Cup win keeps season going for Everton
Assistant boss Ferguson targets final 26 years after he played in their last victorious team
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Bernard reeling away after putting Everton 5-4 up in extra time of Wednesday's FA Cup tie against Tottenham at Goodison Park. The Brazilian turned out to be the hero with his winner, while Joe Mourinho bemoaned his side's weak defence despite their four goals.
PHOTO: REUTERS
LONDON • Everton are in the hunt to reach the Champions League for the first time but their main aim is to end 26 years of hurt.
The 1995 FA Cup was the last trophy the Toffees lifted but Carlo Ancelotti's men sense this could be their year after advancing to the competition's quarter-finals with a thrilling 5-4 victory over Tottenham on Wednesday.
Substitute Bernard's strike in extra time settled a see-saw tie that saw Davinson Sanchez (two), Erik Lamela and Harry Kane reply for Spurs, while Richarlison (two), Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Gylfi Sigurdsson also netted for the hosts.
Afterwards, Everton assistant manager Duncan Ferguson, who was part of the 1995 team, declared that the Cup was their primary goal this season.
"It's 25 years since we won the FA Cup. It would be great to get to the final," the Toffees legend said. "It keeps your season going. We want to do well in the Premier League but the FA Cup is the one we want.
"It was an exciting game. Tottenham started better than us and got the lead, but we got ourselves back into the game."
While Everton can dream of silverware, Spurs' wait for a first FA Cup triumph since 1991 goes on.
The visitors, who battled back from 3-1 and 4-3 down after taking the lead in the third minute, have now lost four of their last five games in all competitions and despite playing some admirable attacking football, they were undone by defensive frailties.
The way Tottenham were opened up by the hosts was uncharacteristic of a Jose Mourinho-managed team.
This was the first time since 2015 that the Portuguese had overseen a game that saw his side ship five goals.
It was also the first time a Mourinho side had both scored and conceded at least four goals in a single game.
On the breathless tie at Goodison Park, he said: "If you say it was fantastic, it was fantastic. I'm not a neutral. When you score four goals, you have to win.
"We scored goals, created more chances, great character to fight against incredible mistakes.
"But attacking football only wins matches when you don't make more defensive mistakes than what you create."
Mourinho also could not call on Gareth Bale after the forward was left out of his match-day squad amid increasing belief that the Real Madrid loanee's high-profile return has not provided value for money.
Spurs are covering £250,000 (S$459,000) of his £600,000-a-week salary yet Bale has made just two starts in the Premier League this season with only four goals in all competitions.
Hinting at a fractious relationship with the Welshman, Mourinho said: "Gareth is not on the bench as he wasn't happy with his training session.
"I wouldn't say an injury, not at all, but some feelings he wasn't happy with, so it was better for him to stay back and to be working with the sports science guys."
REUTERS
