Sawt Falasteen - Everton boss Dyche adamant end to Calvert-Lewin goal drought in sight

Last week's 1-0 FA Cup third-round replay win over Crystal Palace at Goodison Park extended Calvert-Lewin's run without a goal to 14 appearances in all competitions.

But Dyche, asked if that sequence was of concern to him, simply replied: "No."

Dyche, speaking in a pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday's fourth-round home clash with Luton, added: "I think Tottenham away (the 2-1 Premier League loss on December 23 in which Calvert-Lewin had an effort disallowed via VAR), if the decision is different, the story changes.

"I used to mark strikers and the ones that used to worry me were when they hadn't been scoring and the next game comes around, because it will come their way.

"For every game (without scoring), it gets closer. I'll remind Dom of that -- it is coming his way.

Saturday's match at Goodison Park features two teams battling to avoid relegation from the Premier League, with Everton in danger of being hit with a further punishment on top of the 10-point deduction they suffered in November for breaking profitability and sustainability rules.

But Dyche, a member of the Chesterfield side that reached the 1997 FA Cup semi-finals, insisted the knockout trophy remained an important part of the football landscape.

"The league is still the main focus, that won't change I don't think because of the kudos, power, money and all of that," he said.

"We still take it (the FA Cup) very seriously. My little window of doing well in the FA Cup many moons ago meant a lot to me, my career, the team and the town, a little place like Chesterfield, that was an amazing occasion. I've got my own very small part of the history of it, so I certainly respect it."

This weekend's match could see Everton up against former player Andros Townsend, signed by Luton in October after he was released by the Toffees having not played since March 2022 because of an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

"I'm really pleased for Andros, he went through a lot," Dyche said. "I had a good relationship with him.

"It was one of those situations, coming out of contract, at that time there were certain situations we didn't always want to change but finances, the way we had to check on the finances, bring it down...and he was part of that.

"But he's a very good pro, a very good player. His attitude towards the club was absolutely spot on and I'm pleased for him, that he's got another chance and is going well."

B.AbuZeid--SF-PST