Good afternoon! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for today's Premier League clash between Everton and Swansea at Goodison Park. The hosts still have their sights firmly on European football next season, while Swansea's sole objective is now to stay in the division. Both sides could really do with three points this afternoon, so we should have a good game on our hands!

Let's start with a look at our hosts today, and things have been a little more rocky for Roberto Martinez and co. recently. Having lost just one of their first 17 games in the league they have now been beaten in three of their last six, a blip that has all but ended their hopes of Champions League qualification. Martinez will be keen to improve consistency having alternated between victories and defeats over the last nine games.

Despite that, the Toffees are still very much in pole position to finish fifth in the league and qualify for the Europa League next season. They currently sit sixth but are just two points behind fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur with two games in hand over Tim Sherwood's side. Manchester United, meanwhile, are seventh, three points behind Everton having played a game more.

With Spurs not playing until tomorrow, victory would see them rise up to fifth in the table for 24 hours at least. Tottenham face a tricky match against Southampton tomorrow, so any rise in the standings could well last longer than that too. While they would have started the season with aspirations of a top four finish, fifth would certainly represent a successful first campaign under Martinez, particularly considering the quality of the four teams above them so far this season.

One aspect of Everton's game that Martinez will look to improve is their goalscoring. They have managed just 40 this season, which is the second fewest in the top eight and almost half the amount Merseyside rivals Liverpool have scored. With Romelu Lukaku due to return to Chelsea on loan, the need to find more goals from somewhere will become even greater, and if he can find a solution in what remains of this season then it will be a big boost for the Toffees.

At the other end of the field they have no such problems, conceding just 28 goals from their 28 games. Only Chelsea and Manchester City have conceded fewer this season, so Everton are certainly in good company in that respect. If they can match that defensive record with more goals up front then they must be regarded as serious contenders for the top four next season.

Their form at Goodison has been particularly impressive this season, having lost just once there in the league. Indeed, that run stretches back to just one defeat in their last 23 Premier League home games since losing to Chelsea on December 30, 2012. Their run in all competitions stands at one defeat in their last 22 matches, a run that goes back over a year to March 9, 2013.

That solitary defeat was a shock one at the hands of lowly Sunderland, but they have responded very well to that loss, winning their next seven consecutive games at Goodison Park, including five in a row in the league.

Swansea may take some heart from the fact that a fellow relegation candidate was able to beat Everton at Goodison, but even accounting for that they won't be too confident going into this game. Garry Monk's side are without a win in seven matches in all competitions and find themselves now just four points clear of the relegation zone having played two games more than 18th-placed Sunderland.

It all started so well for Monk with a 3-0 win over South Wales rivals Cardiff in his first game in charge. However, he has only picked up two points in his four league games at the helm since then, while he has also seen his side eliminated from the FA Cup and the Europa League after an impressive but ultimately unsuccessful tie against Napoli.

In truth, their elimination from the Europa League could well be a blessing in disguise as they look to turn their attention to what is shaping up to be a thrilling relegation battle. Having enjoyed such an impressive season last year - including success in the League Cup - not many people would have expected Swansea to be battling against the drop this year. However, they are one of just nine teams separated by just seven points at the bottom of the table so need to start picking up results soon.

The benchmark for Premier League safety is usually set at around 40 points, a total that Swansea are currently on course to finish two points short of. They have average a point per game from their 29 outings so far, although Monk will take solace in the fact that a number of teams are more vulnerable than them to the drop as things stand.

Just how they are struggling so much is something of a mystery when you look at their stats this season. They have scored more goals than any team outside the top eight, netting 38 times despite being without last season's top scorer Michu for the majority of the campaign. That tally is just two fewer than Everton and one more than Spurs, who are battling it out for Europe.

They aren't exactly leaking goals at an alarming rate at the back either. Their 43 goals conceded is by no means a formidable record, but it is pretty average for the teams around them in the table. Indeed, they have the best goal difference in the bottom 11 of the league, which could prove to be an important factor in such a tight relegation battle.

