• Date: Sun 28 December 2008
  • Venue: Goodison Park
  • Ref: Styles, R
  • Attendance: 39,146
Everton

Everton

Arteta (10)

Arteta (27)

Gosling (83)

3 - 0

Everton vs Sunderland

Team Lineups

Everton

Tim Howard
Phil Neville
Tony Hibbert
Joleon Lescott
Leighton Baines
Phil Jagielka
Marouane Fellaini (Victor Anichebe, 77)
Tim Cahill (Lukas Jutkiewicz, 86)
Steven Pienaar
Leon Osman (Dan Gosling, 69)
Mikel Arteta

Sunderland

Marton Fulop
Nyron Nosworthy
Phil Bardsley
Danny Collins
Steed Malbranque (Carlos Edwards, 46)
Kieran Richardson
Dean Whitehead
Teemu Tainio (Dwight Yorke, 75)
Daryl Murphy
Djibril Cisse (David Healy, 75)
Kenwyne Jones


Live Text Commentary
Full time
 

Full Time: EVERTON 3-0 SUNDERLAND. The final whistle goes and Everton have cruised to just their second home win of the season as Sunderland never threatened to continue their recent good away form.

90

Steven Pienaar should have made it 4-0 as Gosling slipped him through on Fulop but the South African failed to take advantage.

88

You can tell the Everton players are enjoying themselves now as Phil Neville strides forward to hit one from long range that flashes just over the cross bar.

87
Substitution
 

Everton are making another late change as another youngster, Lukas Jutkiewicz, replaces the hard-working Tim Cahill.

86

Now the home fans are able to relax and the atmosphere has improved in the aftermath of that goal and really the hosts have not had to get out of second gear for most of this one.

83
Goal
 

EVERTON 3-0 SUNDERLAND. Game over! Joleon Lescott is allowed to advance towards the penalty area and he feeds a delightful ball low into the box and GOSLING is there to ease it intop the bottom corner for his first Everton goal.

81

Arteta fizzes the ball into the feet of Anichebe and the striker flicks cleverly through for Gosling in behind but Fulop is out smartly to make a good one-on-one save.

79

Everton have been poor in this second half and should really have put this game out of sight as Sunderland have been there for the taking but if the Black Cats get one now then the nerves will surely set in.

77
Substitution
 

Victor Anichebe is making his return from injury in place of Fellaini.

75
Substitution
 

Sbragia is making a double change as Cisse and Tainio are replaced by David Healy and Dwight Yorke.

73
Yellow Card
 

Dean Whitehead goes into the book for dissent.

72
Yellow Card
 

Teemu Tainio collects a yellow card for a foul on sustitute Gosling.

70
Substitution
 

Everton are making their first change as Leon Osman who was a surprise starter after injury is replaced by young Dan Gosling in midfield.

69

Everton sense they need to up the tempo and Leon Osman, on his 150th Premier League appearance, turns on the edge of the box to hit a shot that slides just wide of the far post.

68

Between them RIchardson and Cisse make a complete hash of the free-kick and Everton are out of danger immediately.

68
Yellow Card
 

Murphy drives towards the box with the ball and Jagielka slides in but misses the ball and collects a booking too.

66

Sunderland show some life in attack at last with Edwards jinking past two in midfield before trying his luck from 25 yards and forcing a decent diving stop from Howard.

64

The Black Cats are starting to take control of the midfield battle but Phil Jagielka, who as well as Tim Howard has played every minute of Everton's Premier League season so far, has been superb in the air when they launch it.

61

Kenwyne Jones can appear to have an effortless style but today he really does not look interested and you could probably count the number of touches for the man from Trinidad & Tobago on your hands.

58

The second half has really not got going at all and although Sunderland do look a lot more solid since the break they are still posing no attacking threat.

55
Yellow Card
 

Steven Pienaar is tugged back for all of 30 yards by Phil Bardsley and eventually referee Styles stops the play and books Bardsley.

53

You would think with their team so on top at the break the Everton fans would be in brash mood but there is an uneasy atmosphere surrounding Goodison Park as if the fans are nervous about their poor home record.

50

Sunderland have got another problem now as Danny Coliins is suffering from a very bloody nose and is receiving treatment at the side of the pitch.

48

Everton have come out in a less gung-ho fashion as they try to secure the two-goal lead for the first few minutes after the break and Sunderland are seeing a bit of the ball at last.

