Everton are now unbeaten in eight Premier League games since suffering a last-gasp defeat to Liverpool in the first Merseyside derby of the season back in December.
The Toffees have lost just six league games this season and it would be fair to suggest that Ronald Koeman’s men are ‘the best of the rest’ behind England’s top six clubs.
The gulf in class-first sixth to seventh is clear for all to see and that is why Everton are seven points behind Manchester United in the hunt for the European places.
However, the signs at Goodison Park are positive and the Toffees could challenge for the Champions League spots in the coming years if they continue to improve with Koeman at the helm.
At the time of writing, Everton may be seven points behind sixth but fans will be confident of a push to break the monopoly at the top and Paddy Power punters can back Koeman’s men to secure a top six finish at 9/1 in their football odds.
A key reason for Everton’s sudden resurgence has been Romelu Lukaku’s form up front. The Belgium striker was strongly linked with a move away from the club last summer but he has gone about his business like a true professional – giving his all to Everton each and every time he takes to the field.
The 23-year-old has been sublime for club and country this season, netting 22 goals in 29 appearances; including eight in their current unbeaten run.
On his day, Lukaku is almost unplayable and Koeman has started to mould his squad around the Belgian forward in recent months. The likes of Ross Barkley, Leighton Baines and young Tom Davies have really stepped up to the plate and Lukaku has benefited from added bite and hunger in the midfield.
With these three stars in fine form, the Belgian star will continue to see plenty of goal-scoring opportunities fall his way in the coming months.
As of February 18th, Lukaku is second to Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez in the race for the Golden Boot and the Everton man will be eyeing up the award.
But the Toffees have also been much more assured at the back; another important factor in their unbeaten run. Everton have kept five clean sheets since Christmas and Koeman knows just how a solid defensive unit is to success on the big stage.
Realistically, it is going to be difficult to finish in the top six but Everton are on a roll and it would be foolish to rule Koeman’s men out just yet. With Lukaku firing in the goals almost every week and Barkley looking back to his best, the Toffees have enough offensive power to compete with the best teams in England.
In fact, they have actually scored more goals (40) than Mourinho’s United (38) this season – an incredible achievement considering their strength in depth.
Everton are heading in the right direction and supporters know it. The positive mood on the Goodison Park terraces is helping the players to relax and play some scintillating stuff – and Koeman can continue to get the best out of his troops as the business end of the season approaches.
Great conditions during our training week in Dubai! Working hard every day, so we’ll be ready for the next matches #everton #efc pic.twitter.com/4C5sdFFn6b
— Ronald Koeman (@RonaldKoeman) February 15, 2017