The form book explains their position more clearly, however, with no wins in seven and just two in their last 15 matches. Even more worryingly for Swansea fans, those two victories have been against the bottom two sides in the league. Away from home, they have not won in eight since a 2-1 victory over Fulham back in November, while they haven't kept a clean sheet in 11.

TEAM NEWS: Right, the team news is in and the headline for the hosts is that Phil Jagielka has not recovered from his hamstring injury and does not make the squad. Lukaku starts up front, but Deulofeu is dropped to the bench despite his goal against Cardiff last week. Swansea, meanwhile, name Michu on the bench as expected, while Shelvey also misses out on a starting spot but Dyer does return to the side. Full team news for both sides on the way.

EVERTON STARTING XI: Howard; Coleman, Baines, Stones, Distin; McCarthy, Barry, Mirallas, McGeady, Barkley; Lukaku

EVERTON SUBS: Joel, Deulofeu, Naismith, Osman, Garbutt, Alcaraz, Browning

SWANSEA STARTING XI: Vorm; Rangel, Chico, Williams, Davies; Britton, Canas, Hernandez, Dyer, Routledge; Bony

SWANSEA SUBS: Tremmel, Amat, Taylor, de Guzman, Shelvey, Michu, Lamah

So, what can we make of those two teams? Well, the main surprise in the Everton side is that Deulofeu has been left on the bench have made a scoring contribution last week, but Martinez has often opted to use the youngster as a sub this season. He certainly has the skill and ability to make an impact on a match as legs begin to tire, but he must be wondering exactly why he has been dropped.

There are no surprises in seeing Lukaku leading the line, however, and he will look to get back to scoring ways having recently returned from injury. The loanee striker netted eight times in his first nine games for the club but has since managed just two in his last 12. Today's game will be a good chance for him to improve that tally as Everton are likely to carve out a decent amount of goalscoring opportunities.

As Everton's stats suggest, their defence has been arguably the most impressive part of their team this season, but Jagielka's absence is still a notable one. Stones has been used plenty of times this season already, but he still lacks experience - as does the partnership between himself and Distin. They certainly don't lack any quality in the full-back role, where Leighton Baines and Coleman will be looking to bomb down the wings at every available opportunity. Coleman became the highest scoring defender in the league this season with his late, late winner against Cardiff last weekend, and he will as ever be looking to add to his six-goal haul today.

The man charged with breaking down the Everton defence will be Bony, who could well look to take advantage of the relative inexperience of Stones in centre-back. Bony has proved to be a useful weapon in the absence of Michu, but it remains to be seen how well they can work together for an extended period of time. The Spaniard made his long-awaited return from injury with a 30-minute cameo in the last outing and is likely to see more game time today.

It will be intriguing to see which side wins the midfield battle this afternoon as both teams like to dominate possession - a trait that they both have Roberto Martinez to thank for. The Swansea midfield are certainly capable of keeping the ball for long periods of time - as they have shown on numerous occasions already this season - but a big problem of theirs has been turning that possession into goals.

At the back, the likes of Rangel, Chico, Williams and Davies have forged a good partnership for the Swans, although they do struggle to keep clean sheets - particularly away from home. They will have their hands full with Lukaku this afternoon and will also have to keep a close eye on the forward runs of the likes of Mirallas, Barkley and McGeady, as well as Coleman and Baines from defence.

PREDICTION: We're 10 minutes from kickoff at Goodison Park, which means that it is time for my match prediction! Sorry Swansea fans, but I just can't see the visitors coming away with anything but a defeat in this match. Everton have been inconsistent in general lately, but their home form rarely falters and, coupled with Swansea's poor away record, that spells out a home win for me. I'll go for 2-0 Everton.

If I am right with that prediction and Swansea do fail to beat Everton, it will be the latest in a long line of disappointment for the Welsh side against the Toffees. Everton have never lost to Swansea in any competition, winning 14 of their 19 meetings and drawing the other five. Indeed, no Swansea player has every even scored a Premier League goal against Everton, with a Bryan Oviedo own goal being the only time they have registered on the scoreboard against the Toffees in the top flight.

