Everton should take the same approach to their Carabao Cup tie against Preston North End that Arsenal used against Coventry City on Friday night. That is the template to follow, according to a pundit writing about the game.
A night game against a newly-promoted side can be a tough way to start the Premier League season. As defending champions, Arsenal were in a situation where anything other than a good win would have been met with questions, and that can be tricky when your opponents have nothing to lose.
Arsenal's early control as a model
Mikel Arteta approached the game by playing a strong team and looking to seize control from the start. They played with authority, forced themselves on their opponents, hassling them and pressing them. It took 15 minutes to get the goal, and by the 23rd, when Bukayo Saka made it 2-0, the game was over.
Coventry have every right to be in the Premier League, but Arsenal overwhelmed them quickly, and that gave them the right to then play in second gear for the rest of the night.
Demand for a strong mentality at Deepdale
The same mentality is wanted from Everton against Preston. They are a great club with great fans and good players, but while they should not be underestimated, they are still a Championship club and should not be able to reach Everton's level. There has been so much disappointment in the cup competitions, and the club cannot afford to risk leaving another stadium with dreams of a cup run in tatters before the season really has any momentum.
Arsenal kept their levels high, and that is the mentality demanded from David Moyes' side. So many Everton teams have dropped to the level of the opposition in these early cup rounds, turning a football game into a fight, which is precisely what the underdog wants. They must not do that at Deepdale.
Selection calls and a lesson from last season
Everton have to take the cups seriously, and a strong XI is hoped for, though not necessarily the strongest XI available. Jarrad Branthwaite, for instance, should be rested just to allow him to keep on top of his fitness at the start of a big season for the centre-back. That is not because of any concerns from what was seen against Crystal Palace. He went down on several occasions, and while the supporters around him had their hearts in their mouths, he would have loved it.
Sometimes you want that as a defender who has been out. You pick up a few bumps and bruises and wake up sore the next day, but having been reminded your body can take it. He would have been delighted to make it through the full game and would have woken up the next morning and thought: 'I'm back'.
For those who did not start on Saturday and who get an opportunity in midweek, the hope is they will want to prove Moyes wrong for leaving them out. They need to be hungry. That was one of the big problems when Everton lost to Wolves in the third round of the Carabao Cup last season.
Moyes made a lot of changes, but the hope would have been that those players he was providing an opportunity to would have wanted to press their case. They did not do that, which brings the focus back to mentality. Everton should start strong and make this the biggest test Preston face all season. Only once Everton have earned the right to reduce the intensity, if they can do that, should they then consider moving down the gears.
