A season-defining week

It has been a long break.

Everton, of course, went into a three-week hiatus on a high note, thumping Chelsea 3-0 at Hill Dickinson Stadium in what was, arguably, the best display of David Moyes’ second spell at the club.

That made it three wins out of four, with the only defeat in that run coming away at Premier League leaders Arsenal in dramatic, gutting fashion.

Momentum then, is with Everton as they chase a European place, and the two games coming up look set to be just as decisive as those in the relegation battles of recent years gone by, albeit for vastly different reasons.

First up, it’s Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium. The Bees sit seventh, one place above Everton, on the same points. Their goal difference stands at +4, compared to +2 for the Toffees.

Then, eight days later, it’s the first Merseyside derby at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Liverpool, as it stands, are just three points above Everton in fifth place, which will now be enough to guarantee Champions League qualification for next season.

Fixtures against West Ham, Manchester City, Crystal Palace, Sunderland and then Tottenham round out Everton’s season, but the next two games are what will surely decide what European competition Moyes’ men could be competing to qualify for.

As it stands, all options are on the table. Everton, along with all the other European hopefuls, were not helped by Arsenal’s shock loss to Southampton in the FA Cup last week. With Chelsea’s place in the top six up in the air, all the chasing pack could really do with Manchester City going all the way, ensuring the European qualification places drop down to eighth.

But this is why the coming week is so vital.

Everton could do themselves a huge favour — three points against Brentford would see them nose ahead into seventh place, and possibly even higher of course. After all, Chelsea face Man City, while Liverpool take on Fulham.

A win at Brentford would in no way ensure Everton a place in the top seven come the end of May, but it could be a huge psychological marker. To go to the home of a direct rival and come away with maximum points would be massive, and prove the Toffees credentials.

That being said, avoiding defeat is also hugely important, and it will probably be the approach Moyes takes, given his pragmatic nature.

A positive result of some kind in west London would then set the stage for that massive first derby at Everton’s dockside home.

Beat Brentford and, in some sense, there could be less pressure to win the derby from the perspective of absolutely needing to take three points for the chase for Europe. But that would not, of course, take away the pressure of needing to get a result because it is the first derby at Hill Dickinson Stadium, and because this is a Liverpool team that should not strike fear into anybody right now.

In season’s gone by, Evertonians had to go into decisive weeks like this full of fear — fear of what could happen if it went wrong, fear of the unknown.

Now, Evertonians are going into a decisive week with excitement — excitement of what can be achieved.

But one thing is certain: It will be pivotal, one way or the other.

 

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