Everton began the game well, with Louis Saha forcing Ross Turnbull into a smart save at his near post. It was the Frenchman again causing Chelsea problems, turning on the edge of the area before unleashing a shot which was a comfortable save in the end for the Chelsea keeper. Chelsea then won themselves a penalty with Jack Rodwell fouling Anelka just inside the area. Anelka stepped up and blazed it wide of the post to the sheer delight of the Evertonians.

The game then went flat for a long period, with various scrappy fouls and both teams giving away possession cheaply, until on 37 mins, a seemingly harmless ball into the box by Kalou was fumbled by Jan Mucha into his own net giving the West Londoners the lead.

Half time soon came and at the break Everton made one change, captain Phil Neville coming off with a suspected hamstring injury, was replaced by Tony Hibbert. Everton started the second half brightly, pressuring Chelsea. On 56 minutes, Louis Saha was brought down by Ross Turnbull and Everton had a penalty, Turnbull was sent off for the challenge. Lukaku was sacrificed to bring on Czech keeper Petr Cech. Baines stepped up, smacked it down the middle, Cech saved with his legs. It fell back to Baines, before Cech made another great save.

From then on it was all Everton, Royston Drenthe’s free kick clipped the top of the bar. Everton were dominating the game and the Goodison faithful responded! David Moyes brought on Seamus Coleman for Jack Rodwell and Denis Stracqualursi for Diniyar Bilyaletdinov.

Coleman gave the Chelsea left back nightmares, and on 83 mins Louis Saha nodded in Coleman’s cross to equalise for the blues. Royston Drenthe went close soon after, drilling the ball across goal just missing the far post by inches. Denis Stracqualursi had the chance to win it for the Toffees but he nodded a free header over the top from the edge of the 6 yard box. Extra time finally came for Chelsea and Andre Villas Boas breathed a sigh of relief.

Chelsea started the first period of extra time brightly, a Chelsea corner was headed out and it seemed Royston Drenthe was in the clear for Everton. However he was judged to have fouled Chelsea full back Ryan Bertrand, he was shown his second yellow card and Everton were then down to 10 men.

From that point it was all Chelsea, Everton were pinned back in their own box. A clever through ball got Malouda to the by-line, he cut it back for Nicolas Anelka who’s shot was blocked on the line by Leighton Baines, the ball deflected onto the post before Jan Mucha pounced on it. Chelsea’s dominance continued, and Everton’s resistance finally broke on 115 mins. It was Malouda again who struck a fierce shot from 20 yards, Mucha could only parry it into Sturridge’s path and he slotted home for 2-1 to the visitors. But Everton refused to give up, Saha forced Cech into another decent save, but the West London side held on to claim a very good victory which sees them through to the next round.

A free transfer and a respectable gamble, Beckford has certainly proved his worth in the lower leagues. Banging in 31 goals in 52 appearances for Leeds United in League 1 seems a tasty amount. The Premier League however is a massive step up for the lad, and I, along with many others, are wondering whether the step up is one of a steep nature and he will fall at the first hurdle.

However, look at it this way, if he doesn’t prove he can score in the Premier League, what is the worst that can happen? He can be sold to someone in the Championship, League 1 etc for probably nothing less than £500k. The highest floggable amount? I think around £3-4m.

Yakubu – not up to scratch. Saha – injury prone. Silva – a little young. Baxter – not just yet. Gueye – maybe. Beckford – A gamble, but one worth taking.

A decent punt. Well done Moyes.

* Only a short article, but one to keep me and you at ease!

Everton
The Toffees go into this game in better shape than Liverpool, as the form books show that Everton are in better form than their rivals. David Moyes’s team are currently unbeaten in nine Premier League games, as that run was extended last week as Everton overturned Wigan 1-0. Everton are climbing up the table, as they are currently two points away from 8th placed Birmingham.

