League leaders Leicester City will look to ensure that they are top of the pile on Christmas Day when they travel up to Merseyside to take on Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday.

The Toffees go into the game sitting in mid-table, but victory could see them climb as high as fifth depending on results elsewhere.

Everton

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Everton may be sitting down in what is, on paper at least, a disappointing 10th place, but there is a buzz of excitement around the club as they move towards the end of 2015.

That hasn't always been the case this year. A poor 2014-15 campaign was followed by an underwhelming summer transfer window that left many fearing that the Toffees could be left behind in a race for European places that seems to grow more competitive every year.

Ironically, it is the lack of European participation that seems to have breathed new life into Roberto Martinez's side, who are playing exciting, attractive football with a young group of players in good form.

Only this weekend's opponents and Manchester City have scored more goals than Everton so far this season, with Romelu Lukaku leading the way. The Belgian has scored 15 in all competitions, including at least one in each of his last seven outings for the club.

Six of those have come in the Premier League, and his opposing striker this weekend Jamie Vardy may need to keep an eye on his recently-acquired record should the 22-year-old maintain his fine form over the festive period.

The latest of those goals came at Carrow Road last Saturday as Everton were held to a 1-1 draw, although quite how they didn't come out with maximum points is still a bit of a mystery. It was one-way traffic in the first half, but the Toffees could not turn that domination into goals and eventually succumbed to Norwich City's second-half improvement.

It was a good example of why Everton are not right in amongst the top four this season despite their encouraging performances. They have drawn half of their 16 Premier League games, including three in a row, all of which they really should have won.

Their unbeaten run does now stand at eight games, but draws have accounted for too many dropped points in that time. The positive spin is that they are a tough team to beat, although all three of their defeats this season have come against teams in the top four, and they face the one remaining one in the form of Leicester this weekend.

Only Man City fans have been treated to their side scoring more goals on home turf than the Goodison faithful this season, with 11 of those coming in Everton's last three league outings at home.

Recent form: WDWDDD
Recent form (all competitions): DWDWDD

Leicester

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What a difference a year makes. Leicester spent Christmas 2014 bottom of the table and looking destined for the drop, but fast forward 12 months and they lead the way in the Premier League following a remarkable turnaround in fortunes.

That they avoided relegation at all last season was impressive enough, but their form this campaign has captured the imagination of the nation, so much so that they must now be considered as genuine candidates for the title.

Five of the last six teams to have been top at Christmas have gone on to win the league, and a third consecutive victory this weekend would guarantee their place at the summit.

Many still feel that Leicester will eventually fall away, but should they come through the final real test of their title credentials, with matches against Everton, Liverpool and Manchester City to finish the year, then they have to be taken seriously.

They have already dispatched of Chelsea this month, hammering the final nail into Jose Mourinho's coffin with a 2-1 triumph at the King Power Stadium on Monday night.

There are no prizes for guessing who stole the headlines either. Vardy's 15th of the season saw him directly involved in a goal for the 14th Premier League match in succession, while Riyad Mahrez's stunning strike took his tally for the campaign to 11.

It was their sixth win in their last seven Premier League matches and extended their unbeaten run to nine, during which time they have picked up 23 points from 27 available.

The Foxes remain the only side to have scored in every single game this season, with their tally of 34 goals being the best in the top flight. Questions do still remain at the other end of the field, but they will be confident of outscoring any team at the moment.

If anything, they are more dangerous on the road too. They are the only side yet to lose on their travels in the Premier League this season, while their unbeaten record stretches back to 11 games including the tail end of last season - their best ever run in the top flight.

Claudio Ranieri's side have won more points, scored more goals and conceded fewer away from home than they have at the King Power Stadium this season, only failing to score two or more on one occasion so far and bagging three goals in each of their last three league games on the road.

Recent form: WWWDWW

Team News

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The only negative to come from Leicester's victory over Chelsea was losing Danny Drinkwater to injury and, although the hamstring strain is not likely to keep the midfielder sidelined for too long, he is expected to miss this weekend's game.

Ranieri will also be without the suspended Robert Huth this weekend, while Ritchie de Laet, Matty James and Jeffrey Schlupp will not feature again in 2015.

Everton, meanwhile, have been sweating over the fitness of John Stones after he picked up an ankle injury, but he is expected to be fit to start at the heart of the defence again.

The match comes too soon for Phil Jagielka, though, with the skipper still sidelined along with Tyias Browning, Steven Pienaar, Bryan Oviedo and Tony Hibbert.

James McCarthy is due to undergo a late fitness test after picking up a hip injury, with his chances of starting this weekend deemed 50-50.

Everton possible starting lineup:
Howard; Coleman, Stones, Funes Mori, Baines; Cleverley, Barry, Deulofeu, Barkley, Kone; Lukaku

Leicester possible starting lineup:
Schmeichel; Simpson, Morgan, Wasilewski, Fuchs; Mahrez, King, Kante, Albrighton; Ulloa, Vardy

Head To Head

These two sides have met 18 times in the Premier League era, and there is often nothing to separate them. Of all fixtures that have been played at least five times in the division, this one has the highest percentage of draws (72%).

No fewer than 13 of the 18 meetings have ended all square, with Leicester winning just once and Everton four times. That solitary Foxes victory came back in 1998, when they won 2-0 at Filbert Street.

Both of last season's meetings ended in 2-2 draws, with the home side snatching a point with a late goal on each occasion.

Video Preview

Hit play below to see what the Sports Mole Sofa had to say about this encounter:

We say: Everton 2-2 Leicester

Goals, goals, goals. That's what we're expecting in this match. Two in-form attacks come up against two defences which have struggled for clean sheets this season, and that should make for an open and exciting contest. This fixture usually ends in a draw and, considering Everton's propensity for sharing the spoils this season, we expect it to be honours even once again.

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