Goodison View: Revisiting the game that cost Martinez’s Everton the top four
Everton are set to face Chelsea on Monday and, should they hand Thomas Tuchel his first defeat at Stamford Bridge, they will move back into the top four.
The Blues are on the cusp of clinching European football, having taken advantage of the failings of Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham this season.
Everton have qualified for the Europa League twice in the past decade, playing under Roberto Martinez in the 2014/15 season and Ronald Koeman/Sam Allardyce in the 2017/18 season.
However, we at Goodison News are reminiscing about the game that cost Everton a shot at the Champions League in the 2013/14 season.
With few more than a handful of games remaining of the 2013/14 season, Martinez’s Everton were so close to clinching a top-four place for the first time since David Moyes achieved the feat in 2004/05.
The Blues were battling with Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal for fourth, and after winning seven Premier League games in a row they were set to face mid-table Crystal Palace, a win over which would put them above Arsenal with four games to go.
However, Everton were lacklustre, suffering a damaging 3-2 defeat to Tony Pulis’ side, after which Arsenal would go on to not lose another league game, completely shutting Martinez’s men out.
Jason Puncheon’s half-volley, Scott Dann’s header and Cameron Jerome’s final nail in the coffin sealed Everton’s fate, with goals from Steven Naismith and Kevin Mirallas not proving enough.
Uncharacteristically slow and meagre against the Eagles, Martinez’s loss to the Croydon club would see him lose his one and only chance of reaching the top four with Everton.
The Toffees haven’t come close to the elusive Champions League spots since then until this season, where qualification once again feels like a very real possibility.
Hopefully this time Carlo Ancelotti can keep the club resolute and ensure that they don’t choke, making his crucial clash with former club Chelsea an even more imperative fixture to win.
In other Everton news, former Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich midfielder Xabi Alonso has praised Everton’s assistant manager, Davide Ancelotti.