Everton host West Ham in the Carabao Cup fourth round on Wednesday; follow the action with our dedicated blog
Tuesday 29 September 2020 16:11, UK
Even after just three weeks of the season, it feels like it could be the year of the well-drilled underdog.
Everton will hope to be among those who may profit from a condensed campaign, without the added distraction of European football - and three wins from three has led to a wave of optimism around the blue half of Merseyside. Indeed, the club have won their first five games of a season in all competitions for the first time since 1938.
A social media movement led by supporters propelled the 1985 club anthem to the top of the iTunes chart, displacing American popstar Miley Cyrus, but Carlo Ancelotti will be focused on wrecking the established top order in the Premier League.
The Italian has addressed his most pressing issue in solidifying a suspect midfield with three new recruits that have instantly clicked; Abdoulaye Doucoure has brought legs while Allan's expertise as an anchorman has enabled Andre Gomes to play to his strengths.
Further afield, James Rodriguez has brought the artistry and guile that Everton have lacked in recent seasons and Jamie Carragher believes, after years of false dawns, the club is heading in the right direction under Ancelotti...
Sky Sports' Jamie Carragher:
"Evertonians right now are just delighted that Carlo Ancelotti and this group of players at this moment, three games into the season, have given them something to shout about.
"They've been top of the iTunes charts with fans downloading 'The Spirit of the Blues', and it's been a really good start.
"Everyone's talking about the players who've come in. James Rodriguez has got that class, and the change of system has really helped them. They had big problems in midfield and now there's three in there. There are certain teams, including Everton, that I've been critical of over the past six years doing this job because they've never done anything.
"It gets boring and monotonous for me to be saying the same thing, so I'm delighted Ancelotti is doing something at Everton. There's a Merseyside derby in the first game after the international break, and I hope Everton and Liverpool win next week so that they go into it both on 12 points. There would be something extra riding on the game and there would be a bit more edge to it.
"Liverpool have dominated derbies for too long, but Everton have to make more of a fist of it. They've got a top-class manager who can go up against anything in this Premier League, they've spent a lot of money, and I think it's good for the competition when big traditional clubs who've gone a long time without winning things to be doing well. They need to be competing where you feel they should be - there's been too much of a gap.
"I feel like this season could be different because it's so unique. There's been no pre-season, it's a condensed season, and teams not in Europe have to see this as a big opportunity. I think for Everton, the Carabao Cup - a competition they've never won which you can't believe a club the size of Everton has never won that trophy - should be a target.
"Everton aren't going to win the league, they're probably not going to get into the top four either, but the big thing for a club like Everton or a manager who comes in is to win a trophy and to stop that 25-year gap of not winning a trophy.
"They've got to target the cup competitions because the big teams will be fielding weakened sides because they're in Europe. We may not see the usual suspects winning the Carabao Cup or FA Cup this season."
Follow the action with our dedicated Carabao Cup blog. Free match highlights will be published on the Sky Sports website, app and YouTube channel later that evening.
Sky Sports' Roy Keane:
"They've made a good start and I think they can certainly be thinking of the top six or top eight. I think the top four may be too much for them, but they'll be encouraged by the start and I've got a lot of time for the captain Seamus Coleman.
"I think it will be good for the league for Everton to be competing near the top end of the table. It's been far too long where they've been towards the bottom half.
"I think there will be [a surprise top-four contender] this year, and I'm thinking the likes of Leicester, Everton, Arsenal... I think there will be encouragement when they see Manchester United might be slipping up or even Chelsea so there might be an opportunity to sneak into that top four."
Sky Sports' Gary Neville:
"I was at the first game against Tottenham and I thought that was a big moment for them, to give them confidence from wining that first away game.
"They had an awful record against the top six away from home. It's not easy to win those games but you do expect to win one every 10 games or so if you are a team like Everton.
"Everton just look like they've got more quality and more belief. James Rodriguez coming in and the two midfield players, Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure, have made a big difference in terms of making them more solid.
"They were too weak in midfield last year. Sometimes you looked at the midfield of Andre Gomes and Gylfi Sigurdsson and you know they are talented, but on the other side of things, you see how the other top teams are playing and you just can't get away with that in midfield.
"Everton are a lot more serious as a team this year. They've shown potential in the last couple of years, but those three signings look to have given them that extra belief. They've also got some talented forwards in Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who will cause problems."
