Chris Roberts has vowed Everton Women will do everything in their power to fight until the last kick of the game to ensure progression to the Vitality Women’s FA Cup semi-final.
The Blues travel to face Manchester City on Sunday at 12.30pm (GMT), a rematch of the 2019/20 final where Everton came agonisingly close to silverware, with City winning 3-1 after extra-time.
However, Roberts knows Everton face an incredibly tough test against a City side who have lost once in their past 15 outings in all competitions.
Everton may be underdogs but Roberts believes the FA Cup is full of surprises.
“The FA Cup is a very special competition,” he said in his pre-match press conference on Friday.
“Whether you’re the underdog or the favourite, the FA Cup always has the potential of throwing out some surprises.
"The FA Cup is a very exciting competition and we want to do well in it."#EFC 🔵 pic.twitter.com/3DNmLBzk6c
— Everton Women (@EvertonWomen) March 18, 2022
“I think Manchester City will be heavy favourites for the game, based on form and where they are in the current domestic season, but we feel like we have an opportunity to get something from the game.
“We know it’s going to be tough. We know we’re the underdog.
“For me it’s not so important to talk about who is the favourite or who is the underdog, it’s about making sure we set up a game plan and perform in a way that gives us a chance to get something from the game.
“Our aim is to be competitive and take the game into the late minutes so we are in and amongst it when it comes to that last 10-minute period, so we have a chance of progressing into the next round."
Our first mascot in over two years! 👧
— Everton Women (@EvertonWomen) March 18, 2022
Happy to have you with us on Wednesday night, Hallie! 💙 pic.twitter.com/F81aUuXUhA
While the interim boss insists Everton aren’t prioritising the cup over the league campaign, Roberts is keen to take the team as far as he can in the competition and perhaps even a return to Wembley.
“For me, it’s a very exciting competition, it’s one we look forward to every year,” Roberts added.
“Ultimately, the excitement comes from going deeper into the competition and getting closer to that final.
“We meet Manchester City this weekend and we are under no illusions that how difficult a task it’s going to be, but our goal is getting through to the next round of the cup.
“We will do everything we can to make that happen because the FA Cup is a competition, we all love and want to do well in.”
