Everton will welcome Peterborough United to Goodison Park for an FA Cup third-round clash on Thursday. Peterborough defeated fourth-tier side Notts County in the second round in November, recording a 4-3 win.
The hosts are winless in their last five games, suffering two consecutive defeats. They met Bournemouth in their first Premier League match of the year last week and suffered a 1-0 away loss.
Posh have also endured a poor run of form, suffering four losses in their last five games. After a 2-2 draw against Burton Albion on New Year's Day, they suffered a 1-0 away loss to Wrexham in the Football League One last week.
The Toffees have suffered consecutive defeats while failing to score and will look to return to goalscoring ways here. They have scored just one goal in their last five league games, which is a cause for concern.
Youssef Chermiti and Dwight McNeil are confirmed absentees while Armando Broja and Jesper Lindstrom picked up knocks last week and face late fitness tests. Dominic Calvert-Lewin also reported an ankle issue in training and is a doubt.
Posh have lost four of their last five games, conceding 11 goals, and might struggle here. They have won just one of their 27 meetings against top-flight teams. Interestingly, they have scored four goals in their two games in the FA Cup this term and will look to build on that form.
Kwame Poku will miss the match due to a hamstring injury and Rio Adebisi is a long-term absentee. Mahamadou Susoho is also not an option for this match.
While both teams have endured a poor run of form, the hosts have the upper hand in terms of squad quality and should be able to eke out a reasonably comfortable win.
Prediction: Everton 3-1 Peterborough United
Tip 1: Result - Everton to win
Tip 2: Goals - Over/Under 2.5 Goals - Over 2.5 goals
Tip 3: At least one goal to be scored in the first half - Yes
Tip 4: Everton to win both halves - Yes