At the start of a season defining week for Everton Football Club, confidence appears high. The mood surrounding Goodison Park is close to jubilant. On the back of 3 successive wins in the league and finding ourselves 9 points clear of the relegation zone it would appear not even an underwhelming transfer window could dampen the spirit of the blues.
This season’s journey in the FA Cup began with the seemingly rushed departure of outgoing manager Sean Dyche. Leading to the latest of magical FA Cup memories being created at Goodison Park, with fan favourites Leighton Baines and Seamus Coleman leading the Toffees to a 2-0 win against Peterborough. A lot has changed since the Third Round, including the Player of the Match from that game heading out on loan to Derby County. The return of David Moyes has led to an upturn in form and many Evertonians will now be almost expecting a win this weekend. Hoping for a cup run deep into the final season at Goodison. David Moyes’ last FA Cup game as Everton manager was back in 2013, where we would lost 3-0 at home to eventual winners Wigan.
I’ve seen the question asked on social media, ‘would you rather a win in the cup or a win against Liverpool (who we play later in the week)?’ My answer to that right now is, ‘why can’t we have both?’ There have been plenty of long low spells and winless runs in recent years, surely now we can enjoy and dream of an ongoing run of good form and results. The mentality, rightly, seems to be for us to approach one game at a time and that next one is all about the FA Cup. With our position in the league looking a lot healthier, all Evertonians can be up for the cup.
If You Know Your History… Everton v Bournemouth Through the Years
When it comes to the FA Cup, these two sides have only met on 2 previous occasion. Back in 2016, Ross Barkley and Romelu Lukaku scored in a 2-0 win for Everton away to Bournemouth, in what became Roberto Martinez’s final season as boss. You have to go back to 1937 for the other FA Cup meeting between the two sides. Everton thrashed Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic 5-0 on that day.
Meanwhile in the present day, Bournemouth have really become the bogey team for Everton. The Toffee have only won three of their last ten meetings, losing the other seven. This also includes a run of three successive defeats for Everton, the most recent of which came just over a month ago in the Premier League.
That 1-0 defeat at the Vitality Stadium turned out to be Sean Dyche’s last game in charge of Everton.
As with Brighton the other week, David Moyes has never faced Bournemouth as Everton boss. The two sides didn’t meet between the years of 1985 and 2015.
Overall Everton have 10 victories over this weekend’s visiting side. The Cherries recent run of good form over the Toffees means they have 9 wins in previous meetings. The sides have only drawn against each other twice. We know that the change to FA Cup rule scrapping replays means there will be a winner on Saturday. I always liked penalty shoot-outs under David Moyes…
Team News
Charly Alcaraz could make his debut for Everton this weekend, with manager David Moyes confirming he has looked match-fit in training. Nathan Patterson won’t feature after picking up a knock during the week. Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Armando Broja both remain sidelined meaning Beto is likely to start, although there might be minutes for a returning Youssef Chermitti. Tim Iroegbunam might also feature as he steps up his recovery. Dwight McNeil remains unavailable.
AFC Bournemouth have a long list of injury problems. Enes Unal, Evanilson, Marcos Sensi and Julian Araujo are all unavailable with longer term injuries. James Hill, Adam Smith, Alex Scott and Luis Sinisterra could all feature.
What the Manager Says
Moyes on the end of the Transfer Window – It could have been much better but everyone that is connected with the club knows our situation. We are feeling much better and there is a feeling that in the future we can be more competitive in the transfer market. We’d like to have done a bit more if we could have but either prices or availability played its part.
Moyes on the FA Cup – Everybody wants a trophy. We had a semi-final against Liverpool and a final against Chelsea. Ideally what I want is for Everton to be getting to semi-finals and finals and being more competitive. We had a bit of a run, maybe not good enough but we have to take steps to get closer to it [winning trophies].
Everton Key Player
Beto – More through necessity than choice, Beto will undoubtedly be crucial to David Moyes and Everton in the coming weeks. With Broja and DCL looking to be sidelined until the Spring, the imposing forward will be the go-to up top with Everton failing to secure a replacement or suitable cover during the January Transfer Window. David Moyes spent the first days of his second spell challenging Everton to score more goals and for the forward players to step up. Beto certainly did step up when asked last weekend, scoring 2 against Leicester. Playing up-front for Everton under the previous manager felt like a thankless task. Arguably nobody at the club felt that more than Beto. Limited playing time and only really used in games where the side hardly crossed the half-way, led to many fans believing Beto was better off elsewhere. I do struggle to accept that point. Perhaps Beto’s future will lie away from Everton but a run in the team over the next couple of months will really be the first time Evertonians will see the ability (or lack of) from the front man. A test against tougher opposition this weekend. Goals bring confidence as do wins and Everton winning 3 in a row, with Beto bagging 2 last time out, surely set the lad up for success.
One to Watch for Bournemouth:
Justin Kluivert – A slow start to his life in England’s top flight but a signing that turned heads when he first turned up on the south coast. A side in a rich vein of form, particularly in front of goal, with the Dutch forward scoring 6 goals in January, including a hattrick against Newcastle. Kluivert also has an FA Cup goal to his name this season, being one of 4 Bournemouth players to score in their 5-1 3rd Round victory at home to West Brom. Given The Cherries’ injury problems, it is clear that Kluivert will be the main threat and outlet for Iraola’s side. Everton are by no means as solid at the back as they were under Dyche. However, the Brighton game showed the make-shift right back Jake O’Brien can keep an experienced Premier League forward quiet. He will likely be tasked with that again on Saturday.
Final Thoughts
The squad depth will always be a worry. One recruit in January when losing two key players to long term injuries is far from ideal. The manager was clear upon arriving back to the club that a couple more players would be needed and that certainly became highlighted when Calvert-Lewin and Mangala were ruled out. So the only grey cloud hanging over Everton at the moment is being able to balance the momentum of good form with a small squad, knowing another injury or two could derail the momentum. The good news, as I see it, is that Moyes thrives in these circumstances. We saw many times during his first spell with the club that when times are hard and a squad is depleted, Moyes can find a way to carry on. Famously Everton managed to get to an FA Cup Final in 2009 with no recognised striker available until the final. If needed, I am sure we would see that same grit and determination. Although it would be far from ideal.
Prediction
2-1. Clean sheets have looked like less of a focus as the quest for a more free scoring Everton continues. The recent run of results will mean that no team will relish a trip to Goodison Park, as it should be. With that in mind, I can see a fourth straight win for Everton. I expect Beto to bag another brace and I think we might make life difficult for ourselves later on in the game.
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