The Daily Telegraph - Sport

Silva eyes silverware to relieve pressure

- By Chris Bascombe

Regardless of Everton’s depressing league position, there is an argument that tonight’s Carabao Cup tie with Watford is the most important game of the season so far for Marco Silva.

There is anticipati­on that Goodison form will eventually ease Everton away from the Premier League danger zone, but Silva is under orders from Farhad Moshiri, the owner, to make the club far more competitiv­e in the domestic cup competitio­ns this season.

A quarter-final place would go some way to easing the disappoint­ment of inconsiste­nt results. Silva is setting his sights on Wembley.

“Our goal and our ambition in the competitio­n is clear and this is not the moment for us to hide,” he said. want to reach the end of the competitio­n – the final. That’s a dream for our fans and we have to share with them that ambition.

“Of course, we have to go step by step and the next step is the Watford match. It’s good for us because it is at home.

“When you are working at Everton, playing at Everton, each game has to be a must-win game.

“We have been really serious looking to the Carabao Cup, even if we play against League One and Championsh­ip clubs.

“What I expect from our team is the same desire we showed in the last two [cup] games we won. If we can do the same performanc­e that we did against West Ham, we will be really close to winning.” After an encouragin­g victory and performanc­e against West Ham United, Everton had the treble whammy of a defeat, a knee ligament injury to midfielder Bernard, and probably the worst video assistant referee decision of the season against Brighton.

Silva felt his team deserved more at the weekend, but knows there will be little time for a hard luck story if he goes out to his former club.

 ??  ?? Crucial: Marco Silva needs a cup run after a poor start
Crucial: Marco Silva needs a cup run after a poor start

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