Swansea's record against teams in the top half has been nothing short of dismal this season having only picked up five points from their 14 matches against top-10 teams. Only Crystal Palace have amassed fewer. In addition to that, they have lost their last 1- away games against top-half opposition, making the size of their task today seem even bigger.

These two teams have already faced each other twice this season, with Everton coming out on top both times. They won the reverse fixture at the Liberty Stadium 2-1 before welcoming Swansea to Goodison for an FA Cup match last month. That game ended 3-1, with Traore, Naismith and Baines registering for Everton to cancel out a De Guzman strike for the Swans.

There are plenty of other matches on offer in the Premier League this afternoon, and I will keep you up to date with major events from them as and when they happen. Alternatively, you can follow more in-depth coverage of them by clicking here. There has already been one result from the top flight today and it was a notable one as Chelsea thrashed Arsenal 6-0 at Stamford Bridge. You can read our match report of that game here.

KICKOFF: We're underway at Goodison Park as Everton look to continue their charge for European qualifications, while Swansea look to spring a shock on Merseyside.

SHOT! Early effort from Bony as he tries an ambitious effort inside the first 40 seconds. Moments later he goes for goal again, but this time fires wide of the mark. Bright start from the visitors.

Swansea do like to dominate the possession in matches, and that is how this game has started here. The visitors have seen a lot of the ball early on, but I can't imagine it will be too long before the hosts begin to settle.

Indeed, Everton have now settled and are seeing more of the ball. However, Swansea are pressing high up the pitch so the majority of Everton's possession in these early stages has been inside their own half.

CHANCE! Early chance for the hosts as Lukaku slips the ball into Coleman, who has made one of his marauding runs into the box. He pulls the ball back for Barkley, but the youngster completely fluffs his shot and it skews out the path of danger.

Everton are beginning to threaten a little more now, seeing plenty of the ball in the attacking third. They are experiencing plenty of joy down the right flank, but Mirallas has produced two disappointing crosses when in good positions.

UPDATE: There has been an early goal in the division and it comes as bad news for Swansea but good news for Everton. In another match between South Wales and Merseyside, Cardiff have taken a shock lead against Liverpool through Jordan Mutch.

No more chances to speak of in the last few moments here, but it is Everton who are on top. Barkley has had the best opportunity of the match so far but completely scuffed his effort when in a very good position.

Everton are also pressing high up the field when Swansea have possession, but they have enough confidence in their ability to play it round the fast approaching blue shirts and move out of defence stylishly.

UPDATE: There has been another goal in Cardiff, and this time it has gone the way of the visitors as Liverpool level things up through Luis Suarez.

The hosts are really trying to hound Swansea very high up the pitch whenever they attempt to play it out from the back. As an example, Distin has just charged up and won the ball back in the left wing position before the visitors got it back.

There is the opening goal for Everton as Baines makes it two penalties against Swansea this season. Michael Oliver pointed to the spot after Barkley had produced some clever footwork to lure Chico Flores into a rash tackle inside the box. It was a definite penalty, and Baines made no mistake with his kick. Vorm guessed the right way, but it was placed right in the corner.

There is the opening goal for Everton as Baines makes it two penalties against Swansea this season. Michael Oliver pointed to the spot after Barkley had produced some clever footwork to lure Chico Flores into a rash tackle inside the box. It was a definite penalty, and Baines made no mistake with his kick. Vorm guessed the right way, but it was placed right in the corner.

It is not all good news for Everton, however. Lukaku appears to have picked up a knock and Naismith has been told to warm up on the sidelines. That would be a big blow for the hosts, though the striker is trying to run it off by the looks of things.

UPDATE: At the same time that Everton took the lead here, Norwich also broke the deadlock in their match against Sunderland. Robert Snodgrass got a goal which could prove to be invaluable for the Canaries.

Good play from the visitors as Rangel charges into the area before cutting a low cross into a good area. The ball is only cleared as far as Canas, who produces a poor mis-kick to send the ball squirming behind, although it did get a touch just before it went out so will be a corner.

