Silverware is on the minds of both Everton and Tottenham Hotspur. While the Premier League title is now out of reach for both clubs, the FA Cup is not.
On Wednesday night, Everton will welcome Tottenham Hotspur to Goodison Park for an FA Cup fifth round match. It is one of four fifth round all-Premier League ties.
Everton went to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium earlier this season and won 1-0 thanks to a second half Dominic Calvert-Lewin goal. The only goal of the game came from a set-piece.
The Toffees are coming off of a 3-3 come from behind league draw with Manchester United. It was a momentum-building performance and Carlo Ancelotti’s team could carry over that momentum into the FA Cup fifth round.
Tottenham Hotspur ended a three-game losing streak in the league last weekend with a professional 2-0 win over West Brom. Jose Mourinho’s team have already qualified for the Carabao Cup final versus Manchester City.
The manager will fancy his chances of reaching another cup final this season to end Spurs’ silverware drought. Tottenham have dominated their series of matches versus Everton over the years.
Until Everton won 1-0 in London earlier this season in the league, Spurs had gone 15 games without a defeat to the Toffees.
Ancelotti will most likely play goalkeeper Robin Olsen in place of Jordan Pickford. The latter is ruled out with a chest injury.
Olsen played in the 3-3 draw versus Manchester United but didn’t cover himself in gold. His poor play led to at least one Manchester United goal.
James Rodriguez and Allan are in races to get fit for the game. Both are currently doubts to appear. Jean-Philippe Gbamin is ruled out with a long-term fitness issue.
Mourinho got Harry Kane back from a double ankle injury last weekend for the game against West Brom. Kane and Heung-min Son found the back of the net in the team’s 2-0 victory.
Midfielders Giovani Lo Celso and Dele Alli are ruled out of the match along with defender Sergio Reguilon.
The manager could recall Gareth Bale to the starting XI for the cup match. Bale has appeared in 15 matches in all competitions but accumulated just 783 total minutes of football. His return to Spurs on loan has been a bust.
Wednesday night’s match sees two teams desperate for silverware meeting at Goodison Park. With two experienced managers meeting, the game should be a low-scoring affair with under 2.5 goals tallied.
Mourinho may not park the bus, but Spurs may not attack with fluidity as they did versus West Brom. The teams may need extra-time and penalties to sort out which one qualifies.