Everton FC: Month-by-Month Difficulty Guide to the New Season

The 2013-14 season took a step closer as the Premier League unveiled each teams' fixtures for the coming campaign.

For Everton, this of course marks the beginning of Roberto Martinez's tenure at the club, who will be hoping to carry on with the fine work of David Moyes.

At Wigan, Martinez was renowned for a few late season sprints after some rather lethargic starts. A trait he will hope to leave behind him at the Latics, but one his new side have also been guilty of.

The Spaniard will clearly need time to impose his own style and beliefs on the Toffees, although the personnel at his disposal are good enough to get his Everton career off to a decent start.

With the fixtures now official, here is a month-by-month guide to the Toffees' 2013-14 season, complete with a difficulty gauge for each month.

August 2013 Difficulty Rating: 2/5

17/08: Norwich (A)

24/08: West Brom (H)

31/08: Cardiff (A)

This is a fairly friendly start for the Toffees, although the fact that two of the first three fixtures are away from home slightly raises the difficulty.

On the opening day, Everton will look to rectify some disappointing recent form against Norwich, with no wins and just three points from 12 since the Canaries' 2011 promotion.

The Toffees dispatched West Brom efficiently enough at Goodison Park last season, thanks to a classy individual display from Leighton Baines, while Cardiff will provide a new challenge not faced in league competition since 1962.

Two wins from three here would be a realistic aim for Martinez.

Last Season: 3/6 points (Cardiff N/A)

September 2013 Difficulty Rating: 3/5

14/09: Chelsea (H)

21/09: West Ham (A)

28/09: Newcastle (H)

As the transfer window closes the competition increases, with the Toffees facing a higher calibre of opposition in September.

Chelsea took three points from last season's corresponding contest, but have struggled on some previous trips to Goodison Park. Against West Ham, Everton boast an impressive recent record, unbeaten since 2007 with five wins from their last six visits to the Hammers.

The final fixture against Newcastle will provide a chance to avenge an especially controversial 2-2 draw last year.

No game appears an obvious win, but there is the potential for points in each of these matches.

Last Season: 4/9 points 

October 2013 Difficulty Rating: 3/5

05/10: Manchester City (A)

19/10: Hull (H)

26/10: Aston Villa (A)

October brings two away trips and a home game against newly promoted Hull.

Martinez will hope his side can easily dispose of Steve Bruce's men and concentrate on getting something from their two away ties. 

Travelling to the City of Manchester Stadium is one of the toughest tests of the season, but Everton have strong recent form on Manchester City soil, with four wins and a draw from their previous six visits.

The Toffees seem to continually share the points with Aston Villa, as seven of the previous nine contests have ended all square. There had been no win at Villa Park since 2005, until last season's impressive 3-0 victory that helped ignite Everton's early-season form.

Last Season: 4/6 points (Hull N/A)

November 2013 Difficulty Rating: 4/5

02/11: Tottenham (H)

09/11: Crystal Palace (A)

23/11: Liverpool (H)

30/11: Stoke (H)

As winter approaches, the difficulty continues to rise. Everton face three out of four home games in November, though each one will provide a significant test.

Both the Tottenham and Liverpool games could be crucial in the battle for European football, heightening the pressure, while Stoke are a side Everton have struggled to beat. The 1-0 win this past March was the Toffees' first in five games against them.

As last year's return indicates, there is a great opportunity for Everton to get ahead of their rivals here and record some crucial wins. It seems November will do much in defining the Toffees' overall season.

Last Season: 7/9 points (Crystal Palace N/A)

December 2013 Difficulty Rating: 2/5

03/12: Manchester United (A)

07/12: Arsenal (A)

14/12: Fulham (H)

21/12: Swansea (A)

26/12: Sunderland (H)

28/12: Southampton (H)

A typically cluttered festive period starts in daunting fashion, with two of the least appetising away trips on the calendar in succession: Arsenal and Manchester United.