UPDATE: More news from South Wales as Cardiff have restored their lead against Liverpool through Frazier Campbell. What a big blow to Liverpool's title chances that could be. City, meanwhile, are looking to take full advantage and have moved into a 1-0 lead against Fulham thanks to a Yaya Toure penalty.

Swansea have responded fairly well to going behind, but as has been the trouble for much of the season, they are yet to force Tim Howard into a troubling save. They simply need to find a way to use their possession more effectively.

Nice football from Everton as Barkley drives through midfield before turning down a number of chances to shoot in favour of rolling the ball out wide to Coleman. McCarthy is also involved as the trio play passes around the Swansea defence, but the move breaks down when McCarthy's low cross is comfortably cleared.

Swansea are level on Merseyside! Rangel is released by a lovely long pass from Routledge and his first touch is equally as impressive inside the box. His second touch is used to steer the ball across the face of goal where Bony is waiting to tap it into the unguarded net from close range.

Bony does brilliantly to control a long ball on his chest inside the box before laying it off for Dyer. The winger just can't space to shoot so sends it back again to Routledge, whose cross is plucked out of the air by Howard. Swansea have come to life here.

UPDATE: Hull City have taken the lead against West Brom through Rosenior after Jelavic had missed a penalty, while Norwich have doubled their lead against Sunderland, Tettey making it 2-0 to the Canaries.

Sloppy from Stones as he tries a backheel in a dangerous area of the field, conceding a corner. He should have simply hoofed that into the stands. If in doubt, get it out!

Swansea are playing some really nice football at the moment and have been on top since Bony became the first player in the club's history to score a Premier League goal against Everton. They are pushing for a second before half time, and look capable of getting it at the moment.

Dyer receives the ball 20 yards from goal and looks for a teammate but is quickly surrounded by blue shirts. Eventually the winger decides to go for goal himself, but his shot goes a long way over the bar.

Brave play from Howard as he comes out of goal to challenge Bony inside the box when the striker was no real threat. The keeper did well in the end, getting a foot on the ball, but had he mistimed it then it could have easily been a penalty for the visitors.

Baines brings down Dyer in a good position for the visitors, who will surely go for goal. It is a free kick just outside the area and perfect for a left footer. Baines wouldn't mind having this one himself at the other end!

CLOSE! Very close to a second goal for the visitors as Hernandez's free kick deflects off the arm of McCarthy and goes a yard or so past the post with Howard well beaten. That was not far away at all! Poor wall from Everton.

There will be a minimum of one minute added time at the end of this first half.

The two sides go into the break all square after a decent first half from both sides. The Toffees were very much hanging on at the end of the half and would have been relieved when Michael Oliver blew his whistle, but they also had their moments in that opening 45 minutes and a 1-1 scoreline is about right at this stage.

The hosts took the lead after 20 minutes when Leighton Baines beat Vorm with a precise penalty into the corner. Michael Oliver pointed to the spot after Chico Flores had brought down Barkley inside the box, the youngster bamboozling the defender with some lovely footwork just inside the area. There was some doubt as to whether it was inside the box or not, but the replays showed that Oliver got it right.

Swansea's goal was a result of lovely build-up play from the visitors as Routledge spread a lovely pass across to Rangel, who took a touch before feeding the ball into the middle for Bony to tap in. The Swansea striker won't have many easier finishes than that this season, but it was a fine goal if only for the approach play.

Besides the goals, there haven't been that many chances for either side, although Everton did have a clear opportunity to break the deadlock inside the first 10 minutes. Coleman exchanged passes with Lukaku before pulling the ball back for Barkley, who scuffed his shot when he should have done a lot better.

Swansea certainly improved after their equalising goal and very much on top for the final 10 minutes or so of the half, but as has often been the case this season they struggled to create many clear goalscoring chances. They have enjoyed plenty of possession as expected, but if they can use it a little but more effectively then they could be on course to pick up an unexpected three points this afternoon.

Everton will also be confident of pushing on to win this match, however. They struggled at the end of the half but will have been pleased to have reached half time all square, and Martinez will now be preparing his side for a renewed push in the second half.

