Carlo Ancelotti insists Everton boast the “confidence and belief” to compete on an even footing with Manchester City on Wednesday.
Everton will move within two points of fourth-placed Chelsea if they can overcome a well-oiled City team that has swatted aside all-comers to piece together a 16-match winning run across the competitions.
Manager Ancelotti is certain his side has washed away the “disappointment and frustration” of Sunday’s defeat by Fulham, which followed a terrific trio of performances and results against strong opponents.
A meeting with Pep Guardiola’s City represents the sternest examination of them all, however, and it is one Everton will enter without centre-forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Ancelotti, then, is plotting a method to counter 13-goal Calvert-Lewin's absence, with an onus on bravery and composure in possession.
“I don’t know how much chance we have to win against Manchester City – but we have a chance,” said Ancelotti, talking in his pre-match press conference on Tuesday.
“Usually, in this kind of game, we did really well, so I have confidence.
“Yesterday [Monday] was not a good day because we were disappointed and frustrated.
“Today is the day of confidence and belief.
“I believe we can play a completely different game [from Sunday against Fulham].
“We have to find a solution to try to prepare the right strategy to play against City.
“Most of the time, City will have the ball but we have to use our quality and play with efficiency when we have the ball.
“Calvert-Lewin is really important because he gives us the opportunity to play in a different way... with a long ball.
“But we played well without him and Richarlison… against Wolves [2-1 win last month]."
Everton have claimed 23 of their 37 points – 62 per cent – away from Goodison Park.
Their four home wins, however, included back-to-back successes against Chelsea and Arsenal two months ago.
Ancelotti wants a repeat of two performances when Everton were clinical with limited scoring opportunities and summoned the discipline and desire necessary to see the jobs through.
Midfielder Allan is fit to return following nine weeks out with a hamstring injury and could conceivably help tighten-up his team.
Ancelotti, however, expects the nature of the contest against slick City to generate a sound defensive effort.
There was an acknowledgment nonetheless that Everton need an enduring upturn at Goodison to sustain a European push.
“We have to improve,” started Ancelotti, “we are still in a good position in the table but not because of what we did at home.
“We deserve this position because of what we did away.
“The best games at home were against Chelsea and Arsenal – we won and were really focused and I hope it will be the same tomorrow.
“We have to try to compete with the top teams.
“The season is so long, we still have possibilities to reach our target [European qualification], no doubt.
"That will be the same, whatever the result against City.
“When we were forced to defend in games, we did well.
“In the recent games, we wanted to play open football but had problems defensively.
“For most of the game against City, we will have to defend and there we can have more consistency.”
Ancelotti took charge of his 50th Everton match at the weekend and reflected on 14 months when his team gained “more stability and knowledge”.
Reaching the level of the teams Ancelotti views as the Premier League’s finest will happen “step-by-step”, with Everton “in the right way” to sustain their advance.
City are at the pinnacle right now, a situation Ancelotti attributes to the potent cocktail of “quality players and organisation” and the long-term influence of a manager he considers among the world’s best in Catalan Guardiola.
Everton’s attempt to check City’s 23-game unbeaten run could be assisted by Joshua King, who has three substitute appearances since joining from Bournemouth this month.
“His physical condition is good, he has to adapt to the knowledge of the team, tactically,” added Ancelotti.
“He gave us all his quality and belief and, for sure, he is going to start in the future.
“He is a player who can play with us without problems, with his quality and physicality.”
