The Welshman must serve a one-match ban having been dismissed late on against Manchester United in midweek for deliberate handball, joining fellow defenders Ramiro Funes Mori (knee) and Seamus Coleman (broken leg) on the sidelines.

Morgan Schneiderlin (calf) will be assessed on Saturday and could return, though there will be no comeback for James McCarthy (hamstring). 

Leicester will still be without captain Wes Morgan.

Morgan has missed the last three matches with a back injury and he will remain on the sidelines at Goodison Park, as well as missing the first leg of the Foxes' Champions League quarter-final clash in Madrid next week.

Midfielder Nampalys Mendy is also still out with his knee problem and he is set to see a specialist.

Teams

Everton (from): Robles, Stekelenburg, Jagielka, Pennington, Holgate, Baines, Kenny, Davies, Gueye, Barry, Barkley, Calvert-Lewin, Mirallas, Lookman, Lukaku, Valencia, Kone. 

Leicester (from): Schmeichel, Hamer, Zieler, Simpson, Huth, Wasilewski, Benalouane, Chilwell, Fuchs, Gray, Albrighton, Ndidi, King, Drinkwater, Amartey, Kapustka, Mahrez, Ulloa, Vardy, Slimani, Musa, Okazaki. 

Everton v Leicester City: Our prediction 

3pts Jamie Vardy to score anytime in Everton v Leicester at 3/1 - right at the peak of his powers again and can find leaks in an inexperienced defensive unit 

Our Matt Brocklebank writes... It would be a cheap shot to suggest five wins in five represents title-winning form for Leicester, but the point is they’ve showed great cohesion, fighting spirit and a pinch of last season’s swashbuckling style since Craig Shakespeare was handed the reins. 

The million-dollar question remains though: ‘How on earth did it all go so badly wrong for Claudio Ranieri?’ 

That’s unlikely to be answered in any depth for years to come and Shakespeare insists his focus is solely on ensuring the Foxes can no longer mathematically suffer the ignominy of going down as champions. 

The aforementioned run has essentially put paid to those fears and seen them streak eight points clear of the drop-zone into 11th but they go into Sunday’s game as outsiders and it’s hard to escape the notion they’re capable of springing an upset at Goodison. 

Everton have improved a great deal under Ronald Koeman, of that there can be little doubt, and a late charge past Manchester United and/or Arsenal would not be the shock of the season. 

They’ve only lost once at home in the league all year (against Liverpool) and have Burnley to come next Saturday, back-to-back games which could set them up nicely for the run-in which includes the visit of Chelsea at the end of the month, and a trip to Arsenal to finish with. 

However, for all their attacking excellence and Romelu Lukaku’s exceptional influence on a side that has been winning at half-time and full-time in their past five home matches, the Toffees have had some pitiful luck lately. On top of the injuries to Aidan Coleman and Ramiro Funes Mori, Ashley Williams now serves a ban after being sent off for deliberate handball against Manchester United in midweek. 

Koeman was already having to experiment with his youth players and looks set to bring Matthew Pennington back into the side to partner Phil Jagielka at centre-back. 

That could just provide an already confident Jamie Vardy with extra enthusiasm for the game and if he’s joined by Islam Slimani and Marc Albrighton – both excellent from the bench against Sunderland on Tuesday – in the starting XI, then Leicester seem bound to create enough chances to win the game. 

At the other end they’re still prone to the odd defensive wobble but three clean sheets in four represents an upturn in that department too recently and it’s good to see Wes Morgan in contention again following a back problem. 

So despite Everton’s near-bombproof home record and Leicester still seeking their second Premier League victory away from the King Power, the visitors’ hot form, together with Everton’s injury issues, make Leicester a decent play and Vardy should be backed to play a key role in proceedings.

He wasn’t involved when Leicester won at Goodison in the FA Cup in January but has looked right back to his best with seven goals in his last nine appearances and rates the bet of the day to enhance that tally against a back four which is far from Koeman’s first choice combination.     

Prediction: Everton 2-3 Leicester 

Everton v Leicester City: Opta facts 

Everton beat Leicester 2-0 in December, but haven’t done the league double over the Foxes since 1986/87. 

Leicester’s only Premier League win at Goodison Park came last season in December 2015, but they’ve only lost twice there too (D7). 

Thirteen of the previous 21 Premier League contests between these two sides have ended level, the greatest draw ratio for a Premier League fixture played over 20 times (62%). 

Kevin Mirallas has scored in each of his last three Premier League games against Leicester City. 

Leicester haven’t won back-to-back Premier League games away from home in nearly a year – a run of three wins in April 2016. o Everton have won their last six Premier League matches at Goodison Park, scoring 22 goals and keeping five clean sheets. They haven’t won seven in a row since April 2014. 

Romelu Lukaku has had a hand in 18 goals in 14 Premier League home appearances this season (13 goals, five assists). The Belgian striker has hit 10 goals in his last six league games at Goodison Park. 

Jamie Vardy has scored twice and assisted another two goals in three previous Premier League games against the Toffees. 

Vardy has scored five goals in six competitive matches since Craig Shakespeare first took charge of the Foxes – this compared to seven goals in 32 games under Claudio Ranieri in 2016-17. 

Craig Shakespeare (five wins) could equal the Premier League record for consecutive wins from the start of his managerial career in the competition with a victory in this game. The record is currently held by both Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti (six wins from first six games). 

Leicester's record in the months of April and May (combined) in the last three Premier League seasons is played 18, won 13, drawn 4, lost 1 – winning 43 points from a possible 54 (80%). 

Everton v Leicester City: Sky Bet odds

Everton are Sky Bet’s 3/4 favourites for the victory as Leicester are considered 18/5 outsiders, while the draw is priced at 11/4. The Foxes’ upturn in form under Craig Shakespeare has seen them drift out to 150/1 to face relegation, while Ronald Koeman’s side have been similarly dismissed from the top-four race at odds of 200/1. Romelu Lukaku heads the first goalscorer betting at 3/1 with Jamie Vardy a 7/1 chance, while the strike duo are 5/1 to both find the net. 

Click for Sky Bet's Everton v Leicester City odds!

Lukaku and Vardy are both among the Elite Player for Super Sunday’s Fantasy Six-a-Side clash, with £5,000 up for grabs for the highest scoring team. Pick your side here.