KICKOFF: We're back underway at Goodison for a big second half for both sides. Swansea will be buoyed by their end ot the first half, while Martinez will be looking for a response from his side.

The home fans are beginning to get restless now, even in these early stages of the second half. They are clearly not happy with how things went at the end of that second half and are keen for Everton to rectify that now.

Stones gives the ball away very carelessly and the ball is slipped through to Hernandez inside the box. However, he is forced too wide and his attempted chip back into the danger area is plucked out of the air by Howard. Slow start to the half from the hosts.

It's Swansea's turn to make a mistake now as Williams gives the ball away, allowing Everton to launch their first real attack of the half. Lukaku picks the ball up and goes for goal from around 25 yards out, but his low drive is straight at Vorm and easy for him to save.

CHANCE! This is more like it from Everton. The ball is clipped into the box and Davies can only clear it as far as Distin inside the box. The big defender takes a touch and is immediately surrounded by white shirts but still manages to squeeze a shot away. Unfortunately for him, it is straight at the keeper and the chance goes begging.

An end-to-end period of the game sees Everton regain their lead courtesy of a Lukaku strike from close range. The big striker initially looked to have lost possession as he left the ball behind him, but he managed to keep hold before feeding Mirallas out wide. The winger found his compatriot with a clever pass into the middle that Lukaku slid in to convert past Vorm.

What a big goal that could be for Everton. They made a slow start to the half but had just started to come back into it when that Lukaku goal went in, As things stand, they will be moving up to fifth in the Premier League table, leapfrogging Spurs.

UPDATE: Liverpool have completed their turnaround against Cardiff and it is now 3-2 to the Reds, with Martin Skrtel getting his second of the game. City, meanwhile, have doubled their lead against Fulham, who are down to 10 men.

Two goals in the space of five minutes for Everton as they take complete control of proceedings. It is a sloppy one for Swansea to concede as a corner just about beats Bony at the near post and is nodded home from close range by a completely unmarked Barkley. Poor marking from the visitors, and it appears to be Chico Flores who is the culprit.

What a double blow that is for Swansea, who were looking so good for at least a point until that Lukaku goal. They now have a mountain to climb to get anything out of this match and it appears that they will leave Merseyside with nothing once again.

SWANSEA SUB: The first change of the day comes from the visitors as Jonjo Shelvey replaces Dyer. The Everton fans given him a cold reception due to his former ties with Liverpool.

CHANCE! What a chance for Swansea to pull a goal back! The ball is clipped in to Bony, who has peeled off Stones and into a good position. He gets good contact on his header too, steering it back across goal, only for Howard to pull off a superb save to deny the striker.

Swansea come forward down the left flank as Hernandez and Davies combine to smuggle the ball into the area. Hernandez looks to squeeze the ball in at the front post, but he loses his footing while shooting and Howard makes a comfortable enough stop.

CHANCE! Oh that is a huge chance for Everton to kill this game off once and for all! Davies took a touch when he didn't have time to on his own halfway line, allowing Mirallas to nip in and steal the ball. He raced through on goal with no other defenders behind Davies, but his eventual shot is weak and relatively easy for Vorm. That is a real waste.

CHANCE! Another chance, this time for Swansea, as Bony plays a clever pass through to Rangel, who advances into the box. He has Williams in support, but takes far too long to make a decision whether to shoot or pass, and eventually the ball loops into the arms of Howard without Rangel having done either effectively.

SWANSEA SUBS: Garry Monk makes a double change as Jonathan de Guzman comes on for Canas, while Michu makes an appearance in place of Bony. Can either player make an impact in the final 20 minutes?

UPDATE: Things are looking rosy all round for the two clubs from Merseyside now. Liverpool have joined Everton in taking a two-goal lead against South Wales opposition, Luis Suarez making it 4-2 to the Reds against Cardiff. City, meanwhile, are now 3-0 up against Fulham and Yaya Toure has completed his hat-trick in that match.

