21.54. Everton were far from their best whereas West Brom were at times at their best. The former is a Champions League-chasing club and the other flirting with a relegation struggle though, so with that kind of form a draw was always the most likely result. As for entertainment value it was a solid 6/10 and probably doesn't mean that much in the grand scheme of things. We do know that West Brom will desparate to avoid a massive ban for Anelka though, as he was most of their attacking threat.
FULL TIME
Oh Silvain! From the free kick the ball falls to Gareth Barry, who is in plenty of space. He hits a low shot that's goes in, but Distin was stood on the line and needlessly touched it on its way into the net! Had Distin not been there that would have been the win for Everton. Alas, the final whistle goes and it's a draw.
90 min + 4 Free kick with thirty seconds left to Everton, down near West Brom's left-hand corner flag. Baines will take and...
90 min + 3 There will be four additional minutes, by the way. So one more.
90 min + 2 Lukaku has a chance to attack down the right now. He's crowded out but hits a shot anyway. It bounces up off of Ridgewell and Lukaku heads it towards goal. Foster comes out and dives on it though with Naismith, in an on-side position, lurking.
90 min + 1 Brunt runs over it and Reid hits a curling shot, which is on target but easily held by Howard. Needed more pace on the shot, or far, far cannier placement.
90 min Free kick to West Brom in a good position as Yacob and Mirallas jump for the same ball and the latter nudges the former in the back. It's just under 30 yards out, pretty much dead centre...
89 min Everton change: Osman off, Naismith on.
88 min Again Brunt is allowed space on the left between Coleman and Jagielka, and again he teases in a lovely cross than none of his teammates deign to get into the box for.
84 min Stones plays a neat ball into the area after cutting back on to his left foot. The first defender can barely poke it with his toe when it should have been cleared, but Lugano comes across well to outmuscle Mirallas. After being at fault for Everton's opener, Lugano has been excellent today.
83 min McGeady shows a good bit of skill to find Baines on the left. The England man crosses from Lukaku, who acrobatically moves to volley but crucially fails to actually kick the ball.
81 min Dozy from Distin who allows the ball to roll out of play, not realising it was last touched by an Everton player. West Brom have their collective tail up now and a rocket lit underneath it. Lukaku heads the corner away.
80 min Anichebe turns Jagielka and slides a lovely ball in for the overlapping Brunt down the left. Berahino is too slow down the right though and can't get to the swerving ball whipped across the face of goal. For Everton Oviedo goes off and Aidan McGeady comes on for his Premier League debut.
77 min Berahino replaces Anelka. The West Brom crowd are in fine fettle and are on their feet as Morrisson finds the new man Berahino on the right of the box, but he doesn't have any angle at all and shoots straight at Howard. Coleman has tweaked his hamstring and is replaced by John Stones.
GOAL! West Brom 1-1 Everton (Lugano 76)
Goal The defender stayed up and it pays off! McCarthy, whom I'd forgotten was even playing today, stands off Anichebe and allows the former Everton man to cross powerfully from the byline. Lugano dives on to it and heads into the top corner!
75 min Anichebe holds the ball up near the right hand post and turns well, winning a corner. Brunt takes and Lugano heads it up in the air. Yacob does the same but Howard catches easily
But then...
73 min Reid lumps one forward and Anichebe gets a good touch with his head for Anelka to run on to the ball. It's good positioning by Coleman though, who twists and uses his body to shield the ball. West Brom look set to make their final change, with Berahino coming on shortly.
72 min It'll actually be Mirallas and he'll shoot. It dips a foot or so over the bar.
71 min Free kick to Everton as Mirallas jinks between Lugano and Yacob. His final touch is too heavy but he runs into the Uruguayan defender and wins the free kick. Baines will take, I reckon, 20 yards from goal in line with the left-hand corner of the box.
69 min Coleman jinks into the area but is tackled well by Brunt. Anichebe looks to counter into the space left by Coleman, but his pull back is half-charged down and then picked up well by Howard on the byline.
68 min Leighton Baines loses possession on halfway with a shockingly lazy touch. Anelka thanks him and takes the ball, nipping past him only to be brought down by Baines' trailing leg. It's a nailed-on yellow card, which Michael Oliver bizarrely fails to produce.
65 min Reid hangs another high ball into the box - West Brom have tried that a few times - which Anichebe nods down nicely, so I guess you'd have to say it's a decent idea. Morrisson then lumps a first time shot to Birmingham.
63 min Morrisson runs with the fire in his eyes towards the edge of the Everton box. Barry is as nonchalant as a hipster listening to a U2 record and disposseses him with ease. Gareth Barry should be in the England side before Tom Cleverley.
