Everton corner as Pieters blocks a cross from the left. 1-0 to Stoke as we go into the final 20 minutes
Play continues and Adam crosses from the right wing but Howard is out quickly to gather
Stoke once again taking the game to Everton. Whelan sends Assaidi down the left who takes on Coleman again. He squares for Nzonzi but his side footed shot is blocked
Adam whips in the cross but its cleared
Stoke free kick as Walters is barged over by the byline. The assistant referee, one yard away, had given an Everton throw in. Unbelievable!
The assistant does spot the ball going out of play though when Coleman gets down the right. Goal kick to Stoke. That would have been a goal for Newcastle only last week
The fans are more concerned with another foul given for the opposition when Adam looks to Barkley we think it was
McCarthy cuts infield from the left and fires a low shot in Sorensen, No bother for Tommy there
Stoke are playing well here and starting to create and look dangerous
Walters then puts in a better one from a similar position. Crouch beats his man to the back post ball, heads it back across goal but it drops the wrong side of the post
Cameron picks up a pass out wide from Shawcross, but he puts too much on it and it's an Everton throw over on the far side
It's certainly ignited the atmosphere and the singing, either way
It looks as though Andre Marriner pulled it up for a foul by Crouch, which we didn't see, but Assaidi and Howard certainly didn't know that
Oh, now it's come alive! Walters gets free down the right wing, he crosses for Crouch and Stones who battle. The ball drops for Assaidi who smacks it goalwards, saved by Howard! Great stop, he certainly got some power behind it
It's a rather subdued atmosphere at the Britannia Stadium, maybe everyone is still hungover?!
Baines lofts an Everton free kick high into the box but it goes over everyone and drops out for a goal kick
Little to separate the two teams yet, 0-0 after 13 minutes
Good play by Assaidi on the halfway line. His nifty woodwork gets him away from a couple of challenges before he's brought down from behind.
Lukaku wins Everton a corner by hitting it against Shawcross. End to end action here. Barry then heads over the crossbar from another Baines delivery
Adam runs at the Everton defence, he shoots at goal but a deflection takes the sting out of his shot and allows Howard to gather
Baines' corner is headed well wide
Everton respond though, down their left handside too, and Shawcross has to come over to concede a corner as Baines overlaps
That seems Stoke's best way of attacking today, down the left hand side
Assaidi attacks again down the left, he sees Pieters overlapping and sets him up to cross. It's a high ball into the back post area, it goes over Crouch and Walters then mis-times an attempted shot, for the ball to roll out for a throw
Stoke keep the ball upfield though and Assaidi takes on Coleman over on the other side. It looks as though he's won a corner but the referee says goal kick
Adam does well to bomb forward from the halfway line and tee up Walters into space. His cross is cleared by the first man though
Neat play down the left flank with Pieters intercepting a pass near the halfway line and playing it up the wing with Assaidi. Everton clear his cross though
It's the Toffees who will get things underway here though, Barkley and Lukaku get it started shooting towards the Boothen End
Everton are without three centre halves - Jagielka, Distin and Heitinga - could that be a weak point for them?
Wilkinson is injured so doesn't make the bench, although Arnautovic is there along with the likes of Pennant and Jones.
So three changes to the line-up from Sunday, with the suspended Wilson and Whelan coming in for Wilkinson and Palacios. Ireland is also replaced by Adam.
The teams are now out onto the pitch and ready for their pre-match handshakes. Come on Stoke!
Former Director of Football John Rudge joins Nigel Johnson and Matt Sandoz in the commentary box on Stoke City Player today, get logged on and listening :-)
It's Everton who are the opposition for the Potters as we look to get 2014 to the best possible start. We beat them on New Year's Day in 2011, let's hope that we can again today.
Welcome to The Wall for coverage of this afternoon's game at the Britannia Stadium!