After making history in Europe, Stoke City travel to Everton on Sunday looking for their first win at Goodison Park in over 30 years.
A 1-1 draw with Dynamo Kiev at Britannia Stadium on Thursday gave Stoke the point they needed to secure progress to the knockout stages of the Europa League from Group E, and they will have their eye on more history on Sunday.
Stoke recorded a 1-0 win at Goodison in April 1981 but have failed to take full points in their next seven visits.
And it will not be easy to break their hoodoo as they face an Everton side beginning to find form after successive victories against Wolves and Bolton.
Belgian midfielder Marouane Fellaini scored in Everton’s 2-0 win at the Reebok Stadium on Saturday and feels his side are well prepared for the visit of Tony Pulis’ men.
“We’d not got two wins from two games and it was an important victory at Bolton,” Fellaini told the Liverpool Echo.
“It was a good game, we were lucky because they had to play with 10 players but I think it was a red card. It’s a great result. It’s good for the confidence of the team ahead of next week.”
“Stoke have the same sort of style as Bolton but we are playing at home, have confidence and we will hope to win again.”
Fellaini and his team-mates will feel confident of scoring against a Stoke side who have conceded in each of their last eight matches in all competitions.
What is also in Everton’s favour is the fact Stoke have lost all four Premier League matches that have come after Europa League group stage fixtures, conceding 14 goals in the process and scoring just once.
That statistic will motivate Stoke but whether they have enough to defeat a resurgent Everton remains to be seen.
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