There are only two all-Premiership ties in the FA Cup third round, and Everton v Leicester looks set to be the closest fought of the two. West Ham host Man City, but this game between two evenly matched teams could be the real highlight of the round. Both teams have plenty of match winners and suspect defences, so it could go either way, and should prove to be a tight clash.
Leicester defied the odds to claim a sensational Premiership title win last season, but their defence of it has been a disaster. They are now 28 points behind leaders Chelsea and just seven above the relegation zone, and look set to finish mid-table. That means they can afford to concentrate on other competitions. They were sensational in the group stage of the Champions League and earned a last-16 tie with Sevilla. That looks like a tough draw as Sevilla are third in La Liga this season and have done extremely well in Europe in recent years. They are out of the League Cup, so the FA Cup looks to be their best chance of silverware this season. The players got a taste for success last season, and will be hungry for more this time around. The league campaign hasn’t gone well, and the loss of N’Golo Kante has hit them hard (just look at how much Chelsea have improved with him in their side), but on their day they can demolish teams, as they showed when they beat Man City 4-2 last month. They have players capable of moments of magic, such as Riyad Mahrez, Jamie Vardy and Mark Albrighton, and they know how to win under pressure. They look a really interesting outside bet at 41.00 with Bet Victor to win the FA Cup.
But they could really have done without such a tough third round draw. Everton are another side that is well off the pace in the league. They are seventh and will most likely stay there as they are some way off the top six. You might expect them also to be able to focus on gaining some much-needed silverware by focusing on the cup. They started the season well and then dipped horribly, a downturn in form that culminated with a 5-0 humbling at the hands of Chelsea. But they bounced back have enjoyed a resurgence in recent weeks. They thrashed Southampton 3-0 last time out to get over the disappointment of drawing away at Hull. They have also beaten Arsenal and drawn with Man Utd, despite losing to Liverpool and Watford. Most crucially they beat Leicester 2-0 away on Boxing Day. Leicester defended horribly in that game and it was comfortable for the Toffees.
The big question is: have they learned from their mistakes? They have been terrible on the road in the league this season, having drawn three and lost seven Premiership games. In the Champions League they also won just one of three games, with three home victories sending them through. The formbook points to an Everton win. They are the bookies’ favourites at 1.95 with William Hill. But there was something about Leicester’s fairytale title win last season that suggests they could do something special once again. If the likes of Mahrez, Vardy and Wes Morgan put their minds to it, they can win this, and the odds are great, with William Hill offering 3.50 on a surprise Leicester win. We all learned we should never write off the Foxes last season, so it should shock nobody if they are victorious here.
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