Everton v West Ham United: Premier League – live!

A pre-match blow for West Ham, whose first-choice keeper is injured in the warm-up.

Everton haven’t played since Boxing Day, because the game with Man City was postponed. The Hammers are about to play their third game since Christmas (they’ve drawn with Brighton and at Southampton). David Moyes isn’t happy with the fixture list.

Matt Burtz writes: “This Everton fan dares to dream of a league title. If that doesn’t happen, top four is certainly within reach, especially considering this recent run of wins has been without James Rodriguez, Lucas Digne, and other key figures. With Carlo at the helm, seemingly anything is possible.”

The transfer window is open. Again. But what does *your* team want to get out of it? Read on:

Perhaps the most eyecatching team news there is the return of James Rodriguez to Everton’s bench – he’s been out for almost a month and it could be a real gamechanger for them to have him back. Michael Keane is also on the bench; Alex Iwobi out injured.

For West Ham, Said Benrahma is back in the starting XI while Jarred Bowen and Vladimir Coufal also return.

You have to dream the dream! Everton fans, think the top four – as a minimum – is *on* this year?

Everton: Pickford; Coleman, Holgate, Mina, Godfrey; Doucoure, Davies; Bernard, Sigurdsson, Richarlison; Calvert-Lewin. Subs: Olsen, Lossl, Keane, Tosun, Nkounkou, Rodriguez, Gomes, Gordon, Branthwaite.

West Ham: Fabianski; Coufal, Dawson, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Rice, Soucek; Bowen, Fornals, Benrahma; Haller. Subs: Randolph, Johnson, Diop, Balbuena, Noble, Lanzini, Snodgrass, Yarmolenko, Antonio.

… and happy new year! It’s what it says on the tin, a new one and hopefully a significantly better one. Trust you have all seen it in cheerfully, safely and healthily – and now let’s crack on with something that will hopefully be a thing of the past by the end of 2021: Premier League football without fans.

It’s a cracking prospect, though, this one! Everton go second if they win, at least for an hour or two, and would really tighten things up at the top by going a point behind them down the road. They have won four straight league games despite a significant number of injury problems so today can be filed under “opportunity”.

To be fair, facing West Ham counts less as one of those than it used to. David Moyes, who would have loved to take Everton on to the “next level” back in the day, returns with a side that looks decidedly competent these days, if a little shaky on the current form front with one win from their last six. Is this where, and when, they turn it back around and move level on points (again, for now) with that gaggle of clubs on the fringes of the European spots?

Find out soon! 5.30pm UK time soon!