Lukaku is well tackled by Chico 20 yards from goal, but the ball falls kindly for McGeady behind him. The winger takes a touch before shooting, only to send his effort a couple of yards over the bar.

Everton are still pressing nice and high up the pitch as Swansea refuse to abandon their style of playing from the back. The hosts just had four players in a line on the edge of the Swansea box when the visitors had possession, looking to force Vorm into a hoof clear.

Barry and Shelvey are having a few words with each other in the middle of the park after an incident that saw the Swansea man foul the loanee midfielder, appearing to thrust his arm into the back of his head in the process. Could be something to keep an eye on as Barry does not look happy at all.

CHANCE! Oh, that is a chance for the visitors - or at least it would have been for a fully fit Michu. Shelvey slipped a lovely pass into the Spaniard, but he needed two touch to move it into a shooting position, allowing Distin to make the block. A fit and healthy Michu would have taken one touch then shot, you feel.

UPDATE: The Liverpool strikeforce continues to impress as Suarez turns provider to set up Daniel Sturridge for a goal of his own, making it 5-2 to Liverpool against Cardiff.

Despite Everton's two-goal lead, they don't seem at all comfortable at the moment. It feels as if there is another goal in this one, and it is Swansea who look most likely to get it as things stand. Should they pull one back in the next few minutes, Everton would face a nervy end to the match.

CHANCE! That could have been the chance for Swansea to get the goal! Hernandez is found with a clever pass from Shelvey in a great position inside the box. He takes a touch before shooting on the turn, but Howard makes another fine stop to deny the midfielder. What a huge chance that was.

Shelvey has made a real difference since coming on for Swansea, acting as the midfield creator and slipping in some excellent passes to his teammates. However, they have not been able to finish the chances he has made so far.

EVERTON SUBS: The hosts make their first changes of the afternoon as Barkley and McGeady are withdrawn, while Steven Naismith and Leon Osman come on in their places.

UPDATE: Fernandinho has got into the act at the Etihad, extending Manchester City's lead to four over 10-man Fulham. It is turning into an increasingly bad day for Arsenal, who were thrashed 6-0 by Chelsea earlier.

Shelvey lifts the ball into the area for Michu, who has been left in too much space inside the box. However, it is a tough one for the Spaniard to deal with as he opts for a header rather than a volley over the shoulder, nodding the ball over the bar.

The fourth official indicates a minimum of three minutes added time at the end of this match.

UPDATE: It has been a real cracker in Cardiff as the hosts have now made it 5-3 against Liverpool. They will lose that game, but will be pleased that they managed to score three times against a title contender. City, meanwhile, have now made it 5-0 against Fulham through Demichelis.

There surely isn't time...is there? Swansea pull a goal back in the closing stages as Williams rises highest in the area to flick a header into the far corner. That was a superb finish from the defender.

EVERTON SUB: The hosts make a late change as Lukaku is replaced by Deulofeu.

Well, Everton come away with all three points but it was far from straightforward for the Toffees. The two teams went into the break all square at 1-1 before playing out a superb second half in which Everton gave up a lot of chances but still managed to come away with the victory.

The hosts' goals came from a Baines penalty, Lukaku and Barkley strike, and it was their two goals in the space of five minutes early in the second half that really killed the game off. Having said that, had Swansea been more clinical in front of goal then they would have been able to get back into the match, and Garry Monk will be seeing this as a missed opportunity.

The result lifts Everton up to fifth in the table and really puts the pressure on Tottenham, who play Southampton tomorrow. A defeat in that game would leave the Toffees one point clear of Spurs with two games in hand, making fifth place very much theirs to lose. Swansea, meanwhile, are still in trouble at the bottom and remain four points clear of danger.

Right, that is all we have time for this afternoon! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for what was a very good game between Everton and Swansea. The hosts just about came out on top despite a spirited Swansea performance to move back up to fifth in the league. Be sure to stick around for our match report, reaction and analysis, all of which will be on site shortly. The day's late kickoff sees West Ham host Manchester United, and you can follow that live here. From me, though, it is goodbye for now!