Martinez staying positive

Liverpool - Everton manager Roberto Martinez hopes a positive result against Manchester City can provide the catalyst for his side to start moving back up the table and away from potential relegation trouble.

A run of four successive league defeats and six from their last eight games has dragged Everton - who finished fifth last season - to within just four points of the drop zone.

They stopped the rot with a late goal from Romelu Lukaku to earn a 1-1 FA Cup third-round draw against West Ham on Monday night.

And Martinez knows his side must now produce a near flawless performance to build on that against a City side who beat Everton 1-0 in December thanks only to a fortuitous Yaya Toure penalty as part of their remarkable winning run.

"Manchester City are playing with a real swagger and arrogance," Martinez said. "They don't need many chances to punish you, which is why our performance needs to be perfect.

"But the way we performed not long ago at the Etihad, we deserved a lot more than what we got. I feel we are ready to face a team like City at this point.

"We have had four really bad results and we need to put that right. It doesn't matter what the opposition is, we have to look at what we can do.

"We know how glamourous occasions can be, facing Manchester City. It's always a really exciting game.

"But in the position we are in the league, the only thing we are looking at is to get a good, positive momentum.

"To do that you need to put a real chain of good results together and that starts with one good performance.

"I still feel this squad is strong enough to be very successful. It's time now to get a couple of positive results and see how far we can go this season."

City hope to welcome key duo Vincent Kompany and Edin Dzeko back into the squad.

But Everton won't have to contend with Yaya Toure as the midfielder is away with Ivory Coast for the Africa Cup of nations.