Everton FC: 10 Reasons to Believe Blues Can Lift the FA Cup

After dispatching Sunderland 4-0 at Goodison Park this weekend, Everton turn their focus to a heavily anticipated FA Cup fixture with rival Liverpool.

Losers of both Merseyside derbies in league play, the Toffees have been granted an uncommon third chance to see if this time really is the charm. Everton were their own worst enemies in the previous two encounters, with Jack Rodwell’s red card and David Moyes’ conservative selections arguably the difference makers. It’s also worth noting that in both matches, Everton did not score, losing 2-0 and 3-0. 

But now the story is different, with the recent point totals saying it all. Since we all rang in 2012, Everton have earned a total of 26 points in league. By comparison, Liverpool have only taken nine.

With the two sides clearly on opposite runs of form, and a Toffee side eager to avenge two humiliating defeats, could it be Everton who advances to the final? And if they do, does Everton have a chance at winning it all?

I say they do, and here are 10 reasons why.

Everton Are Rolling

Twenty-six points in 16 games looks good on paper, but only in watching Everton on the pitch do you see how well they’re playing.

Take their most recent win, a home fixture against Sunderland that they took 4-0. Even with Nikica Jelavic, Tim Cahill, Leighton Baines and Sylvain Distin being held out in anticipation for the mid-week Merseyside clash, Everton soared.

They bagged four goals—the most they’ve scored in league since a 5-3 defeat of Blackpool in February 2011—three of which they netted in a furious five-minute span.

Even with men in odd places (Tony Hibbert at left-back?), Everton were far and away the best team on the pitch, with their electric midfield instigating the action. Leon Osman, Steven Pienaar and Royston Drenthe were emboldened by fresh ideas all day, and the Black Cats had no answer for their decisions or pace.

Monday wasn’t an isolated incident for the Toffees. The club has lost only three games this calendar year across all competitions, recording shutout victories against the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, and Tottenham.

David Moyes has his men playing strong collective defense and a quick-strike attack few teams have figured out.

If Everton can hold their form, Evertonians have every reason to hope their side will hoist the trophy at Wembley. 

Everton Are Focused

After being beaten twice by hated Liverpool, you had better believe Everton are focused on bouncing the Reds. 

With key players rested during the Sunderland game, along with early exits from Marouane Fellaini and Phil Neville once the match was well in hand, David Moyes and Co. are as prepared as they ever be to win.

Moyes showed how committed he was to victory in the FA Cup with his selection against Liverpool mid-week before a weekend cup fixture with Sunderland. The Everton boss deliberately sat some of his best players for—in the eyes of many Evertonians—one of, if not the, most important game of the season.

If that’s not proof of focusing on the cup, I don’t know what is.

Back in the present, Everton have a few days to figure out how they’ll adapt to the fixture without in-form Steven Piennar, who is still cup-tied with Spurs. Tim Cahill shouldn’t be too much of a drop-off in midfield, but Everton will miss the South African’s speed and skill on the ball.

When Everton are focused, emotionally charged and rested, they can beat any team in the Premiership. 

Leighton Baines

I’ll go ahead and single out one player in each section of the outfield that will be key for Everton if they intend to win the FA Cup, starting along the backline with Leighton Baines.

One of the best left-backs in the Premiership (and ahead of Ashley Cole for England in my mind), Baines will be key in Everton’s future plans. Capable of sprinting up field to score goals just as he is in shutting down the left side, Baines has shown the kind of versatility required from world-class defenders on the flank. 

All three teams left in the competition have effective target strikers running through the middle of defense, meaning that Sylvain Distin and Phil Jagielka will have their hands full.

The responsibility of denying service to players like Luis Suarez, Emmanuel Adebayor and Didier Drogba will fall to Baines and his partner on the opposite wing (Tony Hibbert, Phil Neville or even Seamus Coleman).

Stopping crosses into the box will open up counterattacking possibilities, and Baines can run a break with the best of defenders.

If he plays solidly on the left, is vocal with his fellow defenders on holding the line, distributes well and maybe even places a free kick expertly, Everton will be in good shape. 

Nikica Jelavic

Of Everton’s front men, striker Nikica Jelavic stands out as a player who must be in top form if the Toffees are to win it all.

Escaping the bankrupt Glasgow Rangers for Everton in January might have been the best move the Croatian could have made. The Toffees needed a classy striker badly, and Jelavic needed a team he would star on.

So far, the union has met expectations and then some, with Jelavic having scored five times with two assists across all competitions. 

Everton like playing a lone striker with three attacking midfielders behind him, and at almost 6’2’’, Jelavic has played that role perfectly. Effective with his back to goal, streaking on the break or set up in the box, Jelavic is a constant threat to score whenever he gets the ball within the 18.

The 26-year-old will have to take advantage of the chances he’s given. Everton don’t usually score a boatload of goals like they did against Sunderland. Jelavic will only get so many opportunities, and his success or failure in those moments might reflect his side’s overall success or failure. 

The Everton midfield is talented and capable of scoring, but expect Jelavic to get the lion’s share of looks on goal. The team will need him to be productive if they want to stay with some of the league’s best sides.

Marouane Fellaini

Leighton Baines might be versatile at left-back, and striker Nikica Jelavic can wreck havoc on center-backs with skill, but unquestionably the on-field glue that binds all of Everton’s moving parts together is holding midfielder Marouane Fellaini.

