Everton travel to the home of football Wembley Stadium to take on Manchester United in the semi final of the FA Cup on Saturday afternoon. Everton are looking to end their 20 year trophy drought, and fans will be hoping to see the cup version of Everton as opposed to the league version of Everton, as Everton’s league season hit a new low during the week as they were embarrassed by their local rivals Liverpool 4-0, a result which extended their winless run in the league to 7. United on the other hand, have hit perhaps their best patch of form of the season and it continued as they defeated Crystal Palace during the week 2-0 to keep their hopes of a top 4 spot alive. For Everton, it all comes down to this game, lose and their season is a total failure,and it would be shocking if Martinez survives to manage next season.
Everton Team News:
It is Everton’s most important game of the season, and injuries have not been kind. Everton have a crisis defensively with Jagielka sidelined with a hamstring issue, Stones was substituted during the loss to Liverpool with stomach cramps and is facing a fitness test before the game, add to that Funes Mori beginning his suspension after his red card against Liverpool. Seamus Coleman is also out with a hamstring problem, and Gareth Barry is also struggling with a groin issue.
Possible Starting XI: Robles, Baines, Oviedo, Stones, Barry, McCarthy, Cleverley, Barkley, Deulofeu, Lennon, Lukaku
Player to watch: Romelu Lukaku
Everton’s star man is really going to have to put in a performance if Everton hope to progress to the final. Defensively Everton are depleted, so you feel like Everton are going to have to out score United to win, and that pressure will fall onto Lukaku, who can certainly do it, as evidenced by his match winning performance against Chelsea in the previous round. He has the size, power, pace and technique to trouble the United defenders.
Manchester United Team News:
Chris Smalling, who picked up a knock in the 2-0 win over Palace, is good to go for the semi final, and is expected to start. Other than that, there are no real injury concerns for United, with the only absentees being of the long term variety with Shaw (leg), Keane (groin) and Schweinsteiger (knee) all out for the season.
Player to watch: Marcus Rashford
The United academy graduate has really saved United’s season, before his emergence United were tailing off and playing really poorly, but since his debut, he has really given Old Trafford a lift with his energy and goals and he will surely start for United, even ahead of Rooney. The youngster may lack the experience, but he makes up for it via his energy, pace and technique, and in front of goals, he is as calm as they come. With a depleted Everton defence, Rashford will be looking to fire United into the final.
Match Facts & Stats
1. This will be the 12th meeting between the two sides in the FA Cup, with Everton ahead 6-5. That includes 2 semi final meetings, one in 1966 and the other in 2009, both ending in Everton progressing to the final.
2. United do hold the edge in recent meetings with the Red Devils winning 3 of the past 4 matches between the two sides, including doing the double over Everton this season, with a 3-0 win at Goodison Park and a 1-0 win at Old Trafford.
3. This meeting sees two of the most successful sides in the FA Cup history, this will be United’s 28th semi final appearance in the cup, tying Arsenal for most semi final appearances. Everton are behind those two making its 26th semi final appearance.
4. In their last seven semi final appearances in the FA Cup, Everton have managed to progress to the final in six of those, with the exception coming in their last semi final appearance in 2012, where they lost to Liverpool.
5. Man Utd have only managed to win 4 of its last 14 games at Wembley.
Match Prediction:
This is Everton’s most important game of the season, with the league done and dusted, this is the last chance for Everton to salvage something from the season, and unfortunately they go into this game off the back of their worst performance of the season in the loss to Liverpool. It is really a toxic environment around the club, mainly because of the performances and results, and many fans want Martinez gone, and if Everton lose, then you feel it is a question of when as opposed to if. Form points to a United win, but it is a semi final at Wembley, so you never know what will happen. Given Everton’s poor form it is really hard to pick them, and I think United will grind out a 2-1 win. COYB!!!!! LETS END THIS TROPHY DROUGHT!!!!