Everton only managed a point from these ties last year and the game at Old Trafford will see David Moyes tackle his old side.

After that, things calm down considerably, hence the reasonably low difficulty rating. Fulham, Sunderland and Southampton were all beaten at home last season and the Toffees' game at Swansea saw a 3-0 win and one of their best performances of the previous campaign.

It may start with tough ties, but there is certainly an opportunity to start the New Year on the back of a decent run of form.

Last Season: 13/18 points 

January 2014 Difficulty Rating: 4/5

01/01: Stoke (A)

11/01: Norwich (H)

18/01: West Brom (A)

28/01: Liverpool (A)

Everton start 2014 with three out of four away games, including a trip to arch-rivals Liverpool.

None of this quartet of fixtures secured the Toffees three points last season, which makes it one of the more testing months of the season.

Stoke is never an easy destination to travel to and, as mentioned, Everton have struggled recently against the Potters, as has also been the case against Norwich.

The visit to the Hawthorns proved one of the Toffees' more disappointing performances of last season, and the final trip to Anfield is a ground Everton haven't recorded a victory at since 1999.

Overall, it seems a testing set of games.

Last Season: 3/12 points 

February 2014 Difficulty Rating: 3/5

01/02: Aston Villa (H)

08/02: Tottenham (A)

12/02: Crystal Palace (H)

22/02: Chelsea (A)

February sees two winnable home games and two tricky-looking away ties.

Despite a succession of draws against Aston Villa, and no home win since 2006, Everton will aim to finally claim maximum points against both them and Crystal Palace. 

Last season's 2-2 draw at Spurs was the closest the Toffees came to defeating one of the Premier League's top five clubs away from home. Only a late Gylfi Sigurdsson equaliser deprived them of what would have been a deserved win.

Everton haven't won at Chelsea since 1994, but have taken five draws from their past seven journeys to Stamford Bridge.

Last Season: 2/9 points (Crystal Palace N/A)

March 2014 Difficulty Rating: 1/5

01/03: West Ham (H)

08/03: Newcastle (A)

15/03: Cardiff (H)

22/03: Swansea (H)

29/03: Fulham (A)

March appears to be Everton's most straight forward month of the season, on paper at least.

West Ham, Cardiff and Swansea all travel to Goodison Park, and constitute a trio of opponents Evertonians will fancy their side's chances of victory against.

The two away trips are to grounds where the Toffees have recently experienced success at, winning at Newcastle last season and securing a win and two draws from their previous three journeys to Craven Cottage.

Despite taking eight points from 12 in these games last season, they were four of the Toffees most convincing displays. All four could have been wins, which Martinez will hope to achieve this time around.

Last Season: 8/12 points (Cardiff N/A)

April 2014 Difficulty Rating: 5/5

05/04: Arsenal (H)

12/04: Sunderland (A)

19/04: Manchester United (H)

26/04: Southampton (A)

After the easiest month comes arguably the toughest stretch of the season.

This home straight will see Everton welcome two formidable foes to Goodison Park, in Arsenal and Manchester United, which will, of course, see the return of David Moyes. The Toffees have good memories of United's last visit, but haven't beaten the Gunners at home since 2007.

Those fixtures are punctuated by two away ties that don't look especially daunting, yet were games Everton struggled in last season. They failed to score at both Sunderland and Southampton, and collected just a point from their travels.

This could be a month where a win is tough to come by.

Last Season: 5/12 points 

May 2014 Difficulty Rating: 3/5

03/05: Manchester City (H)

11/05: Hull City (A)

Everton's season reaches its climax with two ties that may well have a bearing at both ends of the table.

Manchester City provide the Toffees with a stern final test at home, although the Citizens have suffered defeat on all of their past four trips to Goodison Park.

While that clash may well affect the Premier League's title race, the final fixture against Hull could well influence the relegation scrap. Two battles Everton are unlikely to be involved in themselves.

Last Season: 3/3 points (Hull N/A)

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