Everton to make a meal of it
Settle down in front of the telly for a Saturday night of FA Cup football. Live on BBC1, Millwall host Everton in a tie that embodies everything that’s electrifying about the world’s oldest football tournament. A struggling yet gritty Championship side is going up against a Premier League outfit that has failed to live up to expectations.
On the up
Millwall were having a torrid time of it towards the end of 2018. Following a difficult spell through August and September where they only managed a draw in seven, they then hit another purple patch that didn’t see them win a game from the beginning of November until Boxing Day.
Since then the Lions have managed to turn things around. In the last five they’ve notched up three scrappy wins, and most recently a draw against Middlesbrough that they deserved to win, with only a loss to Blackburn in between.
Firepower in place
Millwall manager Neil Harris has had a couple of aces up his sleeve since the New Year, bringing in loanee Ben Marshall from Norwich, and recalling Ben Thompson from Portsmouth. Both impressed at the weekend but having turned out already in the third round they remain cup tied.
There is a silver lining though. All their key goalscorers appear to be available, with the likes of attackers Aiden O’Brien, Lee Gregory and Tom Elliott ready to be called into action having the lion’s share of Millwall’s goals between them.
Millwall have already faced Premier League opposition in Fulham in the EFL Cup this season, and although they lost 1-3 at home they managed to get forward on a number of occasions which will give them room for encouragement.
The best chance for silverware
Let’s face it, the Toffees don’t have much hope of finishing in a higher position than the 8th place they managed last season. The vibe around Goodison Park has turned tepid since the beginning of the campaign. With results falling by the wayside fans have long since learned to manage their expectations for the foreseeable future.
Their best chance to salvage some positivity to their season is to go on a decent cup run, and a favourable draw against a struggling Championship side is the best way to get some momentum going. The only problem is they’ve got an away tie at Huddersfield on the bounce come Tuesday. It’s likely manager Marco Silva will have to take that into consideration in his team selection.
Shaky on the road
Don’t doubt that Everton’s key players like Richarlison, Sigurdsson, Walcott and co. will be up for the chance to put a few away against Millwall. But the fact is Everton concede goals away from home. The Toffees have only kept one clean sheet this season, surprisingly enough away to Chelsea back in November.
Betting Tip
Make no mistake, I still fancy Everton to get the job done and progress to the fifth round but that doesn’t mean it’s going to go all their way. I could’ve gone for a straight Everton win as the odds are pretty decent at 7/10 (1.70). That in itself is a reflection of how unpredictable a side Millwall are.
Instead I’m springing for both teams to score which has a little more value to it at 10/11 (1.91) with William Hill. Let’s hope we get an FA Cup classic to go with our teas on Saturday night.
