Following a 4-1 win over West Ham United in the Carabao Cup, Everton are inching closer to perhaps finally ending a really long wait for a bit of silverware – a feat attracting all sorts of punters using sites like bet-bonuscode.ca. Ahead of the game against the Hammers, manager Carlo Ancelotti had made clear that winning the League Cup was a top priority this season.
No one can blame the Italian tactician for wanting to go for the cup competition given the fact that winning it would give them a guaranteed path to Europa League next season.
With competition for the top six places in the league getting intense with each passing week, Ancelotti simply cannot rely on his players beefing up for one route towards Europa League. The League Cup not only provides the Toffees a definitive chance of winning some silverware, it is also a rather more straightforward chance to gain access to Europe.
After winning a lot of trophies during his time as manager of AC Milan, Real Madrid, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, Carlo Ancelotti was never going to take any cup competition for granted.
The game against West Ham was Everton’s toughest test in the competition this season. They headed into this fixture on the back of a great start to the new English Premier League campaign. Since the beginning of the new campaign, Everton have looked like the real deal.
James Rodriguez has taken no time to get settled while Allan is linking up very well with Andre Gomes.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin had a great 2019/20 campaign and continues improving at a phenomenal speed. The English striker scored a hat-trick against David Moyes’ men. No wonder Manchester United have been linked with a move for him.
Following this win over the Hammers, Ancelotti’s men are only three games away from finally winning some piece of silverware and guaranteeing themselves European football next season. While there is still a long way to go, the Merseysiders are riding high and looking at their form, who can bet against them?
There are a few issues that need to be addressed however!
The team’s defensive situation is not the best. Both Mason Holgate and Jarrad Branthwaite are out injured and Yerry Mina has only just returned from injury. The Colombian was not used in the win over West Ham and Lucas Digne filled in admirably for the former Barcelona man.
Michael Keane has proven to be quite the leader in the heart of defense, with the Manchester United academy graduate stealing the show with yet another accomplished showing.
Injuries might have created a few problems but Michael Keane is really thriving which bodes well for Ancelotti who at least has some depth in defense.
Keane is perhaps one of the most underrated defenders in England.
The 27-year-old has great ability with the ball at his feet and actually made more successful passes than all of his teammates. Boasting a 96% pass accuracy would definitely inspire Ancelotti’s confidence.
Solely due to Ancelotti’s trust in him, Keane’s overall gameplay has improved and he has become more or less and undroppable member of the starting XI.
Calvert-Lewin shows no signs of stopping.
The youngster showed great composure while scoring his first goal against West Ham, controlling the ball brilliantly from his first touch and then beating Darren Randolph before thumping the ball in the back of the net.
The 23-year-old is slowly becoming a more complete striker than we imagine him to be a few years ago. Perhaps Ancelotti’s biggest concern would be to convince his star striker that he can achieve everything at Goodison Park.
All in all, Everton are one of the most in-form teams in England and the run they’ve put in, needs to have enough longevity in order for them to finally become a team that can more than just punch above its weight.
