Ronald Koeman’s Everton team will look to create a modicum of breathing room between themselves and Tony Pulis’s West Bromwich Albion side as the two meet at Goodison Park.

Everton sit one place above the Baggies in the Premier League table, seventh and eight respectively. Pulis’s side are no easy team to beat and it should be a tight affair on Saturday afternoon.

The first time the two sides met this season, it was early into Koeman’s tenure as he secured his first win as Everton boss. Goals from Kevin Mirallas and Gareth Barry saw the Blues turn around a 1-0 deficit to take all three points back to Goodison Park.

However, it was a different story the last time the two teams met on Merseyside. The Baggies picked up a 1-0 win victory in February 2016 thanks to a solitary goal from Salomon Rondon.

Pulis’s team are in good form this term. They’ve won 11 times this season and will be eager to bounce back from a disappointing 2-0 loss against Crystal Palace last time out.

An Everton win this weekend would also see them equal the club’s points total from the previous two seasons.

In Focus: Creating a gap

With their defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane last weekend, Everton were given a wake-up sign.

They still have a way to go if they’re going to compete for the Champions League places in the Premier League.

However, whilst they looked to bridge a gap last week, this week they can switch their focus to creating a gap of their own. With the Baggies hot on their tail, the Blues have a chance to build up a gap of seven points.

While that sort of gap isn’t insurmountable, it’s big enough for Everton to stop worrying about what’s in the rearview mirror and continue playing their own little catch-up game with the top four for the time being.

That catch-up game could be little more than a jog on the spot if Koeman’s side aren’t able to win the games they are favourites in while giving themselves an opportunity to gain ground on the sides above them, should one of them begin to slip.

A look at West Bromwich Albion

West Brom remain the prototypical Tony Pulis team. They’re a tight unit who are difficult to beat home or away and don’t score, nor concede many goals.

They sit one place behind the Toffees in the Premier League and whilst Pulis remains adamant that his team won’t catch Koeman’s, they could most definitely spring an upset at Goodison Park.

Everton benefit from teams that open themselves up and allow the Blues time and space to play on the ball. They won’t get that this weekend.

The danger man this week is Nacer Chadli. The classy Belgian winger could have signed for Everton a number of transfer windows ago but chose to take his talents elsewhere. Now, he remains a constant threat for the Baggies and is their main source of inspiration.

He will look to link up with Rondon and if the Blues aren’t on their game, the pair could help spring a shock.

Probable teams and injury report

Young forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin is back in contention for the Blues after nine weeks out with an ankle injury. Mo Besic remains out as he looks to return to full first-team training following his cruciate injury. West Brom will once again be without winger Matt Phillips due to his ongoing problem with his hamstring.

Everton: Robles, Baines, Jagielka (C), Williams, Coleman, Gueye, Davies, Schneiderlin, Barkley, Lookman and Lukaku.

West Brom: Foster, Nyom, McAuley, Evans, Dawson, Fletcher (C), Livermore, Chadli, Morrison, Brunt and Rondon.

Matchday stats

1. Everton have lost 9 of their last 12 meetings against West Brom in the month of March.

2. West Brom have only won three league games at Everton since 1965, losing 15 and drawing five.

3. The Blues only league defeat in the last 16 home matches was against Liverpool in December, they’ve won ten and drawn five.