With the absence of the Lescott side plot (although it didn't stop Moyes bringing it up last time), Mikel Arteta has come out fighting today by suggesting Everton can win six of their last eight games and claim a European spot for themselves - starting with the trip to Eastlands on Wednesday.
Everton are only five points behind Villa and six points, with a game in hand, from pipping their cross-city rivals, so Arteta's target is perhaps not too wildly optimistic. On the post-Christmas form cards, Everton would be right in the mix but it will take something very special for them to break in at this late stage. Barring something disastrous, City and Tottenham are beyond their reach with so few games remaining, but if Villa mimic their capitulation of last season (which looked a possibility judging on their Wolves performance), Everton certainly do still have something to play for.
Our very recent home form against Everton hasn't been great. A very painful injury time winner from Cahill gave Everton a 1-0 win last season, with our very own Joleon Lescott scoring in a 2-0 victory the year before. New Year's Day in 2007 was our last victory courtesy of a brace by the Greek Tragedy himself, Samaras, in a team that included such names as Trabelsi, Dabo, Weaver, Jordan and DaMarcus Beasley. Seems a lifetime ago! But if there is anything that the last few weeks have taught me, it is that the form guide does not apply to this season - and Arteta's claims that this game is "so important", apply to both teams, with City finally able to make the spare fixture count for something.
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