The game is a massive one for Everton fans, and some of Everton’s players. Leon Osman has been at the club since his youth days and the midfielder has spoken out prior to the game. ” Were playing well and we believe in each other and we’re winning games at the minute. ” We should, as a team, take each game as it comes and go there this time and win the game”, stated Osman. Also the game is undoubtedly a big one for Leighton Baines, as a boyhood Everton fan it’s always a special occasion to play well against your distinct rivals. Baines told BBC Radio Merseyside, ” I don’t think there ever needs to be any added spice to a derby and I don’t think there is any case for revenge”.

The Toffees could welcome back the Nigerian pairing of Joseph Yobo and Yakubu. Both players are back from the African Cup of Nations, and Joseph Yobo is fit again after picking up an injury while playing for Nigeria. Mikel Arteta and Phil Jagielka are highly doubtful for the game, however there is a bit of good news for Everton, as Jack Rodwell is now fit again.

Key Player – Leighton Baines
Baines is a man on form, and in games like this the left-back needs to perform to his personal best. Big games spark the attention of international managers, and as Wayne Bridge could well drop out of the England national team, because of his rift with John Terry, the 2nd left-back spot could well be handed to Leighton Baines. His delivery needs to be spot on tomorrow lunchtime, as his key weapon could well be crucial on Everton’s behalf.

Liverpool
Liverpool’s current form is certainly been mixed, as last month saw the Reds pick up two wins, three draws and one loss in all competitions. This will definitely be a tough game for Liverpool, as Everton are currently unbeaten in nine league games, plus they are getting a lot of key players back from injury and international duty. However to be fair on Everton’s rivals, they have coped pretty well without the likes of Gerrard, Benayoun and Torres, as they only had a blip of form in the FA Cup competition.

Team news states that Glen Johnson, Philipp Degen and Martin Kelly all of whom are defenders, are likely to miss the derby game through injury. Benayoun and Torres are highly likely to miss out again for Liverpool tomorrow, plus Fabio Aurelio has also picked up a slight injury.

Key Player – Dirk Kuyt
Dirk Kuyt has hunted down Everton in the past, as his two penalties gifted Liverpool a win over Everton at Goodison Park in the 07/08 season. With Benayoun and Torres injured, Liverpool will look to the goalscoring predator of Dirk Kuyt for goals. The Holland international has scored nine times this season, and most recently he netted a double against Tottenham. The Everton defence has to be wary of the threat of Dirk Kuyt.

Gav’s Match Prediction – Liverpool 1-2 Everton     

Philippe Senderos was able to make his debut yesterday, as the defender on loan from Arsenal, had a decent game. Senderos has had a tough time with Arsenal, however hopefully from his point of view, he can have a very successful spell with Everton. The Swiss international has been stated as one of the worse defenders in the Premier League, however to be honest you can’t get much worse than former Chelsea player, Winston Bogarde. Senderos adds depth into the squad, as the likes of Jagielka and Yobo are still out injured, from my point of view I wish Phillippe all the best, while at Everton.

On the clean sheet front, Everton’s defence in the 08/09 campaign was the 4th best in the entire Premier League. However with the injury of Phil Jagielka, the departure of Joleon Lescott and the niggling injury’s that Distin and Yobo have suffered, the Toffees haven’t coped very well, as they have to keep rotating the defence. On the other hand with Jagielka back in training, Yobo coming back from an injury which he sustained while playing for Nigeria and Tony Hibbert waiting in the wings, things are definitely looking up for Everton.

Now though it very well seems that Everton can play a fully experienced defence. With the likes of Heitinga, Neville and young Seamus Coleman, all capable of playing at Right-Back, plus Heitinga, Distin, Duffy and now Senderos all but available to play at centre back, the defence is looking bright from Everton’s point of view.

When the defence is fully fit, some players stand out above the rest, and over recent months two players have caught my eye. Left-back Leighton Baines and centre back Johnny Heitinga.

Baines for one has rightfully been one of the best left-backs in the Premier League this season. He is tremendous at getting back and forward in Everton’s team, plus his set piece taking causes the opposition all kinds of bother. Yesterday he was excellent, as his corner kicks and set pieces troubled Wigan. Also with the likes of Heitinga, Cahill, Fellaini and Saha lurking in the box, Everton are more than likely to score from set pieces than any other Premier League team. With Ashley Cole the first choice left-back for England, it could well turn out to be a battle between Leighton Baines and Wayne Bridge, for a place in the England squad for the 2010 World Cup.

