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Sunderland vs Everton

Match Preview

So here we are... A sixth match in 17 days sees Everton travel to the northeast for their biggest game of the season thus far, a do-or-die FA Cup quarter-final replay against Sunderland.

With the impressive victory at Swansea and Liverpool's home defeat to Wigan at the weekend, European qualification via 7th place is still in play for the Blues, so this isn't quite make-or-break for the season. But David Moyes has quite clearly thrown his chips all-in in a bid for the FA Cup and a first trophy in 10 years, so the draw in the original tie back at Goodison would no doubt have been enormously frustrating for him.

A second chance to book a place at Wembley and set up an all-Merseyside semi-final is on offer then with Martin O'Neill's Black Cats standing in the way. Moyes's record against Sunderland is excellent but he has bested O'Neill just once, coincidentally enough in the FA Cup three years ago when the Blues beat Aston Villa in the Fifth Round on their way to the Final.

With the tie switching to the Stadium of Light, the advantage has clearly swung in Sunderland's favour, not least because they have been so impressive on home turf since O'Neill succeeded Steve Bruce earlier this season. Only Arsenal have come away from there with a win since he took over at the beginning of December, although Everton did manage a 1-1 draw when the two sides met on Boxing Day.

Sunderland will also be buouyed by the return of Sebastian Sessegnon and Lee Cattermole, both of whom missed the original game 10 days ago through suspension. Sessegnon has rightly been highlighted as the Black Cats' chief danger man — the Benin international has been in superb form this season and Moyes will no doubt be crafting a plan to nullify that threat.

The Blues will, of course, be without their most creative outlet once again, with the cup-tied Steven Pienaar forced to sit it out. That will force Moyes into another change on the left flank where Royston Drenthe, Magaye Gueye and Victor Anichebe have been deployed in recent games.

Drenthe will not be available, though, after Moyes apparently allowed him to return to Holland on compassionate leave, and with Seamus Coleman also highly doubtful after suffering a recurrence of his thigh muscle injury, the Blues will be worryingly short of pace and creativity down the flanks.

With Darron Gibson back in midfield alongside Marouane Fellaini, Leon Osman is almost certain to play on one of the flanks while Gueye or Anichebe could well get the nod on the other. Up front, Tim Cahill is expected to play behind Nikica Jelavic, with Denis Stracqualursi on the bench.

In defence, it remains to be seen whether Moyes opts for the greater speed of Tony Hibbert or the experience and influence of Phil Neville, while it would probably be prudent to reinstate John Heitinga in the centre even given Phil Jagielka's superb display at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday.

Given the shortage of flair in the side, this is unlikely to be a free-flowing display of passing football like that with which Everton put Swansea to the sword. Indeed, it could be one that is long on industry, brawn and a reliance on winning the second ball and set-pieces but no-one will care if the Blues can get the job done and book passage to the semi-finals.

Come. On. You. Blues!

Lyndon Lloyd

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