FA Cup: Everton v QPR match preview

A look ahead to Saturday’s FA Cup third round tie at Goodison Park

Roberto Martinez insists that Everton will resist transfer bids for their top players during the transfer window (Peter Byrne/PA)

Despite salvaging a last minute Leighton Baines equaliser away at Stoke on New Year’s Day, Everton will have mixed feelings about their results over the festive period which included a defeat at home to bottom club Sunderland.

Saying that, Evertonian’s will still be pleased to see their side sit fifth in the Premier League, only one point behind local rival Liverpool after an impressive campaign to date.

This weekend, Roberto Martinez returns to the competition with fond memories after winning the Cup with Wigan last season, and will be looking to become the first manager to win successive FA Cup’s with different clubs as Everton chase their first piece of silverware since 1995.

Harry Redknapp’s QPR travel to Goodison Park on the back of a 2-1 win over Doncaster Rovers last time out to move them up to third in the table after Derby lost to Martinez’s old club. The west London club have been in inconsistent form as of late, winning only four of the last 10 and the important comeback on New Year’s Day ended a run of two defeats and a draw over Christmas.

A cup run remains important to the club although should they progress to the next round, Redknapp will not want the competition, which he won with Portsmouth in 2008, to become a distraction to the priority of returning the Premier League at the first attempt.

The pair have only ever met twice in the FA Cup with the most recent meeting coming at the same round in 1950 when Everton ran out 2-0 winners at Loftus Road.

KICK-OFF:Saturday, 3:00pm

PAST MEETINGS 3 MEETINGS:

Everton 2 (Gibson, Anichebe) QPR 0, Premier League, April 2013

QPR 1 (Baines OG) Everton 1 (Cesar OG), Premier League, October 2012

QPR 1 (Zamora) Everton 1 (Drenthe), Premier League, March 2012

STATS:

Everton have only dropped nine points in their last 10 Premier League games whereas QPR have only managed to win half the points (15).

Leighton Baines is the only player in Premier League history to have taken more than 10 penalties and score every one (11 in total).

The pair have met 47 times with Everton leading the way with 21 victories, QPR 15 and 12 draws.

ODDS:

Everton to win: 1.33

QPR to win: 8.0

Draw: 4.2

TV: Highlights on ITV at 11:05pm