Lastly the player I have been impressed with the most this season is Johnny Heitinga. The Holland international has been in excellent form, as his heading and tackling have been first class. He has turned into one of my favourite Everton players, and with the World cup fast approaching, Heitinga should well be picked for the Holland national side for the 2010 World Cup.

Everton
The Toffees are currently 9th in the Premier League table, and with the way things are going, with the likes of Jagielka, Yakubu and Rodwell waiting to come back from injury, Everton could well hunt down a top six finish. Everton are currently unbeaten in eight league games, however five of those games were draws. Those draws were clearly valuable and impressive from Everton’s point of view, as they picked up deserved draws against Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham. Everton really need a win against Wigan, as the month of February will be undoubtedly tough for them, as they start that month with the Merseyside derby game at Anfield, then that game is followed up by ties against Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham, as well as two Europa League games in the middle of those Premier League Matches.

For tomorrow’s clash between Wigan Athletic, David Moyes could well be without star midfielder Mikel Arteta – again. Arteta suffered a groin strain in training, and he is a doubt for the match. Victor Anichebe is fit again, as he appeared from the substitutes bench, against Sunderland in midweek.  Everton will be without Tony Hibbert, Phil Jagielka, Yakubu, Jack Rodwell and Joseph Yobo for Saturday’s game. With the transfer window still open, Moyes could well sign a new striker, as Yakubu and Saha have proven to be injury prone, aswell as Anichebe.

Key Player – Tim Cahill
Everton could well turn to the presence of Tim Cahill, as the former Millwall man was a huge hit against the Black Cats on Wednesday. Cahill’s heading ability was a cut above the rest, and plus he was able to net his third league goal of the season. Cahill will be Everton’s key man tomorrow afternoon.

Wigan
Wigan currently sit in a mediocre mid table place, as the Lactics are currently on an inconsistent run. Wigan also played on Wednesday night, however they were defeated 2-1 by Blackburn Rovers. Also over the past month, Martinez’s squad were able to progress into the fourth round of the FA Cup, as they hammered Hull 4-1, but the fourth round itself proved to be a difficult task for Wigan, as they were held to a draw by Notts County. In the league however, over the past month Wigan were able to defeat Wolves 2-0, but like I said above they were recently defeated by Blackburn. Wigan could well be without Chris Kirkland and Mario Melchiot.

Key Player – Maynor Figueroa
Maynor Figueroa is a player who has been tracked by other clubs in this January transfer window, however luckily for Wigan the left-back decided to put pen to paper, as he has secured a new deal with the Lancashire club. Figueroa could well have the likes of Landon Donovan and Steven Pienaar, to contend with tomorrow, therefore he has to be in tip top form.

Gav’s Prediction – Wigan 2-3 Everton

Despite their fantastic start to the season, Owen Coyle will not be getting carried away, ala Phil Brown and Hull – even if the Turfmoor faithful are quietly ambitious in their season’s hopes. For David Moyes, whilst this was nowhere near as painful an experience as their opening-day humiliation, it still exposed gaping holes in in their current squad. You can only hope that Everton will benefit from the sale of Joleon Lescott, both in terms of money and squad harmony.

The tone for Everton’s day was set within the first minute. Lethargic ball-watching almost cost Moyes dearly, as Chris McCann weaved past Leighton Baines before putting in a hanging cross, but Martin Paterson’s header crashed into the crossbar. Steven Fletcher was first to the rebound, and his goalbound effort drew a low save from Tim Howard. The Claret fans roared, whilst Everton seemed nervous, tense almost. Once again the delinquent McCann waltzed through and in turn found Paterson, but the nippy striker missed the target. David Moyes appeared to be as uncomfortable as Dean Windass in lycra, and rightly so.

It took thirty minutes for Everton’s first meaningful shot on goal, but Brian Jensen was perfectly positioned to save Jack Rodwell’s weak header. Tony Hibbert’s low cross just evaded Louis Saha at the near post, whilst Rodwell was off target once more. Everton looked to be settling in, and it was Coyle who was getting agitated.

