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Everton have improved under Ancelotti but there's still a long way to go

Is major success finally on the horizon for the club?

Most Everton fans were delighted at the appointment of Carlo Ancelotti in December 2019 and there has been clear progress during made during the 2020/2021 season.

Everton finished last season in a disappointing 12th position, but this time around they could find themselves qualifying for Europe for the first time since 2017. This could be in either the Europa League or the newly created UEFA Conference League which will be having its inaugural season during the 2021/2022 campaign.

The rise of Dominic Calvert-Lewin

One of the best aspects of Everton's season has been the form of Dominic Calvert-Lewin. He has scored 19 goals in 30 appearances which is already his best return in a single season. The young English forward had started the season with goals in five successive matches, including a hat-trick against West Brom. He was helped in this match by the superb form of James Rodriguez.

Many football fans in Merseyside and beyond have started to see him as a good choice for first and anytime goalscorer bets. If you feel confident in his ability, this article contains information about a huge number of free bets and also sign up offers from lots of bookmakers.  They can be used to bet on Calvert-Lewin to score in an upcoming match for Everton.

Derby delight at Anfield

One of the highlights of Everton's season has been that 2-0 win at Anfield. This was their first win at Anfield since 1999. Everton were praised by everyone for a disciplined performance at a ground where it so often goes horribly wrong for them. 

Still problems with inconsistency

Despite the obvious improvements, the 2-1 defeat against Burnley was evidence that there's still a long way to go. Everton were strong favourites to win the game and would have been massively disappointed with the 2-1 defeat and the performance overall.

This wasn't their only defeat against the teams at the other end of the Premier League table. There was a similarly poor result and performance at home to Fulham.

Plans for the next transfer window

Qualifying for Europe would make Everton a more attractive destination for potential new signings. There have been signs recently that they need to strengthen defensively. They have been linked with signing Sergio Reguilon from Tottenham Hotspur and they see him as an upgrade on Lucas Digne.

The extra games brought on by European competition mean they will need to bring in players in all areas of the pitch. Jesse Lingard, currently on loan at West Ham United, will more than likely be available this summer and would be a great signing for the Toffees. Everton have the advantage of being a lot closer to home for Lingard compared to some of the clubs that have been linked with him should Manchester United deem him surplus to requirements once he has finished this loan spell.

Hope for the future

Exciting times surely lie ahead for Everton with Ancelotti at the helm and a new stadium on the way. As said above, qualifying for one of the European competitions would represent great progress for the club and would mean Everton fans have some potentially great nights to look forward to. The last European campaign in 2017 was a huge disappointment.

You have to go back to 1985 for their only success in Europe and to 1995 for their last major honour. Is major success finally on the horizon for the club?

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