Will there be a Europa League hangover?

Will there be a Europa League hangover?




Everton better get used to Sunday afternoons. The Europa League brings great nights like Thursday against Wolfsburg, but it also has its pitfalls – one of the most obvious being the havoc is brings to the fixture list.

The debate about Europa League football, and whether it is worthwhile, will never cease. Roberto Martinez, the players and the supporters will never say no to a 4-1 win over Wolfsburg.

But Sunday does offer a new challenge to Martinez – his first game following a Thursday night tie. It was at Goodison Park, granted, but he did select a starting 11 close to his best.

It will be interesting to see how that affects the team that begins on Sunday against Crystal Palace.

The Blues have good form when having to navigate a lot of games in a short space of time. Momentum appears to be a friend of theirs.

At the end of November and running into December, Everton won two and drew one in the space of eight days – including the win at Old Trafford.

Over Christmas, two wins against Swansea and Southampton sandwiched between an unlucky home defeat to Sunderland – brought about after being reduced to 10 men in the first half.

Four days after the 4-0 defeat to Liverpool, they beat Aston Villa; a 2-0 win over Manchester United brought six points from a possible nine in the space eight days.

Martinez's side has proven they can deal with plenty of games in a short space of time. After the champagne performance against Wolfsburg, they must avoid a hangover against Crystal Palace.

Echo