Everton midfielder Lee Carsley is convinced this can be their season to finish above Merseyside rivals Liverpool.

"Everyone would expect Liverpool to finish fourth," Carsley said. "They've spent the kind of money where they shouldn't be happy with that. They should be pushing for the title. But they're not, so it's going to be a hell of a scrap for that fourth place.

"Obviously, we're aware of the quality of the teams around us, and we know what we have to do. The last time we sneaked up on the outside, so we're happy to stay in the background. If we're still around their with five or six games to go then we'll really go for it."

Carsley feels that Everton's squad strength will help them maintain their push for fourth for the rest of the season.

"There is strength in depth, and we're going to need that because we're going to have to grind out results on occasion," he said. "We did it a couple of seasons ago when we did finish fourth. But then a lot of things went our way. We stayed clear of injuries and suspensions, which really helped and that's the key."