A weary and depleted Everton begin their FA Cup campaign at home to Sunderland, looking to arrest a frustrating slide in form.
The Toffees have won just one of their last six matches as injuries, suspensions and AFCON absentees begin to bite.
They will be further depleted on Saturday following Michael Keane’s controversial red card for – wait for it – hair-pulling. Only Keane will know whether it was deliberate – and with VAR it would be pretty silly to do so. But it certainly did not look as though
there was intent, so a three-game ban for ‘violent conduct’ seems harsh. Jack Grealish will also sit out one game for his late act of petulance – though Evertonians have again pointed out other instances of players clapping the referee but not being booked. Then there was Hwang’s tackle on the back of Harrison Armstrong’s calf, further fuelling the fans’ ire.
That late controversy should not disguise another laboured performance against a side with just one win all season. Back-to-back home games following the win at Forest represented a great chance to cement a position in the top half of a congested table. Taking just one point is more than disappointing and highlights how just a handful of injuries can disrupt the team.
The one big positive was the performance of Armstrong, who displayed a maturity beyond his years and looked at home at this level. If he keeps this up then the teenager is unlikely to return to Preston at the end of the month.
Will David Moyes dip into the transfer market? He did not sound optimistic in his press conference before the game, though there may be a bit of performative expectation management at play. It feels like a right-back, either on loan or permanently, is an absolute must. Elsewhere, I sense there is a reluctance to add to the squad before the summer, when more options should be available at better value.
So what for Saturday? Moyes named a weakened side for the Carabao Cup tie at Wolves and paid the price. Now he has limited options and will be simply scrabbling around for 11 fit senior players.
Evertonians all want a cup run, though, and with the team unlikely to face a relegation battle there is no reason not to prioritise it alongside the league. The question is whether they have the quality to go far even if they get past a tricky third-round tie, barring a gentle draw in each round.
The opposition
Sunderland are back in the big time and continue to thrive. Since the sides met in early November, the Black Cats have lost just three times in 11 matches, one of those away at Manchester City. That is despite losing six players to AFCON, with Régis Le Bris’ side showing remarkable resilience to sit 10th in the table, one point above the Toffees.
Le Bris has promised to take the cup seriously and will not make wholesale changes, though the busy festive schedule will likely mean some players are given a rest.
This is the first FA Cup meeting between the sides since a quarter-final replay in 2012, when goals from Nikica Jelavić and an own goal by David Vaughan sent the Toffees to Wembley.
Let’s not talk about the semi-final, though.
Previous meeting
Sunderland 1–1 Everton, 4 November 2025
The Toffees claimed a deserved point when the sides met ten weeks ago, though it was very much a game of two halves. Everton were dominant in the first half (well, most of it anyway) but failed to add to Iliman Ndiaye’s fine strike. Grant Xhaka was a touch fortunate to see his effort just after the break take a wild deflection to beat Jordan Pickford for the equaliser. Sunderland were on top from then on but could not find a winner.
Team news
Everton are now without eight players after Michael Keane and Jack Grealish were added to the suspended list. Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye are still at AFCON. Jarrad Branthwaite is ‘on the grass’ but not yet available. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Seamus Coleman and Carlos Alcaraz also remain absent.
Final word
With so many players unavailable and a poor run of form leading into this game, it is hard to be optimistic as Everton take on a Sunderland side still riding the momentum gained from their dramatic promotion in May. The visitors have absentees of their own, though, and may make several changes. It has to be decided on the day, so I would not be surprised if it goes all the way to penalties.
