Everton emerged victorious from their FA Cup third-round tie against third-tier Peterborough United last Saturday to set up a handsomely-looking round-four tie against Bournemouth.
Goals from Beto and Iliman Ndiaye on either side of half-time inspired the Leighton Baines-led side to a morale-boosting victory hours after Sean Dyche’s dismissal.
While Manchester United’s penalty shoot-out win against Arsenal headlined the FA Cup third round, Everton’s home success against Peterborough offered a glimpse of resilience amid a turbulent season.
It’s now up to veteran tactician David Moyes to pick up the slack after returning to the club he managed for more than 500 matches from 2002 to 2013.
Over a decade after swapping Goodison Park for Old Trafford, the 61-year-old returns to his old stomping ground to help the Toffees navigate a torrid campaign.
Despite insisting ‘it’s absolutely brilliant to be back’ in his first interview with Evertonfc.com, the ex-West Ham United manager has a sizeable task on his hands.
With the Toffees boasting a slender one-point lead on 18th-placed Ipswich Town, another season-long fight against Premier League relegation looks inevitable.
However, Everton could still avoid a trophyless season.
Overcoming Bournemouth in the FA Cup fourth round has all the makings of a tall order, but Moyes knows in-depth about going the distance in football’s oldest cup competition.
He guided the Merseyside outfit to the FA Cup final in 2009 and will hope to go one better this season after re-embracing managerial duties.
Moyes had been out of practice since the end of last season when his contract at West Ham ran out before Everton offered him a job at Goodison.
One of his first tasks will be to recalibrate Everton’s misfiring attack that has drawn a Premier League-high 11 blanks this season.
That could make the difference against high-flying Bournemouth when the two sides lock horns on Merseyside on February 8th.