Everton saw their three-game winning run in the Premier League come to an end on Saturday when they were held to a 1-1 draw at Swansea City.
The Toffees took the lead towards the end of the first half as Aaron Lennon provided a cool finish following James McCarthy's cross.
However, Swansea secured themselves a point with 20 minutes left thanks to a Jonjo Shelvey penalty after Seamus Coleman had handled in the area.
Read Sports Mole's minute-by-minute report below to find out how all of the action unfolded at the Liberty Stadium.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of this afternoon's Premier League encounter between Swansea City and Everton at the Liberty Stadium. Today's game sees two of the top flight's in-form sides go head to head, so we should be in for an entertaining clash. Team news will be through shortly.
SWANSEA: Fabianski; Rangel, Fernandez, Williams, Taylor; Cork, Ki, Shelvey, Sigurdsson, Routledge; Gomis
SWANSEA SUBS: Tremmel, Amat, Britton, Emnes, Dyer, Grimes, Fulton
After seeing his side pick up a 3-1 win over Hull City last weekend, Swansea boss Garry Monk has made just the one change as Angel Rangel replaces Kyle Naughton, who has been ruled out for the rest of the season with an ankle injury that he suffered against the Tigers.
EVERTON: Howard; Coleman, Baines, Jagielka, Stones; Barry, McCarthy, Lennon, Barkley, Osman; Kone
EVERTON SUBS: Robles, Alcaraz, Garbutt, Besic, Pienaar, Naismith, Mirallas
Everton manager Roberto Martinez has named the same starting XI that defeated Southampton 1-0 at Goodison Park last weekend, with the likes of Leighton Baines, John Stones, Ross Barkley, Aaron Lennon and Arouna Kone all included. Steven Pienaar, Steven Naismith and Kevin Mirallas are among the subs.
This match holds plenty of significance for Garry Monk and Roberto Martinez, who were teammates at Swansea during the team's remarkable rise from the bottom of League Two to the Premier League. Martinez's association with the Swans lasted six years, with the Spaniard eventually becoming manager in 2007 before leaving for Wigan in 2009.
Swansea boss Garry Monk: "What has been pleasing is we have not tapered off. There is a difference between fighting for your lives, as some teams are doing now, and fighting for what you want. Our commitment to what we are doing has been excellent. We have made sure we've pushed in games. We have shown that our mentality is strong and hopefully we can do that again against Everton because we have not got time to waste."
Everton manager Roberto Martinez: "I changed a lot at Swansea. It took us time to understand the style and way of playing, 13 or 14 months. We were a team relying on two strikers, to get the ball up the pitch as quick as we could and then relying on those two to score us goals. But we became a team, slowly, that would have 600 passes a game and a team that had a very strong footballing philosophy that has set the way of playing for many, many years.
"It shows you that in football it is important that the fans know what you are trying to do and what is the target and what are the benefits of going through a very difficult period of trying to be very good at what you do."
Today's hosts have enjoyed an impressive season so far, and they will break their Premier League points record with a victory this afternoon. Meanwhile, a draw would see them equal it. The South-Wales outfit have won four of their last six matches in the top flight, pushing them up to eighth place in the table. They've claimed some pretty big scalps at the Liberty Stadium too, with Arsenal and Manchester United both falling to defeats here.
Meanwhile, Everton are also enjoying a strong run of form thanks to three consecutive victories in the league. The Toffees have seen off Newcastle United, Queens Park Rangers and Southampton in recent weeks to revive their chances of sealing a top-half finish. It's been a tough campaign for the Merseysiders, but it now seems as if they're turning a corner.
Swansea would remain in eighth place in the table with a win this afternoon, though they would temporarily move to within five points of Liverpool in fifth position. Three points for Everton would push the visitors up to 11th position in the standings. If Everton do win, it would be the first time this season that the Toffees have picked up four successive league victories on the bounce.
Taking a closer look at the team, you get the feeling that Everton will miss Romelu Lukaku today. The Belgian has failed to recover from a hamstring injury and misses out altogether. Lukaku brings a physicality to the Everton forward line that Arouna Kone doesn't, and they may need a bit of muscle up front this afternoon against a robust Swansea defence.
HEAD TO HEAD: Everton have the far superior record when it comes to past meetings between these sides, winning 14 times compared to just one victory for Swansea. There have also been six draws since they first went head to head.
This season's reverse fixture at Goodison Park wasn't exactly a classic as the two teams played out a goalless draw. Swansea had to play the final 20 minutes with 10 men following a red card for Jonjo Shelvey.
That bore draw aside, this game has give us plenty of goals in recent years. In fact, there have been 15 scored in their last five encounters. Let's hope for more of the same today!
Got a spare few minutes before kickoff? Why not check out our video preview of this afternoon's match below:
One thing that we should expect over the course of the next 90 minutes is some bright attacking football from both teams. Swansea will be eager to put on a show in front of their own fans, while Everton have rediscovered some of their swagger in recent weeks. The midfield is sure to be a key area, with both sides boasting a variety of talent in that part of the pitch.
