With Everton among the favourites to be battling relegation in the Premier League, cup runs may not be top of the agenda at Goodison, but their recent form suggests that this season may be a little more stress-free in that department.
However, talks of a potential three, six or even in a worst-case scenario, 12-point deduction means the club will have a cloud looming over them until a decision is made by the Premier League about Everton’s alleged financial breaches.
On the pitch though, Everton are showing their capabilities, and for a side which has become renowned for having such dreadful away form, manager Dyche led them to a fourth win on the road this season at West Ham United over the weekend.
The Toffees regularly found themselves near the bottom of form tables when it came to away form, but under Dyche, Everton have lost just five of their 16 away games in all
competitions, with those losses coming against elite opposition such as Liverpool (twice), Arsenal, Manchester United and Aston Villa.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin was the match winner at the London Stadium on Sunday, and he also found the net in Everton’s other away Premier League success this season, at Brentford.
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Everton’s run to this stage of the EFL Cup has seen them win twice on the road too, most notably against Aston Villa in the previous round, just weeks after they lost 4-0 at Villa Park in the league.
With four wins in six games, Everton can lay claim to being one of the most in-form sides in the top flight at present, as they were also unlucky in their Merseyside derby defeat to Liverpool.
That form has moved them above Nottingham Forest into 15th, and five points clear of the relegation zone, giving them some breathing room to focus solely on cup matters this midweek.
