What a difference a week makes.
Seven days ago, Evertonians (including me) were nervous about the season potentially unravelling after successive defeats to Arsenal and Chelsea.
Seasons contain certain pinch points where one or two results can have a lasting impact, and this week was one of those occasions.
Two defeats to Newcastle and Everton would have been in full crisis mode. But, instead, two dominant performances and wins have restored momentum, meaning the Toffees go into Friday’s game against
Coventry feeling buoyant and optimistic once more.
Win, and Everton go joint-fourth before the weekend’s matches, continuing a fine start to the season that had begun to feel a little fragile.
Of the two games against the Magpies, the cup game felt more important, given it will dictate the mood of the fans and club for the next few weeks. A favourable draw, albeit against a Fleetwood side that has just dumped out Arsenal, has got the fans excited about a semi-final and even a trip to Wembley.
That momentum, on and off the pitch, was carried into the league game at St James’ Park, where Everton turned in arguably their best performance of the season, and certainly their best away from home since the Villa game at the start of the year.
Those wins have made the absence of Jack Grealish easier to bear. We don’t know the full details of what has happened, but it is clear Grealish needs some making up to do with his manager, team-mates and fans, all of whom have welcomed him with open arms over the last year. They all have a right to feel let down.
The opposition
Coventry take on Everton for the first time since January 2001, when the Toffees came away with a 3-1 win at the Sky Blues’ old Highfield Road ground.
The home supporters demonstrated against manager Gordon Strachan at the final whistle, with the team spiralling towards relegation.
Strachan stayed in his job but could not turn Coventry’s fortunes around, and they went down at the end of the season, ending 34 consecutive seasons in the top flight that also included a memorable FA Cup win in 1987.
Few fans would have predicted it would take 25 years to return, taking in a drop to League Two, ground-sharing twice and near-bankruptcy.
But the Sky Blues are back, and it is former Everton manager Frank Lampard who guided them there.
Evertonians are likely to give Lampard a warm reception on Friday. It was the right decision for him to leave in those dark days of January 2023, but his commitment to the club during his short time in charge was never in doubt. The late-season revival to stay up in 2021-22, culminating in the Crystal Palace game, was special, albeit a moment we do not want to see repeated.
They began the season with five successive defeats, reflecting the leap in quality from the second tier. But they head north on a run of three wins in five, with last weekend’s win over Sunderland lifting them up to 16th. A win on Friday and they move into the top 10.
Previous meeting
Coventry 1-3 Everton, January 20, 2001
Everton eased their own relegation fears and damaged Coventry’s prospects of staying up with a vital win at the start of 2001. Kevin Campbell, Danny Cadamarteri and Scott Gemmill put Everton in control in the first half. Future Toffee Lee Carsley’s penalty late on was merely a consolation.
The Sky Blues would win only three of their next 14 league games, finishing 19th and dropping out of the top flight for the first time since 1967. Everton didn’t fare much better. Their next match was a humiliating 3-0 FA Cup fourth-round defeat to Tranmere, before winning just four of their final 15 league games to finish six points ahead of Coventry in 16th.
Team news
Jack Grealish will again be absent for the fourth game running, with David Moyes giving little away as to when he will return from his disciplinary-related absence.
Moyes is hopeful Jarrad Branthwaite will be fit but admits they are “nursing him along a wee bit”. The England defender came off against Newcastle on 82 minutes with cramp.
Final word
If Everton are to achieve anything this season, then these are the games they have to win. They have a useful recent habit of winning games immediately before an international break, so let’s hope that continues here.
That would make it seven points from five games since the previous international break, a more than reasonable return, and leave the Toffees level on points with fourth-placed Chelsea, for 24 hours at least.
