Everton vs. Sunderland: 5 Key Clashes to Determine Who Reaches Wembley

Tomorrow night, two of 2012's form teams will collide to determine who meets Liverpool in the FA Cup semifinal at Wembley. 

With the initial quarterfinal tie contested a week ago at Goodison Park, Sunderland held Everton to a 1-1 draw, and will certainly feel they have gained a slim advantage having forced the replay.

They now host the rematch in their own back yard, sure to be buoyed on by some fervent support, although Everton will still be equally as determined to reach Wembley for what would be the second time in four years.

Having met twice already this season, each match has been a tightly fought 1-1 draw. With so much on the line, tomorrow night is again likely to be close. 

Locked together in the league on 40 points from 30 games, clearly these sides are very evenly matched, and it should be no surprise if extra-time and penalties were needed to separate them.

Here are the key clashes that may well determine who edges through and emerges the victor from this intriguingly poised bout.

James McClean has quickly become a household name in the Premier League this season, since breaking into the Sunderland side at the same time Martin O'Neill arrived.

An archetypal old-school winger, his approach to the game is hardly cryptic for defenders to face, but that hasn't stopped him being mightily effective so far.

The 22-year-old attacks his man, creates a yard of space, and simply peppers the box with crosses for the duration of a game. 

Charged with halting the steady ammunition he provides will be either Tony Hibbert and Phil Neville, who have been jostling each other all season for the Everton right-back jersey.

Judging from recent matches, it seems Hibbert may once again be the man in possession, after starting the last two games at right-back, which included his 300th appearance for the club at the weekend.

The fact his is yet to score for Everton in any of these games highlights his limitations going forward, yet few enjoy more success in the tackle area than the academy product.

Neville watched the recent match with Arsenal from the bench, and was deployed in midfield during the weekend's victory against Swansea, suggesting Hibbert is the man in favour.

If not called on at right-back, there will still be a temptation to include the Everton skipper somewhere in the starting 11, and the way he has expertly thwarted the left-sided Gareth Bale in recent meetings could still sway David Moyes' thinking.

Whoever wins the call, suppressing McClean's impact will go a long way towards keeping Sunderland off the score-sheet, and is sure to be a vital element tomorrow night.

Tim Cahill has clearly not enjoyed his most prolific of campaigns, only notching up two goals in all competitions, however he has always enjoyed the challenge of facing Sunderland.

In fact, after his goal in the first fixture, he has now registered eight career goals against the Black Cats, a career high tally.

Questions have been asked all season about the Australian's form and fitness, and he has spent time on the sidelines as a result of this, although many also recognised his performance in the first match as his best game of the season.

Cahill was a presence all afternoon. He scored the crucial equaliser, cleared countless crosses from his own box and linked up well with Nikica Jelavic, competing ably against either John O'Shea or Michael Turner in the air.

John O'Shea was injured at the weekend for Sunderland, and it is not yet clear whether he will play a part this weekend, but whoever comes in will need to combine with Michael Turner and keep Everton's influential support striker quiet.

David Moyes has toyed with the idea of also throwing Marouane Fellaini forward in recent fixtures, presenting the opposition with a different proposition.

Expect this strategy to again be implemented at times on Tuesday, but considering his form against them, Sunderland fans will be far more edgy when Cahill enters the box.

After finding it initially a challenge settling into an English lifestyle, Sessegnon has enjoyed the most consistent spell of his Sunderland career in recent weeks.

His form has been a large reason for the Black Cats' rise up the table, and in his last 12 appearances, the Benin international has impressively scored or assisted nine goals.

Evidently, a lot of Sunderland's end product stems from his boots, and looking to stand in his way will be another player on top of his game, Marouane Fellaini.

The Belgian, along with Leighton Baines, has been Everton's most consistent performer this season, and whether or not he can quickly disrupt Sunderland's attacks in their infancy will be a pivotal aspect tomorrow night.

Moyes is no stranger to concocting tactical schemes to thwart opposing play-makers, with Tim Cahill effectively deployed to dispel Leon Britton's fluency at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday.

With each player so influential for their side, look for the more prominent of the two in tomorrow's game to be on their way to Wembley come Wednesday morning.

One thing is certain, Everton will look to use Leighton Baines in attack at every opportunity tomorrow night.

Despite his defensive starting berth, he is often the most potent source of creativity and—with Steven Pienaar back at the club—Baines has been back to his best, rekindling the chemistry the two have so often shared when playing in tandem.

Sadly for Evertonians, the South African is cup-tied from tomorrow's game, ideally paving the way for Royston Drenthe to return to the starting lineup, after his curious absence against Swansea on Saturday.

However, with no official word filtering down from the club as to why he was omitted, social media has been rife with radical rumours, with the most recurrent theme being that Drenthe has been sacked for drinking, and is promptly on his way back to Madrid!

Although nothing has been confirmed either way, several websites have since rejected this claim is anywhere near truthful, so hopefully the mercurial Dutchman will be available, although it is still all very peculiar.

Void of Pienaar's input, it is imperative Drenthe does return and assume the role of chief creative threat, alongside Leighton Baines, as without him the Toffees may be a little blunted creatively.

The Dutchman is equally as menacing cutting in from the right-hand-side, but in the first tie, Everton were certainly most threatening going forward when he was in sync with Baines, linking up on the left.

If their is any solid foundation to his absence being as a result of disciplinary reasons, Everton fans will hope he can still return and it perhaps spurs him on to produce the quality performance he is capable of.

Phil Bardsley is likely to be facing most of the left-sided surges on Sunderland's right, although whoever plays ahead of him may have the more arduous task of marshalling Baines.

Finally, the battle for dugout supremacy will be crucial tomorrow night.

Two of the Premier League's most respected managers headline this encounter and each must make sure they present their best tactics to outdo their opposite number.

Moyes' record against Sunderland is unblemished, with 10 wins and five draws from 15 matches. He has yet to lose, although only two of those clashes (two draws) have been under O'Neill's watch.

In fact, the Sunderland manager has proved to be a particularly stubborn manager for Moyes to conquer, with several of his Aston Villa sides frustrating the Scot in the pastMoyes has the better Premier League win ratio, with 40 percent, narrowly eclipsing O'Neill's 38 percent, but the Northern Irishman already has trophies in his cabinet to enhance his managerial credentials.

Again it should be another tight battle. It has been rare for either Moyes or O'Neill to emerge victorious from recent battles with each other, but one must come through tomorrow.

Expect the winner to be greeted with a barrage of media flattery as well as enhanced backing for the jobs likely to be vacant in the summer, possibly including Tottenham and Chelsea.

Prediction: 1-1. Everton scrape through on penalties

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