Everton’s Yakubu eyeing festive goal fest after hitting first league strike of the season against Chelsea

Dec 15 2009 by Philip Kirkbride, Liverpool Daily Post

Everton’s Yakubu eyeing festive goal fest after hitting first league strike of the season against Chelsea

STRIKER Yakubu has earmarked a festive flurry of goals as Everton’s recovery begins to gather pace.

The Nigerian hitman struck his side’s first equaliser against Chelsea on Saturday to help David Moyes’s side claim a thrilling 3-3 draw at the home of the Barclays Premier League leaders.

A second goal of an injury blighted campaign for Everton’s £11.25m frontman has whetted his appetite for the busy Christmas and New Year period where the former Portsmouth and Middlesbrough man believes he can rediscover his scoring touch.

Yakubu said: “My own fitness is good, I’ve been training for almost four months and I’ve been getting better and better.

“Hopefully I can start scoring more goals.

“It’s going to be a difficult time for us, at Christmas we’ve got so many games but if we can get all our players fit, I think we will be fine.

“At the moment we are working hard in training, and everywhere on the pitch. And if we keep doing this I think we can achieve something this season.

“This season is going to be good for us, if we can get out injured players like Jagielka, Arteta and Anichebe back then we can achieve something.”

Yakubu has also targeted Everton returning to Wembley for a second consecutive FA Cup final in May, looking to banish the memory of missing out on last season’s showpiece because of injury.

Moyes’s men welcome Coca-Cola League One outfit Carlisle United to Goodison Park on Saturday January, 2 with the Cumbrians having already sold out their 5,986 ticket allocation.

The Nigerian forward added: “In the FA Cup, you want to be in the final, we want to win. We have the opportunity to win something.

“If we can win against Carlisle, progress to the next round and get to the final the way we did last season, I think it will be great.”

Meanwhile, Everton’s American goalkeeper Tim Howard admits he is excited by the prospect of once again joining forces with compatriot Landon Donovan.

Everton have confirmed that they are in talks to bring the Los Angeles Galaxy star to the club on loan from January.

Howard said: “I’ve played with him for a long time and he is a talented player.

“He’s a strong runner, got a nose for goal and loves to attack.

“If he came through the doors I’d be delighted.

“To bring a fantastic player into this club is massively important, no matter his nationality.”