Swansea chase records as Roberto Martinez brings Toffees to town

Expectations were vastly different for hosts Swansea City (7/5 favourites with Coral to win) and guests Everton at the start of this season. However, this Premier League campaign has panned out quite differently than imagined for both.

Garry Monk got the Swans off to a surprise high-flying start and continued to steady the storm even after star player Wilfried Bony’s winter window exit.

Now Monk’s men are on the cusp of a record breaking season, and can equal their highest ever Premier League points tally just by drawing against the Toffees.

So, Swansea are 23/10 to split the spoils with their visitors after holding the Merseysiders at Goodison Park earlier this campaign, but will surely be setting their sights higher this time out.

South Korea skipper Ki Sung-Yueng grabbed Liberty Stadium side’s last opener and, after firing home five league goals, is 12/1 to get-off to a flying start again.

Fellow midfield threat Gylfi Sigurdsson is 11/4 in the anytime market, having already breached the Toffees’ backline in the Capital One Cup, and has struck seven times across all competitions for the Swans.

Frontman Bafetimbi Gomis, meanwhile, is 5/1 to settle the game by scoring last against an Everton team that has conceded 42 times this term.

The Toffees had high hopes after narrowly missing out on a Champions League spot last campaign, but have failed to follow up their European place ambition, slipping to 12th in the league.

Martinez’s men have much to make up for then, and are 15/8 to sink the Swans and rack up their third win in a row.

The travelling Toffees can take heart from their excellent recent record against the Welsh club, having lost just one of their past nine tussles with them across all competitions.

Everton could face Swansea without top scorer Romelu Lukaku, as Martinez told media: “At the moment he is still 50-50 because it is an injury we need to make sure is 100 per cent well healed before we put him on the pitch.”

The big Belgian is 5/1 to net last if fit for the trip, but the Merseysiders have an abundance of alternative attacking options to call on if required.

“Arouna Kone is fully fit and I feel in the last three games in the league he is showing to be himself. There are other players around who can take responsibility for not having Romelu on the pitch,” stated Martinez.

Crafty Kone is 6/1 to close the scoring, while wingman Kevin Mirallas and England international Ross Barkley are 2/1 and 10/3 in the anytime market respectively.