61 min Olsson squeezes Coleman into the corner but the Irishman's cross is wonderful. It finds the head of the increasingly-influential Mirallas, who heads it wide.
60 min Pepe Mel doesn't even look that dissimilar to Steve Clarke. He brings on Yussuf Mulumbu now for Zoltan Gera. West Brom look exactly the same side they have all season.
59 min Mirallas now outpaces Yacob down the Everton right and crosses towards Lukaku, who slides in but it's well charged-down by Lugano. Nothing comes from the corner.
57 min Mirallas and Reid go shoulder-to-shoulder and the Everton man is harshly penalised for being a bit stronger.
55 min Good chance now for West Brom! Anelka jogs down the right and plays a lovely ball in for Anichebe, but under pressure from Jagielka he knocks it weakly at Howard from a couple of yards out. Everton look to counter through Coleman, but he's cynically checked by Ridgewell, who is booked.
54 min Barry plays a nice first-time ball for Baines, whose cross is deflected but held comfortably by the keeper.
52 min Brunt hangs up a cross from the left and Baines looks nervous under it with Gera lurking and Howard reluctant to offer support. Gera goes for it by Baines does well to stand his ground and Gera falls over.
50 min Anichebe holds it up on the edge of the area and finds someone or other on the right. Someone or other pulls it back to Morrison who shoots first time from the edge of the area. It's low and towards the corner, but weak and held by Howard. Down the other end Coleman crosses from the right and Lugano just about deflects it away from Mirallas. Barry is then booked for a cynical trip on Anelka who was looking to break.
47 min Nothing happens from it.
46 min Here we go with the second half, as is tradition. Vydra is off for West Brom, Anichebe on. The home side get a corner straight away as Brunt runs down the left and Coleman charges down his cross.
HALF TIME
That was a mildly entertaining half. It was even and both sides are showing positive intent, but Everton have marginally more technical ability. This is going to finish fairly close, I'll wager.
Incidentally real journalist Paul Hayward thinks that Manchester City will win the league. How can he make such a brazen prediction? Here's how.
But Matt Law says Chelsea. Thoughts?
45 min + 2 Lukaku looks to be away here but it's a good strong challenge from Lugano and the Belgian striker is forced wide. And indeed with that it's half time.
45 min + 1 Great chance for Gera now as he charges into the box and finds space where Jagielka should be. That's happened far too often for Everton's liking today. Sadly for the home side Gera falls over as he pulls it back towards Vydra and it's knocked behind for a corner. From the corner Distin shoves Lugano forcefully out the way, but it's not a penalty because the rules say that defenders aren't allowed to be punished for fouls at corners unless they actually beat someone to death. I think that's right anyway.
44 min Oviedo canters down the right, but with all the time and space in the world his low cross fails to beat the first man.
GOAL! West Brom 0-1 Everton (Mirallas 41)
Goal From nothing Everton have the lead! It was a good nod down by Lukaku, who showed excellent strength to win the ball. Lugano is too slow running back and Mirallas nips in ahead of him and rolls it under Foster.
38 min Pressure from West Brom now as Vydra, played onside by Distin, gets in behind Coleman. There's no one in the box though and he has to check; by the time the cavalry arrives the Everton defence had done the same.
35 min Yacob is harshly booked for a challenge on Barry. It was very much a 50/50 challenge in the centre of the park. Again Everton, who have been trying to make something happen, lack coherence in attack.
32 min It's an MBM, it's nothing to do with Manchester United, so Kiran Kulkarni is emailing tediously about Manchester United:
Moyes' team is currently underperforming compared to the same squad under Ferguson..Martinez' team is over performing compared to Moyes' Everton. So is Moyes' worse than the average manager, or is Martinez as good as Ferguson?
This isn't the same Everton though, is it? Moyes didn't have Lukaku for one thing and last season had an out-of-form Jelavic instead. Ferguson also had van Persie and Rooney fit throughout, as well as Paul Scholes. Also - and my views aren't representative of The Telegraph - I hate United.
30 min West Brom get their first chance as Anelka knocks a delightful little pass into the box for Gera, who has plenty of space, Howard parrying comfortably enough though as Gera shoots from 20 yards.
29 min There's a chance for Everton as they attack down the right. There's a sea of bodies in the box and it pings through most of them before arriving at the feet of Coleman. Unlike his team mates, he's not blocked and can get a shot away from a tight angle. The shot is blocked though on the line.
28 min Baines plays one over the top and Olsson misses it, but Lukaku is penalised for a push.
26 min Nice idea here as Oviedo gives it to Barry, but the former England midfielder's return pass is overhit and goes out for a goal kick. Both sides are showing enterprise and coming up with some nice ideas, but said ideas aren't being matched by the quality of passing and ball control.
