Follow every kick as Everton take on Birmingham City at Goodison Park in the Premier League
on 20-Dec-2009, kick off time 15:00
Everton v Birmingham City Live
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Birmingham City will look to equal a club record of six top-flight wins in succession when they travel to Goodison Park to play Everton on Sunday, potentially matching a record set between January and March 1959 under Pat Beasley. City are level on points with Liverpool heading into the Christmas period, something that has no doubt surprised and delighted fans of the Second City side.
Everton, in contrast, have won only one of their last 10 Premier League games and have conceded at least two goals in each of their last five league encounters, a trend that helps identify their defence as a definite weakness. Birmingham's backline has no such worries and their total of seven clean sheets can only be bettered by leaders Chelsea (nine).
The Blues are particularly strong before half-time, having conceded only six times in the opening 45 minutes all season. Everton's injury list continues to send shudders through the club, with Phil Neville, Joseph Yobo, Victor Anichebe, Phil Jagielka and Mikel Arteta all definitely out of contention. Sylvain Distin and Dan Gosling could return from knocks, however. Birmingham will continue to be without Stuart Parnaby, Garry O'Connor and Teemu Tainio, but the players who have fired the Blues up to seventh in the league table, including recent goalscorers Christian Benitez, Lee Bowyer and Cameron Jerome, should all be available.
City forward James McFadden returns to Goodison Park in confident mood, declaring to the Birmingham official website: "I was there for four-and-a-half years and I loved my time there, although unfortunately I never played as much as I would have liked. "But I'm going back there as Birmingham player and we're riding high and hopefully we can get three points." McFadden also praised his boss Alex McLeish, saying: "The manager will make sure we don't get complacent or go into a comfort zone."
Source: DSG