Second half
 

The second half is underway.

46
Substitution
 

Sunderland are making a change at the break as Carlos Edwards comes on for Steed Malbranque who kept up his record of starting every Premier League game of the season.

Half time
 

Half Time: EVERTON 2-0 SUNDERLAND. Everton have totally dominated the first half and completely deserve their lead as Sunderland have proved unable to impose themselves in the middle of the park.

42

Everton seem to be really enjoying this at the moment and who wouldn't? Sunderland are showing nothing in attack and it is has been a training exercise since Arteta's first goal.

40

Daryl Murphy, making his 100th league appearance for Sunderland today, looked very bright in the opening stages but he has been slowly forced further back towards his left-back as Everton push forward with wave after wave of attack.

36

The ball just keeps coming back into the Sunderland penalty area as Everton launch a siege to try and grab the third goal that would surely finish things off here at Goodison.

34

The Toffees are in cruise control and Sunderland are unable to get their foot on the ball in the middle of the park as the game continues to drift away from them.

31

Glorious chance! Mikel Arteta curls a superb ball, yet again, into the box and Cahill rises unmarked but he fails to keep his header under the bar when he really should have scored.

30

Malbranque is a little lucky to still be on the pitch as he slices down Baines again but referee Styles lets him off with just a warning.

29

Everton are well on top now and Sunderland appear to be struggling to stick with them and suddenly visions of last season's 7-1 defeat here must be returning for Black Cats fans.

26
Goal
 

EVERTON 2-0 SUNDERLAND. It is two! ARTETA'S free-kick strikes the wall buit he hits the rebound back past Fulop and into the net, with the aid of a deflection.

25
Yellow Card
 

Steed Malbranque collects the first booking of the match for a poor challenge on Pienaar.

25

Out of the blue comes a horrible mistake from Collins as he lets the ball run for Fulop but Fellaini is alive to it and only a superb sliding block from Richardson prevents Everton taking a 2-0 lead.

23

Everton look dangerous whenever they attack despite lacking an orthodox striker with Cahill and Fellaini forging a decent understanding in the attacking third. The game has hit a bit of a lull though in the last ten minutes or so.

20

Sunderland did begin brightly but they have dropped the pace and seem to be struggling to impose themselves now - perhaps because arguably their best midfielder, Kieran Richardson, is being employed at left-back.

17

The Arteta goal has really settled Everton down as they look to have found a comfortable rhythm and they are enjoying playing the ball around in the midfield with ease.

14

Chance missed for Everton! Baines advances down the left flank to lift a ball into the box that Fellaine, as ever, is first to and Cahill pounces on his knock down but can only fire straight at Fulop.

12

Everton are starting to find their stride but they do have the worst home record in the Premier League ahead of this game so anything could yet happen.

9
Goal
 

EVERTON 1-0 SUNDERLAND. A stunning free-kick from Mikel ARTETA gives Everton the lead as he blasts the set-piece through the wall and Fulop barely even saw it. Great strike!

7

Everton are keeping the ball well but have lacked any great penetration in the opening stages with Sunderland looking more threatening on the break with the pace of Cisse.

4

The visitors have made a decent start here and Daryl Murphy is already causing a couple of problems for Tony HIbbert.

2

An early half chance for Sunderland as Cisse bursts past Jagielka but the nagle is too tight for him and his shot in the end is easy for Howard to collect.

1
Kickoff
 

Rob Styles is the man in charge today and he gets us underway.

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Sunderland: Fulop, Whitehead, Nosworthy, Collins, Bardsley, Malbranque, Tainio, Richardson, Murphy, Cisse, Jones.

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Everton: Howard, Hibbert, Jagielka, Lescott, Baines, Arteta, Osman, Neville, Fellaini, Pienaar, Cahill.

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Sunderland have confirmed Ricky Sbragia as their full-time boss for the next 18 months and they have seen an up turn in form, although they were fortunate to take a point from a dull Boxing Day fixture with Blackburn after Jason Roberts' late miss.

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Everton are still in the grip of a striker crisis as Tim Cahill continues as a lone front man, although they are delighted to see at least one natural striker back on the bench in the shape of VIctor Anichebe.

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Welcome to Goodison Park where in-form Everton welcome Sunderland who have started to improve under the leadership of Ricky Sbragia.