22 min Everton get a free kick as Gera gets a handful of Oviedo moments after making a good tackle. The crowd are incensed and, in the form of song, explain the quality of refs they always get. In fairness, it's better than literally every West End musical ever made.
21 min I have to admit that idiocy's Nicolas Anelka has been impressive tonight. He's turning up everywhere and genuinely looking like he gives a solitary one.
19 min Mirallas jinks into the box from the left and cuts inside on to his right foot. He curls a shot from 15 yards towards the near post but Foster is solid behind it.
18 min That was the first action in a little while.
17 min Cross comes in from the left for Oviedo again, who gets it on the bounce and thus finds the shot slightly awkward. He does well to get it on target but it's straight at Foster. Down the other end West Brom get a free kick, but Brunt's delivery is abysmal and hits the first man.
13 min Shoddy at the back now from Everton as Howard kicks it straight to Morrison. Baines then gets beaten by BLOKE IN A WEST BROM SHIRT but the home side can't make anything of it. Moments later Mirallas looks to find Oviedo but it's cut out and on the break Anelka tries a shot from an absurd angle, which flies over the bar. It's been a decent start.
12 min Lukaku forages down the left and sends a good ball across to Oviedo 15 yards out. He takes a couple of touches and hits it left-footed, not far wide again.
11 min Baines whips it in and Ridgewell does well to head out. It only goes to the edge of the area though, from whence Oviedo hits a decent volley just wide.
9 min Now it's Coleman's turn to be caught out dawdling up the pitch and Anelka, picking the ball up in a deeper position than we're accustomed to seeing him in, finds Vydra wth a nice pass. He plays a dangerous ball in but Howard palms it away from Morrison. Down the other end Brunt concedes a poor corner with a wild backpass from 20 yards. From it the ball is worked over to Baines on the other side of the pitch and he wins a soft free kick off of Reid, who is justifiably unhappy.
7 min The commentators are pronouncing Jagielka's name as "Yagielka." Come on guys, his first name is Phil. The least continental-sounding name ever?
5 min A long ball from the back bounces into the West Brom box and Lugano is caught out too high up the pitch. With Foster in a dreadful position off his line, Lukaku lifts it over him first time, but it goes over the bar.
4 min Anelka peels away and steps inside from the left. He pulls it back between the legs of Coleman but it's easily dealt with by the Everton defence.
2 min Brunt finds Vydra in plenty of space down the left of the box; slightly odd no one has tracked that run. He puts in a poor cross though that's easily caught by Howard. It was far too close to him and nowhere near the deeper Anelka.
1 min Everton kick off in yellow. West Brom get the ball and Morrison has a wander down the left, but overruns it and it goes out for a goal kick.
19.57. Pepe Mel is stood against the wall in the tunnel, kind of in the way Bane was at the American Football game in The Dark Knight Rises.
19.55. ANELKA UPDATE: he has Zoopla on his shirt. Now that West Brom have sold Shane Long, if he gets a massive ban later this week then Pepe Mel's side could be utterly shafted.
19.50. My colleague John Macleary informs me that Pepe Mel passes his spare time by writing crime thrillers. If this gets boring we're/I'm writing the beginnings of a sports-based crime
thriller on here. I remember reading one as a kid about a serial killer who stalked a football team. It turned out to be the arsey new star striker who was the murderer. Anyone remember it?
19.42. 18 minutes until this one gets underway. Anyone out there? At all? Hellooooooooooo?
19.23. So as expected, Anelka starts despite Zoopla's protests. Anyone care to offer any thoughts on that? My own opinion is that Zoopla have every right to express their offence at Anelka's gesture, and indeed to withdraw their financial support as and when they see fit. What doesn't sit so well with me is the idea of them essentially holding the team manager to ransom when it comes to on-pitch decisions. Can you imagine the uproar if, say, Standard Charter had started dictating Brendan Rogers' stance when it came to dealing with Arsenal's transfer bid for Luis Suarez? Let me know your thoughts.
18.57. West Brom are expected to defy their sponsors' request not to field Anelka tonight, pending the outcome of an FA investigation into his gesture. It remains to be seen whether or not the Frenchman will wear the Zoopla logo on his shirt.
I feel sorry for Zoopla actually. It must be hard, having their name spread all over the media and the terraces like this. No way they can benefit from this furore at all is there? Hmm I suddenly feel like moving house.
18.54. The fans in the stands are the ones who pay the players wages, right? Wrong. Or at least it is for now; West Brom may soon be more reliant on fans' money than they expected to be, with the news that Zoopla are set to end their sponsorship deal on account of Nicolas Anelka doing something a bit, well, horribly racist-looking. Here's the full story.
