FA Women’s Cup: Everton vs. Durham | Toffees begin road back to FA Cup Final

Everton face Durham on Sunday, April 18th at 9:00 a.m. EST/2:00 p.m. BST, with the game being played at Walton Hall Park. The Blues open the 2021 rendition of the FA Cup after losing to Manchester City in the 2020 final. The annual competition was pushed back due to the covid-19 pandemic, forcing the fourth round — when all the WSL teams enter — to be played in mid-April.

Should the Toffees emerge victorious on Sunday, they would meet the winner of Chelsea and the London City Lionesses (Championship) on May 16th. The Merseyside club is looking to capitalize on the positive momentum of a magical run to the 2020 Final, during which they defeated Chelsea and Birmingham City.

“We got to the final at Wembley last year and we said at the time that we wanted to be back as quickly as possible,” said Everton Manager Willie Kirk. “That journey starts on Sunday and we want to go one step further.”

The Merseyside outfit head into Sunday’s fixture having won three of their last four, with a fifth-place finish the most likely outcome for the Blues — they can drop no lower than sixth and mathematically could move up to third. The Toffees’ final three league matches are away to West Ham (10th), home against Arsenal (3rd) and away versus Manchester United (4th).

Durham currently occupy the second spot in the FA Women’s Championship, the second division. With two games remaining in their league campaign, the Wildcats are fighting for the second spot — Leicester City have earned automatic promotion with a pair of games yet to play.

Danielle Turner is the only Toffee certain to miss Sunday’s affair. Several players — especially those who returned from international duty — most likely will be given time to rest.

“Apart from Dan Turner, nobody will definitely miss Sunday’s game,” Kirk said. “It’s likely a couple will, but nothing definite yet. Four of five have come back from international duty with slight knocks. Some have been through some very tiring, albeit fantastic experiences.”

Durham are led by goalkeeper Megan Borthwick, who has played every minute of the season for the Cats. Captain Sarah Wilson partners with Scottish international Kathryn Hill on the defensive end. And do-it-all midfielder Beth Hepple is the only player outside of Borthwick in net to play every minute; she also leads the team with eight goals scored.

Last Meeting

The two sides met on August 30, 2020 — a preseason tune-up that Everton won convincingly, 5–0. Blues players and fans alike will be hoping for a repeat performance come Sunday.

Match Details

Competition: FA Women’s Cup Fourth Round

Date and start time: Sunday, April 18th at 9:00 a.m. ET/2:00 p.m. BST

Stadium: Walton Hall Park, Liverpool, England, United Kingdom

Capacity: 2,200 (behind closed doors)

How to Watch/Listen

TV & Radio: N/A

Match Center: evertontv

Live stream: evertontv (free for members, registration required), FA WSL (free, registration required)

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