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Premier League Bragging Rights: Tottenham to beat Everton in the battle for fifth?

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Betfair currently have a wide range of 'Season Match Bets' in which punters must simply back one team to finish above another after 38 gruelling Premiership matches. Over the next few weeks I will be previewing some of these match bets by looking at recent history, the managers, squads, transfer activity and key players.

Everton ([2.24]) v Tottenham ([1.61])

Last Five Seasons

The word consistent is not a word that can be used to describe both these club's recent Premiership finishes. Everton are the last club to break into the top four when in the 2004/05 season they finished fourth, one place ahead of arch rivals Liverpool - however, this followed a 17th place finish in 03/04 and preceded an 11th place finish in 05/06. The last two seasons have seen them finish fifth and sixth respectively.

Spurs are much the same, having two fifth place finishes (06/07 & 05/06) and a ninth place (04/05) sandwiched between a poor 14th place finish in 03/04 and a hugely disappointing 11th place finish last season.

The Managers

Although yet to win a major trophy, David Moyes is widely regarded as one of the best managers in the Premiership and enjoys hero status amongst the Everton faithful. He has done magnificently since he arrived on Merseyside in 2002, taking the club to the brink of Champion League football and twice being recognised as the LMA Manager of the Year. A fierce and highly motivated Scot, Moyes is a tremendous judge of a player's ability and can get the best from anyone who plays under him.

Juande Ramos has been around the block a bit, managing no fewer than ten clubs before arriving at White Hart Lane last season. He made a name for himself at Spanish club Sevilla, winning the Copa del Rey in 2007 and back-to-back UEFA Cups in 2006 and 2007. His impact at Spurs was immediate, dramatically changing the diet and fitness of his players before guiding them up the Premiership table and to League Cup glory. With almost a full season of English football under his belt, Ramos can be expected to mount a serious challenge to the top four this time around.

Squad & Transfers

Everton have been surprisingly low key in the transfer market this summer and have yet to make a signing of note. They missed out on main target Pablo Aimar but with Moyes believing his squad needs at least six players adding to it, we can expect some activity soon. In Joleon Lescott and Leon Osman they have two of England's brightest prospects, while Joseph Yobo, Phil Neville, Tim Cahill, Mikel Arteta and Yakubu add much needed quality and experience.

Tottenham's squad is littered with talent throughout and all eyes will be on how new signings Giovani and Luka Modric settle into English football. One burning question is whether or not Dimitar Berbatov will still be a Spurs player come August, while Robbie Keane is also the subject of transfer rumours linking him away from the club - they can ill afford to lose either, let alone both. Goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes and youngster John Bostock have been added to the squad and David Bentley remains another possible signing.

Key Players

Tim Cahill and Mikel Arteta are two outstanding athletes who offer Everton so much in attack and it's imperative to the team that they play as often as possible. Cahill has been beset by injuries during the last 18 months and he looks set to miss the season opener as his broken metatarsal slowly recovers. Lescott's goals proved vital last season and he must continue in that form if Everton are to challenge the top four.

Robbie Keane is one of the most creative and influential players in the Premiership and Spurs must do everything they can to keep him at the club. After an eye-catching first season Michael Dawson didn't progress as expected last term but now he has the chance to prove what an outstanding defender he is - alongside Jonathan Woodgate he looks to have a pivotal role in making Spurs less generous at the back.

Verdict

The season match bet odds of [1.61] might appear short on Tottenham but they have a much bigger and more talented squad than Everton ([2.24]), as well as having a more successful manager. They have bought well, and if they can retain the services of Berbatov and Keane they will be a decent bet in the 'Winner w/o Big 4' market at [3.7] as well as finishing ahead of Everton ([6.6]).

Next week: Arsenal v Liverpool