18.46. Two Baby Bells is the answer.
18.38. Ah yes, I slipped a reference to Romelu Lukaku in there, didn't I? I won't claim he was single-handedly responsible for West Brom's excellent 2011-12 season, but there's no doubt his 17 goals were a huge, huge factor. Now though he wears the blue of Everton, although thanks to Samuel Eto'o we will finally get a game free of interminable "what will Jose be thinking?" comments. Jose might well be smiling actually, as since the end of November (when I transferred him into my Fantasy Football team, as it happens), Lukaku has scored precisely one goal. It's not the worst drought we've ever seen, but loveable Roberto Martinez and his loveable team will be hoping that he can end it tonight, especially with Ross Barkley injured; after all, they can't keep relying on full back Seamus Coleman for goals, can they?
The reason a win tonight is so important for Everton is far less intriguing than West Brom's quest for victory, but certainly no less exciting. With Liverpool failing to beat Aston Villa in this round's other Black Country v Merseyside fixture, a win for Everton would send them fourth and into the Champions League places. There are surely very few football fans who don't support Liverpool, Spurs or Manchester United who would begrudge them that?
18.19. Right, so the talking point tonight is that this is Pepe Mel's first game in charge, non? Or at least that would be the talking point if English football fans were particularly familiar with who he is. While Steve Clarke's sacking was defendable in some respects - he should have had such a talented squad in mid-table security by the time he went - there was an equally reasonable outcry from some quarters. After all, he was a young manager in his first managerial job, and when someone is learning the ropes you have to expect some troughs.
Moreover, it's my understanding that the summer's transfer wheelings and dealings were precisely nowt to do with him and the key failure to sign Romelu Lukaku can't be attributed to the poor guy. In short he was a novice and given no time to really confirm whether or not he was out of his depth. Which leads me back to Pepe Mel.
He began as a second division manager in Spain and took over at Tenerife from Rafa Benitez when the latter went to Valencia. After taking them down he moved to Ejido, who turned out to be a bit rubbish and subsequently sacked him. Eternal life in the Spanish lower leagues beckoned when he moved to Rayo Vallecano, took them up to the second division but then got a bit rubbish and got sacked again. A couple of seasons ago he took over at Betis in the Big Proper Spanish League, qualified for the Europa League... then remembered his teams are meant to be rubbish, lost a load of games and whaddya know, got sacked again. So then here we are.
In short, is there any evidence whatsoever for Mel being a better manager than Clarke? I suppose West Brom's board will be hoping for the Pochettino effect here rather than, say, Jozef Vengelos. He'll be hamstrung by the loss of a bunch of players tonight, but new manager effect and all that, and a first win since New Year's Day would move them up to the very juicy looking slot of tenth.
WBA (Possible, 4-4-1-1): Foster, Reid, McAuley, Ridgewell; AMalfitano, Morrison, Mulumbu, Brunt; Berahino; Anelka.
Out: Jones (eye), Popov (neck).
Tests: Anichebe (groin), Sessegnon (unspecified).
Everton (Possible, 4-4-1-1): Howard; Coleman, Distin, Jagielka, Baines; Mirallas, McCarthy, Barry, Pienaar; Osman; Lukaku.
Out: Barkley (broken toe), Alcaraz (muscle), Deulofeu (hamstring), Gibson, Koné (both knee).
Referee: Michael Oliver. Matches: 14, R2 Y55.
Betting: Home 11-5, Away 6-5, Draw 12-5.
Team News
New West Bromwich Albion head coach Pepe Mel faces a potential striker shortage for his first Premier League game in charge with Everton at the Hawthorns on Monday.
Victor Anichebe and Stephane Sessegnon are both doubts with injuries, while Shane Long has joined Hull.
Mel is also without two defenders, Billy Jones and Goran Popov.
Meanwhile, new signing Aiden McGeady will go into Everton's squad a week after joining from Spartak Moscow.
Midfielder Ross Barkley is sidelined with a broken toe.
Defender Sylvain Distin is back from a hamstring injury after a three-week lay-off but fellow centre-back Antolín Alcaraz is still missing.
Match Notes
Pepe Mel is walking into the unknown at the Hawthorns as he prepares for his first assignment outside of Spain but at least there will be a familiar face on Monday night.
Mel is keen to emulate the achievements of Roberto Martínez and stamp down his own principles this season as he bids to keep West Brom in the Premier League.
Martínez's reputation continues to grow and he looks certain to challenge Merseyside rivals Liverpool for a Champions League place.
Stat of the game: Everton striker Romelu Lukaku scored 17 goals for West Bromwich Albion last season.
John Percy's prediction: WBA 1 Everton 1.