Match Preview

A relatively successful Christmas period leads us into a very challenging start to the New Year.  Our next five league games see us play teams sitting in the top seven places in the Premiership!  Even last season saw us take only 5 points from the equivalent games — and that included 3 against Arsenal of course!!

With that to come, it is important that we maintain our somewhat better home form as we welcome Norwich to Goodison for the 3rd Round of the FA Cup.

When the draw was made, it may not have appeared that tough; however, Norwich have won their last four games and are unbeaten in their last eight games giving them a 4-point lead at the top of the 1st Division — great!

They arrive buoyed by the impetus of having signed fans' favourite jet-heeled Darren Huckerby (he of a hat-trick at Anfield only 3 seasons ago).  They have also signed Matthius Svensson from Southampton and Leon McKenzie who has scored three times in his first three games for the club.

However, it is at the back where they have most impressed, conceding only 21 goals in their 26 1st Division games, mainly based on the experience of Marc Edworthy and Craig Fleming — both of whom have plied their trade in the Premiership.  With the likes of Euan Roberts and Malkay Mackay also in the team, they will not be lacking in belief.

For us, I imagine that Moyes would have liked to say same again after the win against Birmingham; however, a chipped bone in Nyarko's foot (my own MoM against Birmingham) means that won't happen.

Elsewhere, the rehabilitation of Big Dunc is likely to continue and Unsworth's commitment at centre-back is likely to be rewarded with another start — if not a longer-term contract. Rooney's success from the bench suggests that he is likely to be there again giving Radz the starting berth.

We will have to be up for this as Norwichare understandably flying, but we should have too much for them and as usual midfield will be the key.  If they get too much ball, their pacey frontmen will definitely cause Stubbs and Unsworth problems.

But I believe we will have too much for them and a 3-1 start to 2004 beckons!

Happy New Year

Blue4Ever

Lee Doyle

Matchday Stats

This will be the 47th meeting between Everton and NorwichCity in all competitions, and the 24th at Goodison Park.  This will also be only the third meeting between the sides in the FA Cup.  The tie might actually be a good omen, as the previous two times we've met Norwich in the Cup, we've gone on to the final: 

• The first meeting was in the 1989 semi-final, when the tragic events at Hillsborough rightly overshadowed a 1-0 victory at Villa Park, with Pat Nevin scoring the only goal. 

• The next meeting was in the 1995 cup run when we beat Norwich 5-0 at Goodison Park in the 5th round.   The goal scorers that day were Anders Limpar, Joe Parkinson, Paul Rideout, Duncan Ferguson and Graham Stuart.

Everton's full record against Norwich City is:

Our record at Goodison Park against the Canaries is slightly better:

The last match between the two sides was the Fifth Round FA Cup tie mentioned previously on 18 February 1995.

Everton are currently enjoying a 3 game unbeaten run against Norwich with the last defeat being a 3-0 reversal at Carrow Road in March 1994, which was Mike Walker's tenth game in charge of the club.

There have been just 2 games at Goodison Park since Norwich last won there thanks to a 5-1 victory on 25 September 1995, with Everton's goal coming from Paul Rideout.

Everton's biggest victory was the 5-0 FA Cup victory which is also the biggest win at Goodison Park.

Everton's biggest defeat against Norwich was the 5-1 defeat in 1995, which is also the biggest defeat at Goodison.

The most common margin of victory at Goodison against Norwich is 1-0.  The most common draw is 1-1 with Norwich most common victory being shared between 1-0 and 2-0.

Everton's record for 3 January is:

This will be the first meeting between the two sides on this date.

Milestone's that can be reached in this game:

• If Tony Hibbert starts, it will be his 50^th start for Everton in all competitions.
• If David Unsworth starts he will move into joint 50^th place in total all-time FA Cup starts for Everton, joining the likes of Derek Temple, Sam Chedgzoy and Alan Ball on 21 starts in the competition.  If he plays any part of the match, then David will move into joint 47^th place in the all-time FA Cup appearances for Everton joining the likes of Jimmy Husband, Jock Thomson and John Bailey on 22 appearances.
• If Wayne Rooney scores a hat-trick before the end of the season, he will be beat William Dean's record of the youngest ever Everton player to score three goals in a match.

Steve Flanagan

Report

Steve Milne