Everton were talked about as a top-six contender in the Premier League this season. However, the Toffees have made a distinctly average start to their top-flight campaign.
Marco Silva’s side put their quest for a top-six spot this season to one side on Wednesday night, as the Merseysider’s visit League One team Lincoln City in the second round of the League Cup.
The home side are just outside the League One play-off spots after promotion to the third-tier last season under the highly-rated Danny Cowley. The Imps could well mount a challenge for back-to-back promotions. However, for now, they will be concentrating on attempting to cause a shock in the League Cup.
These two teams actually met in the third round of the FA Cup last season at Goodison Park when the Toffees recorded a narrow 2-1 win. The Imps will be confident of producing another encouraging display against the visitors.
Lincoln have a poor recent record in the League Cup, winning just two of their last ten matches in the competition. However, one of those victories came in the first round of the competition this season, in a 1-0 win at Huddersfield.
👊 | A new week. Two games. #MondayMotivation📅 Weds, 7.45pm / Sun, 2pm🆚 @LincolnCity_FC / @Wolves 📍 Sincil Bank / Goodison Park🏆 #CarabaoCup / #PL pic.twitter.com/K375ecgFPO— Everton (@Everton) August 26, 2019
👊 | A new week. Two games. #MondayMotivation📅 Weds, 7.45pm / Sun, 2pm🆚 @LincolnCity_FC / @Wolves 📍 Sincil Bank / Goodison Park🏆 #CarabaoCup / #PL pic.twitter.com/K375ecgFPO
Everton are badly in need of a trophy after a drought of 24 years. In fact, the League Cup is the only domestic trophy that the Toffees have failed to win in their history.
Everybody connected with the club are desperate for silverware and a cup run would help persuade the fans that their underperforming team are heading in the right direction.
The Toffees have failed to make it past the third round of the competition in the last two seasons. Last season the Merseysider’s exited the competition by losing a penalty shootout against Southampton.
This is a potential banana skin for the Toffees. However, Forebet predicts that Silva’s team will record a comfortable victory in a low-scoring encounter.