A rare visit from the Toffees

Everton were visitors to Turf Moor in the opening week of the 1975/76 season, three days after we'd drawn 0-0 at home to Arsenal on the opening day. Ray Hankin gave us the lead on 55 minutes but Everton drew level five minutes later and the score remained 1-1 at the final whistle.

At the end of that season we went our separate ways and their only competitive visit since was early in the 2009/10 season, a game referenced below.

They've not been out of the top flight since that 1975 clash and our only league fixtures against them outside of the top flight of English football came in the 1930/31 season.

Once more in a match preview I have to refer to the fact that we are still to win a game this season. Talking about that this morning at the youth game, we agreed that the only time we've been disappointed in the performance was at West Brom, but, as Sean Dyche has made clear, we do need to start winning games.

Michael Duff wants to be picking up points

We go into the game in 19th place in the Premier League and, no matter what the result, we'll come out of it in the same position unless we can score an unlikely four goal win to take us above Newcastle on goal difference.

The belief within Turf Moor is that the first win is not far away and long serving defender Michael Duff has repeated that ahead of tomorrow's game. "I think it's fair to say we're not far away from our first win. Both statistics and our performances would back that up," he said.

"We maybe just need that little bit of luck, something to drop for us. We've hit the post and the bar a few times at important stages of games and other than the West Brom game, where we never turned up and got what we deserved, we've shown not to be far off a win.

"We've competed but the gaffer has made it clear that it's not just alright to do alright. We don't want to be unlucky, you know little old Burnley, we want to be picking up points."

He added: "It's going to be a tough game on Sunday. They've brought in Romelu Lukaku for a lot of money and they've got Ross Barkley, but that's why we're here, to test ourselves against the best and win."

There's been no injury news in the Turf Moor camp this week. Michael Keane, Dean Marney and Steven Reid were ruled out last week, apart from long term casualties Matt Taylor and Sam Vokes, and both Keane and Marney could be ready to return to the squad this week, although Reid is definitely ruled out again.

Keane, who made his debut as a late substitute for Kieran Trippier at Leicester, is fit again and Marney has returned to training and looks likely to be available.

Marney is an important player to us. He was throughout last season and we didn't get anything like the same results when he was missing (just two wins in the eight games he missed). It's been the same this season and I would expect him to come straight back in should Sean Dyche consider him fit enough, most likely at the expense of Michael Kightly.

If so I expect us to line up: Tom Heaton, Kieran Trippier, Michael Duff, Jason Shackell, Ben Mee, Scott Arfield, Dean Marney, David Jones, George Boyd, Danny Ings, Lukas Jutkiewicz. Subs from: Matt Gilks, Kevin Long, Michael Keane, Stephen Ward, Nathaniel Chalobah, Ross Wallace, Michael Kightly, Ashley Barnes, Marvin Sordell.

Everton arrive at Burnley in 14th place in the table. They've probably had a more difficult start to the season than expected and their 3-0 home win against Aston Villa last weekend, boosted by the return of Ross Barkley, was only their second league victory, their other success coming at West Brom five weeks ago where they won 2-0.

They've lost three times, at home against Chelsea and Crystal Palace with their other defeat at Manchester United in their last away game.

Manager Roberto Martinez, who took over from the long serving David Moyes in the summer of 2013, has a quality squad to select from and that was seen in midweek when he was able to make changes to the team that had beaten Villa for their Europa League game in France against Lille, resting such as Seamus Coleman, who once had a trial with Burnley, Antolin Alcaraz, leading goalscorer Steven Naismith and record signing Romelu Lukaku.

With Kevin Mirallas and John Stones ruled out, Martinez is expected to field a team close that which beat Villa. That team was: Tim Howard, Seamus Coleman, Phil Jagielka, Antolin Alcaraz, Leighton, Baines, Leon Osman, Ross Barkley, James McCarthy, Gareth Barry, Romelu Lukaku, Steven Naismith. Subs: Joel Robles, Tony Hibbert, Darron Gibson, Samuel Eto'o, Aiden McGeady, Besic, Steven Pienaar.

Last Time They Were Here

A defeat on the opening day of the season at Stoke was followed by a remarkable 1-0 home win against Manchester United when Robbie Blake scored what Martin Tyler described as a Premier League Class Goal and Michael Carrick had a penalty saved by Brian Jensen.

Everton were next up in a second home game that looked to be every bit as tough as the first one and with Burnley fans fearing an after the Lord Mayor's Show performance.

Goalscorer Wade Elliott

The game, like tomorrow's was played on a Sunday due to Everton's involvement in Europe, and five years ago we hardly surprisingly played the same team that had beaten United, although there were positional changes with Martin Paterson going up front and Steven Fletcher going on the right.

Referee Phil Dowd was resplendent in pink, making sure he was noticed, but he'd have managed that in any colour given one decision in the second half.

We were the better side for much of the half but just as Everton looked as though they might be getting into it we took the lead. Wade Elliott, whose previous goal had come at Wembley, received the ball from Fletcher and curled the ball home wide of goalkeeper Tim Howard.

After a £10,000 cheque presentation to Martin Dobson at half time from the Clarets Mad Youth Foundation, we came out in the second half and had our best spell of the game with Chris McCann in the form of his life. I don't think I ever saw him play better than he did in this game, his last full Turf Moor appearance in the Premier League.

But McCann it was who conceded a penalty when Tony Hibbert went down in the box. In truth it was an appalling decision from Dowd but justice was done when Louis Saha placed his shot wide of goal.

It hadn't been a bad start. Six points from the first three games were very well received, and probably needed with trips to Chelsea and Liverpool in the next two games.

The teams were;

Burnley: Brian Jensen, Tyrone Mears, Clarke Carlisle, Andre Bikey, Stephen Jordan, Graham Alexander, Steven Fletcher (Steven Thompson 86), Wade Elliott, Chris McCann, Robbie Blake (Fernando Guerrero 84), Martin Paterson (Chris Eagles 79). Subs not used: Diego Penny, Christian Kalvenes, Joey Gudjonsson, Kevin McDonald.

Everton: Tim Howard, Tony Hibbert, Joseph Yobo, Phil Neville, Leighton Baines, Leon Osman, Jack Rodwell, Marouane Fellaini (Jo 66), Tim Cahill, Steven Pienaar, Louis Saha. Subs not used: Carlo Nash, Shane Duffy, Dan Gosling, James Wallace, Jose Baxter, James Vaughan.

Previous Games against Everton

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