Cue the curse of the commentator. A dangerous cross by Robbie Blake fizzed across the face of the goal, but Steven Fletcher managed to keep the ball in play before teeing up Wade Ellliot, who exquisitely curled the ball into the top corner, albeit via a deflection off Phil Neville’s boot. Only those who were witnessing can describe the aptitude ringing around Turfmoor, electric.

Wade Elliott celebrates his first goal of the season

After the break, with Moyes’ ‘words of wisdom’ still echoing throughout their minds, Everton’s attacking intent was clear to see. But intent is no good unless chances are created, and Burnley’s rugged style easily nullified any thoughts of an Everton equaliser. The quick-thinking McCann saw his attempted lob tipped clear by Howard, before Blake nearly emulated his goal in midweek with a sizzling volley that dragged wide.

And it looked like Burnley’s chances would come back to bite them on the derrierre when referee Phil Dowd awarded them a disputed penalty with just fifteen minutes left. When Tony Hibbert blazed through the Burnley defence, McCann pulled out of a tackle, perhaps in fear of fouling Hibbert, but when Hibbert fell over his own foot  tumbled over, Dowd was convinced there was contact, thus awarding Everton a penalty. Normally, whenever Jensen makes a save, the crowd roar his nickname, ‘Beast’. However, when Louis Saha stepped up confidently, there was no need for chanting, as the Frenchman pulled his shot wide of the post.

Saha almost made amends for his miss with a rasping thirty-yarder, but Jensen watched the ball sail wide in relief. Everton boss Moyes said, ‘Burnley were the better side in the opening 25 minutes. I think, with the confidence they gained from the game in midweek, we expected that. But after that I thought we got back into it and were a bit unfortunate not to get something out of it.’

STRIKER SEARCH – With the lack of Strikers Everton have got, with only Yakubu, Saha and Vaughan to choose from, there have been a number of strikers heavily linked with the club. Michael Owen for one has been linked with a number of clubs including Everton. Hull and Stoke are reportedly interested in the Striker. Another Newcastle player is on the agenda. Obafemi Martins is the other Newcastle striker to be linked with the Toffees. He will be a good signing for Everton if he does decide to move from Newcastle to Merseyside. The former Chelsea striker Eider Gudjohnson has been linked with Everton aswell. However if he does decide to move Fulham, Aston Villa and West Ham are also possible moves for him. Lastly Reading striker Kevin Doyle has been strongly linked with a number of Premiership clubs including Everton.

FOOTBALL LEAGUE RAID – A number of talented Football League player’s have been linked with Everton in June.  Joe Ledley of Cardiff has been lined up as signing for the Toffees. One of the best player’s in the Championship, Ledley has been linked with Everton three times including this month. So he might be a very possible signing. Stephen Hunt of Reading could follow Kevin Doyle to Merseyside in which could well be a double swoop for Everton. Stephen Hunt has been heavily linked with a move to the Premiership but Everton do face stiff competition. Sheffield United Kyle Naughton has also been linked with Everton. The right-back could well give Tony Hibbert competition if David Moyes signs him. Naughton loves getting forward and that what Everton needs. With Naughton on the right and Baines on the left, Everton will be dangerous. Lastly Fabian Delph of Leeds has been linked with a move to Everton. The centre midfielder has impressed a number of Premiership clubs including Everton but many clubs like Arsenal and Manchester United want the youngster aswell.

The Other Rumours - Three other players’ have been linked with Everton in June and two of them play in the Premier League. So firstly Jermaine Pennant of rivals Liverpool has been linked with Everton. It only means that Pennant will just have to move across Merseyside to Everton. However Pennant has been linked with the likes of Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid which is a surprise. Also Micah Richards of Man City has been linked in what could be a swap deal for Jolean Lescott. Richards will be a good replacement as he can play at Right-Back and Centre Back, Centre back being the position where Lescott played much of last season. Lastly Stephane Mbia of Rennes has been linked with a move to England where Everton could be a favoured choice. He has been linked with Everton three times this month, so does that mean Stephane Mbia the Rennes centre midfield will be Everton’s next signing?