Both sets of players are starting to emerge in the tunnel at the Liberty Stadium as we edge closer to kickoff. Ashley Williams will lead out the hosts, while Phil Jagielka skippers the visitors. It was Jagielka's goal that earned Everton that narrow win over Southampton last week - his fifth of the season.
Here come the teams!
KICKOFF! The teams are out, the pre-match handshakes have been done, and it will be hosts Swansea to get us underway at the Liberty Stadium. Here we go!
It's been a positive start to the game from Everton, who are doing most of the attacking early on. Lennon wins a corner out on the right, but Baines's set piece is well held by Fabianski while under pressure from Jagielka.
Swansea have been let down by some uncharacteristically slack passing so far. They're struggling to keep hold of the ball, which is allowing Everton to continue their strong start. It must be said that the visitors are also doing a great job of forcing their opponents into one or two errors.
This is better from Swansea. Garry Monk's side are beginning to spread the ball about a bit better, pushing Everton back. One half-opening sees Gomis picked out inside the box, but the striker just can't get the ball out from under his feet in time to have a crack at goal.
Routledge is currently receiving treatment after a nasty clash of heads with Jagielka. However, it looks as if the winger is going to be okay to continue.
CHANCE! Swansea's resurgence in this match continues as Gomis tries his luck from about 25 yards, but Howard does well to get across and tip it wide of the post. The resulting corner sees Williams thwarted at the near post before a second corner is eventually cleared by the visitors. Swansea are piling on the pressure now.
SWANSEA SUB: Bad news for the hosts as Gomis is forced off with what looks like a hamstring problem. It would appear that the problem was caused by that shot that forced a save from Howard. Marvin Emnes replaces the French striker.
Everton have stepped things up in the last few minutes, with Barkley becoming a bit more involved. Meanwhile, Emnes is lucky to escape a booking after a late tackle on Barry. The sub has been lively since entering the action.
Now it's Swansea who have suddenly upped the ante. A dynamic passing move gets them deep into Everton territory, but it breaks down when Routledge drifts offside. The Swans go on the attack again soon after, though this time Rangel blasts an effort over the crossbar from the edge of the box. No goals, but it's been entertaining so far.
YELLOW CARD! The first booking of the game goes to Everton striker Kone for a robust aerial challenge on Fernandez. Kone looked as if he was leading with his arm a bit there.
EVERTON SUB: The visitors now make an early chance as Osman is replaced by Steven Pienaar. However, it doesn't look like Osman is injured. Roberto Martinez has made a tactical swap.
Everton offer a rare threat as Barkley tries his luck from 30 yards, but the young midfielder's tame effort goes straight at Fabianski. For the record, that earlier change by the visitors was because Osman had picked up a groin injury.
SAVE! Fabianski comes to Swansea's rescue as he tips Coleman's low drive from 25 yards around the post. Baines's resulting corner is drilled in towards Stones at the near post, only for Cork to get there first and head away. Good defending from the midfielder.
That opportunity for Coleman has brought Everton out of their shells a bit. It's been a peculiar performance from the Toffees so far. While Swansea have been far more consistent, Roberto Martinez's men have only come to life in fits and starts. They're struggling to put continued pressure on their opponents.
Everton win themselves a corner on the right that Baines whips in, but Fabianski again comes to collect. The visitors have had four corners so far this afternoon and they've not really threatened with any of them. It's been far too easy for Swansea to defend set pieces today.
GOAL! SWANSEA 0-1 EVERTON (LENNON)
Aaron Lennon hasn't really done much today, but he's scored the opening goal of this game with a calm finish indeed. A slick passing move from Everton sees the ball spread out to the left before McCarthy picks out Lennon with a fierce cross. The winger does well to control it before firing past Fabianski with confidence.
Do the visitors deserve to be ahead? Not really. Swansea have done most of the attacking this afternoon, while Everton have struggled to make an impact going forward. However, they almost grab themselves a second now as Kone shoots from a tight angle before Fabianski saves.
There will be at least THREE MINUTES of added time at the end of this first half...
CHANCE! What a goal that would have been for Everton. Barkley, Kone and Pienaar all link brilliantly around the edge of the box before Pienaar's low shot is held by Fabianski. The passing there was very crisp indeed.
HALF TIME: SWANSEA 0-1 EVERTON
Michael Oliver blows the half-time whistle, bringing the curtain down on a good opening 45 minutes from an Everton point of view. The away side go in ahead at the interval, thanks to Aaron Lennon's goal four minutes before the break. Swansea will be disappointed with the score because they've probably been the better side so far.
Everton will move up to 11th place in the table if they win today. The Toffees are looking to record their fourth victory on the bounce in the Premier League, something which they've failed to do so far this season.
Swansea have certainly been affected by that early withdrawal of Gomis. Emnes has done a decent job of filling the void, but they don't have a big target man to aim for now. Meanwhile, Pienaar has made a positive impact for Everton. The South African has been dynamic since replacing Osman.
