Capital One Cup preview: Leeds v Everton

El-Hadji Diouf

Everton fans buoyed by their team’s strong start to the season will now be eyeing a cup run, and the best chance for one of those comes here.

However, after beating Leyton Orient 5-0 at Goodison Park in the second round last month, this test at Elland Road promises to be much tougher, particularly after Leeds United turned around a recent mini-slump to end Nottingham Forest’s unbeaten start to the Championship season at the weekend.

El-Hadji Diouf was a constant menace for Forest as first half goals from Luciano Becchio and youngster Dominic Poleon secured the 2-1 success, but with boss Neil Warnock eyeing promotion this season there does have to be a question mark over just how seriously he approaches this test.

Warnock named relatively strong sides in the convincing wins over Shrewsbury and Oxford United in the previous rounds, and it is to be hoped that he does so again for a tussle with one of the form sides in the Premier League under the Elland Road floodlights and in front of a watching TV audience.

Whatever side he names is unlikely to concern Everton at the moment though.

Their 3-0 success at Swansea at the weekend was a third league victory of a season which has started with plenty of promise.

Star turns from the likes of Marouane Fellaini, Leighton Baines, new signing Kevin Mirallas and even forward Victor Anichebe – a player Blues fans had long since given up on – have inspired those displays, with boss David Moyes reaping the rewards for the hard work he puts in as well as the trust he gives his players.

After reaching the semi-finals of the FA Cup and losing to rivals Liverpool last season, Moyes will have become even more determined to add a first trophy in his 10 year tenure. Everton and the League Cup don’t mix well though. They haven’t got past the fourth round since 2008’s semi-final defeat to Chelsea, and it remains the only one of the three major English honours they’ve never won. They may never have a better chance.

Leeds’ solitary success came under the legendary Don Revie in 1968, and whilst nobody will be expecting Warnock to pull off the same feat here, the boss will still expect his side to put up a fight against their top-flight opponents.

Warnock thanked the “miserable Yorkshiremen” in the local press whose pessimism he cites as being the inspiration behind the Nottingham Forest win, as United tasted victory against a side they were humiliated by last season when Forest won 7-3 at Elland Road.

Inspiration will also be needed against this strong Everton outfit, but whether that proves to be enough looks unlikely.

Moyes had got his team playing with freedom, and with winnable Premier League fixtures against Southampton, Wigan and QPR on the horizon he’ll be eager to keep those feelings strong within his squad.

He’ll do that here, and the supporters’ desire for a cup run will only get stronger.

Prediction: Leeds 1 Everton 3

Mark Jones – follow me on twitter

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