Everton return after a 10-day break with a trip to relegation-threatened Wolves on Saturday night.
A few weeks ago this match definitely had the feel of a six-pointer, which is why it got selected for TV. But Everton’s surge in form means they can relax a bit knowing the odds on being dragged back into the dogfight at the bottom are extremely low.
Brentford FC v Everton FC - Premier League Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
The one silver lining of going out of the FA Cup was the chance for the squad to get away for a few days on a warm-weather training camp in Dubai. Hopefully it has eased a few injury issues and delivered a bit of a mental refresh after a busy and eventful few weeks.
With the Toffees 15 points clear of the bottom three the fans can start to relax and enjoy the run-in (for the first time in three years) knowing one defeat will not spell disaster.
The opposition
AFC Bournemouth v Wolverhampton Wanderers - Emirates FA Cup Fifth Round Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
While Everton have pulled clear of the bottom three, Wolves remain in the mire.
An awful start that saw them lose 11 of their opening 16 league games saw Gary O’Neil sacked in January. Vitor Pereira, once a wild contender for the Everton job, made an instant impact, winning his first two games.
He has only one two of nine since, but that is enough to open up a five-point gap on the bottom three, with the form of Leicester and Ipswich suggesting they will struggle to overhaul them.
However, the reckless behaviour of Matheus Cunha – Wolves’ best player by far – may offer some encouragement for those below them in the table.
The Brazilian was sent off for headbutting Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez last weekend and his angry reaction may see an extension to his three-game ban, ruling him out of more crucial matches in the run-in.
If Leicester or Ipswich somehow string together a few results then nerves could begin to build at Molineux.
Previous meeting
Everton 4-0 Wolves, 4 December 2024
Everton FC v Wolverhampton Wanderers FC - Premier League Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images
A comfortable evening for Everton in the reverse meeting in December turned out to be Sean Dyche’s final win as Toffees manager. Ashley Young and Orel Mangala put Everton in control, with a couple of Craig Dawson own goals after the break wrapping up the points. Both clubs have since changed manager.
Team news
Everton have Abdoulaye Doucoure available after he missed the Brentford game following the birth of his child.
Youssef Chermiti and Nathan Patterson returned to the bench against the Bees and will be in contention again.
There are no fresh injury concerns, though the casualty list remains long, with Iliman Ndiaye, Orel Mangala, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Seamus Coleman, Armando Broja and Dwight McNeil all absent.
What they said
David Moyes: “We’ve been away at Brighton, Brentford, Crystal Palace and the players have done a really good job. We have to try to keep it going. It’s something which we have to build on, keep improving and making progress.
“Taking points is the most important thing for us and making sure we get further and further away from the bottom three.”
AFC Bournemouth v Wolverhampton Wanderers - Emirates FA Cup Fifth Round Photo by Jack Thomas - WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images
Vitor Pereira: “They were doing fantastic work in the last month. But my focus is my team, because it’s the only thing that I can control. We will go to face them, a good team, they were competing with every team in the last games. We need to play our game and to correct some behaviours from the last game that we lost. We need to recover as soon as possible, to be ourselves, to play as Wolves.
“I’m very confident for the future, with Cunha or without Cunha, because I know my players, I know the personalities, I know the soul of them. They will give us a strong response in this game, for sure.”
Final word
It is nice just to be able to relax and enjoy a game, knowing defeat wouldn’t be catastrophic. A tough April lies ahead though so if the Blues really want to put any lingering relegation fears to bed then they could do with a result here.