Posts tagged Everton at FanHouse

David Moyes has a good team at Everton. His side can compete with just about anyone in the Premier League. Without Tim Cahill, though, they lack the firepower needed to contend for a Champions League bid.

Liverpool proved that today. In the 7th minute, Xabi Alonso took the ball away from Ayegbeni Yakubu in front of Everton's goal, and Dirk Kuyt took the stray ball and set up Fernando Torres for his 21st goal of the season. That was all the Reds needed as they topped the Toffees, 1-0, in the Merseyside Derby and opened the gap between 4th and 5th place to five points.

The real gap, however, seemed much, much wider than that today, didn't it?

This Sunday's Liverpool v. Everton match could to be one of the biggest Merseyside derbies in Premier League history. Not only is local pride on the line, but the winner will have the inside track to the fourth and final Champions League spot and all the riches that come with it. Unfortunately, it seems both sides will be missing key players.

Everton will be without its second-leading scorer after midfielder Tim Cahill was ruled out for the season after suffering a broken metatarsal last week against West Ham. It's the second time in two years that the Aussie has broken that bone in his foot. (Maybe it's his boots.)

Liverpool, meanwhile, will be without midfielder Javier Mascherano, who's facing an FA charge for being a stupid, angry loudmouth last Sunday. He will miss this weekend's derby and could miss two more Premier League matches. The suspension will not affect his availability for Liverpool's upcoming Champions League ties with Arsenal, as they are separate competitions.

Everton has not beaten Liverpool at Anfield since 1999, though, and losing Cahill is a far more significant blow to the blue side than losing Mascherano is to the Reds. How much will it affect Everton's slim Champions League hopes? I guess we'll find out on Sunday.

It was all in front of Everton today. With Portsmouth and Aston Villa suffering bad losses, an Everton win would have put them nine points clear in fifth place and tied with Liverpool on 59 points. A Manchester United win against Liverpool on Sunday would have left the Merseyside rivals tied going into their derby match next weekend.

Alas, Dean Ashton had other ideas. His header in the 68th minute forced a 1-1 draw between West Ham and Everton, putting another dent in Everton's Champions League hopes.

With seven games left, Everton's magic number is 14 to earn its second straight UEFA Cup bid. It's closest opponent, Portsmouth, appears to be putting its hopes for Europe in the FA Cup. There's a big difference, though, between the UEFA Cup and the Champions League. Everton can climb back into a Champions League spot with a win in Anfield next weekend, but their recent form -- a loss at Fulham and a draw against West Ham -- suggests that Europe's 2nd-tier tournament will once again be their destination.

Everton wouldn't be in as good a position without manager David Moyes, who expressed his desire to remain with the club long-term. It will take more than Moyes, though, to bridge the gap between Everton and the Big Four.

Premier League fans, before you focus your efforts on those "39th Game" protests, take a minute to mark your calendars for March 30. This day could mark a major turning point in the history of two top Premier League clubs.

After yesterday's dreadful draw against Chelsea, Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has told his teammates to forget about the league title and focus on finishing fourth, which will secure them a Champions League bid for next season. The club needs that bid in order to earn the money necessary to pay down their exorbitant debt.

Liverpool currently sits in 5th place on the Premier League table, three points clear of that fourth and final Champions League spot. Who's currently in 4th place? Everton, Liverpool's local rivals, who are currently on a six-game unbeaten streak in league play. Everton's only losses in 2008 have come in domestic cup ties.

The Merseyside Derby between Liverpool and Everton is March 30 at Anfield, and that match could very well decide the fate of both these clubs. Don't you think the blue team would relish being able to take their red rivals down a peg, both literally and figuratively?

Games like this are just one reason why the Premier League has become such a global phenomenon. There's more drama here than a full day of programming on TNT. Perhaps the Premier League should be reminded, though, that a game like this wouldn't play nearly as well outside of Merseyside.

As most English soccer fans know, the top four teams in the Premier League at the end of this season will qualify for the Champions League next season. Most of us expected the Big Four to claim those spots yet again this season. After today's matches, though, the race for that fourth spot suddenly looks wide open.

Liverpool salvaged only a 1-1 draw at Middlesbrough, while their rivals Everton notched a 1-0 win over Manchester City at Goodison Park. Meanwhile, Aston Villa took advantage of Reading's poor away form with a convincing 3-1 victory.

End result? Liverpool, Everton, Aston Villa and Man City are all tied at 39 point apiece. Liverpool only maintains its faint hold on fourth place because of goal differential (+21). They also have a game in hand against West Ham, but as their recent form suggests, that's not exactly a gimme.