Garry Monk will probably be telling his players to be a bit more positive in the final third. They've lacked a bit of imagination so far, though they've still given Everton plenty to think about. As for the visitors, Roberto Martinez will be eager for them to take a bit more control in midfield. A second goal for the Toffees would be huge.
SECOND HALF UNDERWAY! The teams are out for the second half, which Everton will restart. No changes from either manager at the break.
It's been a good start to the second half for Everton, who are showing plenty of attacking intent early on. Lennon makes a quick run down the right before trying to pick out Kone in the box, but Williams does well to recover and snuff out the danger.
YELLOW CARD! Swansea defender Neil Taylor goes into the book for chopping down Lennon. That's the full-back's 10th caution of the season, so he will miss his side's next two games.
Swansea haven't really got going since the restart, but they will be encouraged by the fact that they've come from behind to beat both Arsenal and Manchester United this season. Everton are doing an admirable job of staying organised and disciplined at the back, making it tough for the hosts to enjoy any luck in the final third.
Half an opening for Everton as a Baines corner is met by the head of Barry, only for Fabianski to scamper across his line to make the save. Emnes goes into the book soon after for a foul on Coleman.
Everton are taking firm control of this game now. The visitors are keeping the ball well, making Swansea do all of the running. The home side are being limited to the occasional counter-attack.
CHANCE! Swansea go on the attack through Emnes, who runs at the Everton defence before flashing an effort narrowly wide of Howard's post. That's better from the hosts. They're starting to build up a bit more possession as we head into the final 30 minutes at the Liberty Stadium. There's still plenty of time for them to get something out of this game.
CHANCE! Swansea knock on the Everton door again as Routledge and Ki link down the right before the latter shows a great first touch inside the box to set himself up for the shot. However, the South Korean smashes the ball over the bar from a difficult angle.
PENALTY SHOUT! The Swans want a penalty as Emnes goes down following a scramble in the box, but Michael Oliver waves play on. Replays suggest that the Swansea forward went down a bit too easily under a challenge from Jagielka.
PENALTY TO SWANSEA!
GOAL! SWANSEA 1-1 EVERTON (SHELVEY, PENALTY)
Jonjo Shelvey keeps his cool from 12 yards to put Swansea level! The penalty decision was an easy one to make for Michael Oliver as Coleman clearly handled in the box while under pressure from Emnes. Shelvey's spot kick was calmness personified as the midfielder sent Howard the wrong way. Howard was booked in the build-up to the penalty due to time-wasting.
Looking at the replays, Everton may feel that Coleman was fouled by Emnes before the penalty was given. The defender went to ground with Emnes breathing down his neck, but his decision to handle after that was stupid.
Michael Oliver does well to diffuse what could have been an explosive situation after Shelvey went in late on Jagielka. Both men were involved in some pushing and shoving following the incident, but no action was taken by the referee. Sensible officiating there.
It could be a very lively final 15 minutes at the Liberty Stadium as both teams go on the offensive. Emnes drives at the Everton back four before dragging his shot wide. Are we going to see a late winner?
EVERTON SUB: Here comes a second change for the visitors as Steven Naismith replaces Kone.
This game has certainly seen its share of robust challenges in the second half. There's been a fair bit of fur flying in the past 20 minutes or so.
YELLOW CARD! Swansea captain Williams goes into the book now and rightly so. The defender goes in high and late on McCarthy, giving Michael Oliver no choice but to brandish his yellow card.
SWANSEA SUB: Now it's the home side's turn to make a change as Nathan Dyer enters the action in place of goalscorer Shelvey.
YELLOW CARD! The bookings continues to come as Lennon is cautioned for bundling Sigurdsson off the ball in Everton territory.
CHANCE! Sigurdsson dusts himself down to take the resulting free kick, forcing a save from Howard with his 25-yard drive.
EVERTON SUB: The Toffees' final change of the afternoon sees Barkley replaced by Kevin Mirallas, who comes on for his 100th appearance for the club.
Just two minutes of normal time remaining at the Liberty Stadium and it's Everton who are looking the more likely to score at the moment. Mirallas has added a different dimension to their attack. Swansea are needing to be focused as the clock ticks towards the 90-minute mark.
There will be at least FOUR MINUTES of added time...
Not many chances being created as we reach the half-way point of added time. It would appear that both of these sides will be happy with a share of the spoils.
FULL TIME: SWANSEA 1-1 EVERTON
The full-time whistle goes and the spoils will be shared between Swansea and Everton. That's probably a fair result on the balance of things following an even 90 minutes at the Liberty Stadium. Swansea's two-game winning run comes to an end, while Everton see their three-match winning streak halted.
That's all from our live text coverage of today's game, but don't forget that you can keep up to date with all of the reaction from both teams right here on Sports Mole. Thanks for your company, we hope to see you again soon. Goodbye!
