The 2011–12 season of Everton F.C. was the club's 20th season in the Premier League and 58th consecutive season in the top division of English football. It was also Everton's 113th season of league football and 115th season in all competitions. The club entered the League Cup in the second round and were knocked out in the fourth round following a 1–2 home defeat to Chelsea. The club entered the FA Cup in the third round and advanced all the way to the semi-finals where they faced rivals Liverpool, at Wembley, for the first time since 1989.[citation needed] Everton's run ensured they stretched their number of quarter-final appearances in the competition to 41, which is a record.[2] Despite taking the lead in the semi-final, Everton lost the game 1–2.
Everton's Premier League campaign was delayed by a week due to the London riots forcing a postponement of their scheduled starting match at Tottenham Hotspur.[3] In January, manager David Moyes became the fourth boss to win 150 Premier League games in its 20-year history, after Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsène Wenger and Harry Redknapp.[4] Everton finished in seventh place, boasting a nine-game-long unbeaten run in the league to end the season. The unbeaten run was led by winter signingNikica Jelavić, who scored nine goals in thirteen league games, and was awarded with the Premier League Player of the Month award for April for his efforts.
Source: Premier League Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored. Notes:
^ Jump up to: abChelsea won the Champions League and thus qualified for the group stage as defending champions, forfeiting their spot in the Europa League as the FA Cupwinners. This meant that Tottenham were to compete in the Europa League group stage, since, pursuant to the rules in effect at the time, only four clubs from the Premier League could play in the Champions League.
"It's getting harder and harder to get clean sheets now. So many goals get scored in the Premier League and for whatever reason they're hard to come by. It's why you're so happy when you finally get one. There's so much going on in this league – we have some of the world's best players and one moment of hesitation in a game, one slip-up and bang, somebody will capitalise on it." 28 November 2011
Tim Howard, Everton first choice goalkeeper, on the lack of clean sheets.[8]
Last updated: 6 May 2012 Source: Match reports in Results
Disciplinary record[]
Includes all competitive matches. Sorting is based on the UEFA Fair Play criteria that a yellow card is worth one point and a red card is worth three points.[9]
"I am a football supporter, first and foremost. I know how it works. If I am winning games, supporters will turn up. I, as manager of Everton, have not won enough games this season for them to come. I have not entertained them enough. We have not scored enough goals. I need to do that to get the supporters to fill Goodison. Over the years, in the main, we have done that. But the fans on the road have seen a few victories." 3 January 2012
David Moyes, Everton manager, on low attendances at Goodison Park.[citation needed]
Correct as of match played 13 May 2012 Win Draw Loss
"You can’t really celebrate finishing seventh. You celebrate if you are first or maybe if you get into the Champions League, or you celebrate if you get to seventh and it gets you into Europe. But nevertheless, from where we were in October and November, and the people we have had to overtake to get to where we are and the points we were behind, it has been a brilliant achievement for the players to come back from so far away. With our form, we don’t want the season to end. It was definitely the best January we have had because in the main it’s not a month I’d do much business. We needed it because we weren’t in a good position. We beat Fulham in the Cup and then we beat Man City here and that was probably the catalyst with Darron Gibson in the team and we knew Steven Pienaar and Nikica Jelavic would arrive that night. We have to try and build on it and see if we can start the season a bit better and take it into next season. We have tried to progress and get better players in. That isn’t always easy. It wasn’t a quick fix here, the way we do it is a longer, slower job than just going out and spending the cash. I take a lot of heart from it. It gives me a good feeling we’ve played so well but we’ve done that for a few years, playing well in pockets of the season. There have been bits when we’ve had the style and bits when we’ve not but that’s about quality players. We had quality players but they needed help and the players we brought in January helped."
David Moyes reviewing the season (14 May 2012)[11]
Includes all competitive games.
Games played
47 (38 Premier League, 3 League Cup, 6 FA Cup)
Games won
21 (15 Premier League, 2 League Cup, 4 FA Cup)
Games drawn
12 (11 Premier League) and 1 FA Cup)
Games lost
14 (12 Premier League, 1 League Cup and 1 FA Cup)
Goals scored
66 (50 Premier League, 6 League Cup, 10 FA Cup)
Goals conceded
48 (40 Premier League, 4 League Cup, 4 FA Cup)
Goal difference
+18 (+10 Premier League, +2 League Cup, +6 FA Cup)
Clean sheets
15 (12 Premier League and 3 FA Cup)
Yellow cards
79
Red cards
3
Worst discipline
Tim Cahill (1 and 6 ) Royston Drenthe (1 and 6 ) Marouane Fellaini (9 )
Best results
W 4–0 (H) v Sunderland – Premier League – 9 April 2012 W 4–0 (H) v Fulham – Premier League – 28 April 2012
Worst result
L 3–0 (A) v Liverpool – Premier League – 13 March 2012
^ Jump up to: abPlayers to sign transfers on or prior to 30 June do not officially move until 1 July.
^Loan was announced on 15 December 2011, with Donovan arriving over the Christmas period and being eligible to play from 4 January to 25 February 2012.
^Loan was originally for one-month, but was extended multiple times, with Duffy eventually leaving on 5 January 2012, due to an injury crisis at Everton.
^Loan was originally for one-month, but a second was added on 30 November 2011.
^Loan was cancelled on 17 January 2012, due to Stevenage manager Graham Westley leaving the club.
^ Jump up to: abLoan was originally for one-month, but was extended until the end of the season.