The towering afro-adorned Belgian is the best of both worlds. Fellaini is not only a capable defender able to win the ball back in a moment's notice, but his decision-making and (sometimes) a nose for goal makes him the complete package. 

Fellaini’s play is often a barometer for Everton’s chances. If the man is constantly winning back possession, choosing good passes and advancing the ball forward, the Toffees always have a shot at winning.

If he’s getting beat, being outrun or not controlling midfield, it’s a fair assumption that Everton won’t get the result they desire.

The Belgian’s physicality allows him to take on all comers, while his dribbling enables him to keep the ball once won. Fellaini absolutely must be a force in the midfield, or Everton risk elimination. 

David Moyes

While his players will ultimately decide Everton’s fate, there’s no doubt that David Moyes will help decide where the club finishes. In fact, he already has. 

Universally respected as a manager, Moyes continues to make wine out of water. Given a laughably low (by Premiership standards) payroll by still-penniless Bill Kenwright, Moyes brought in Royston Drenthe, Denis Straqualursi, Darron Gibson, Steven Pienaar and Nikica Jelavic, all players that have contributed mightily this year.

(Note: I leave Apostolos Vellios out of that list because despite a promising early run, he’s been out of the first team for a while). 

Ever the tactician, Moyes might be the best manager left in the FA Cup. Harry Redknapp and Kenny Dalglish have yet to recently right their slowly sinking sides, while if you look closely enough at Roberto Di Matteo on Chelsea sideline, you can almost see the strings.

Moyes has historically gotten the most out of whatever players he’s given, and he’s done it primarily by coaching them in strong collective football. The players have clearly bought into his team-centered mentality and play the kind of effort-filled game some top clubs could takes notes from.

If Everton win the FA Cup, the players will get their share of glory. Let their slice not be bigger than the Scotsman’s fare. 

Liverpool Are Weakened

Liverpool’s poor form has been well documented as of late. The side has looked listless at times and had to work to get their point against Aston Villa recently.

Ever since narrowly edging Cardiff in the Carling Cup final, the Reds have only managed four points, three of which came against an Everton side without many of its top players. The team is suspect in defense and languid in its attack, with no answers seemingly forthcoming from King Kenny Dalglish. 

Most glaringly for their upcoming FA Cup date with Everton, Liverpool will be without longstanding keeper Pepe Reina, who was red-carded after his unconscionable head-butt to Newcastle’s James Perch.

Granted, it wasn’t as bad as Perch sold it to be, but such a costly lapse in judgment is exactly what Liverpool didn’t need (and frankly didn’t expect) from one of its veterans. 

The midfield isn’t connecting with their strikers, and when they do, the front men can’t finish. All this is compounded by a defense that is letting in far too many goals. 

That being said, the Reds have had Everton’s number this season, and the emotion of a derby could be exactly what they need to rebound. Still, without Reina in goal and the team struggling as a whole, Liverpool will be weakened against an Toffee group firing on all cylinders.  

Everton Have Proven They Can Beat Chelsea

Should Everton advance past Liverpool in the FA Cup Semifinal, they will face either Chelsea or Tottenham in the final. Fortunately for the Toffees, they’ve shown they can beat both of them.

Of their two possible opponents, Chelsea is the least likely to make it to the final due to their prioritizing the Champions League over the FA Cup. With Barcelona coming to Stamford Bridge only three days after the Blues’ semifinal with Spurs, one can safely assume that Roberto Di Matteo will be resting some players in preparation for the Catalans.

If Chelsea and Everton do meet in the final, Everton have shown the capacity to beat them this year. The last time these two teams met, the Merseyside Blues took down their West London color compatriots 2-0 at Goodison Park. It’s true that Andre Villas-Boas has left the club and Chelsea have hit a vein of good form since, but still, a result is a result.

Anything goes in a final, but Everton have shown they can beat these Blues if afforded the opportunity. 

Everton Have Proven They Can Beat Tottenham

Should they beat Liverpool, Everton’s likely opponent in the finals will be Tottenham, a team they beat 1-0 at Goodison Park in March.

Since losing to Everton, Spurs have hit a rough patch in league play. They’ve earned only five points in their five succeeding matches, most recently dropping a 2-1 decision to Norwich at Carrow Road. Harry Renknapp has had his credentials for the England job tarnished a bit with his team’s struggles. 

Still, given one game to focus on rather than the constant pressure of maintaining a Champions League qualification spot, Tottenham are fully capable of pulling it together. Still able to play a crowd-pleasing, attacking brand of collective football, Spurs have the personnel to compete and win.

In their last meeting with Spurs, Everton got a key early goal from Jelavic and then held on for dear life. It took a Herculean effort from the Toffee defense to hold back the Londoners' attack, but they managed to do it in the end. It will take a similar effort to repeat the result and, in doing so, hoist a trophy.

Speaking of winning trophies…

Everton Are Due

Everton haven’t won a trophy since their 1995 FA Cup triumph. The law of large numbers dictates that they’ve got to win one sometime, right?

Face it, Everton are due for some hardware. Saddled with debt and revenue from ticket sales that doesn’t allow them to keep pace financially with top teams in big stadiums, one of England’s oldest teams has been on a 17-year trophy drought. This year is as good as any for that famine to end. 

The side is in as good of form as fans could hope for, with players who feel they can compete with anyone, anywhere. I don’t want to jinx it (probably already have), but it feels like this is the year that loyal Evertonians can celebrate a trophy.