Friday’s briefing: Dyche leaves Everton and Potter prepares for first game | OneFootball

After sacking manager Sean Dyche just a few hours before kick-off, Everton beat Peterborough 2-0 to secure a place in the FA Cup fourth round.

Elsewhere in Thursday night’s action, Cardiff turned the tables on Sky Bet Championship rivals Sheffield United with a 1-0 win at Bramall Lane while Fulham coasted past Watford at Craven Cottage.

In Scotland, Rangers’ away day woes continued as they drew 1-1 at Dundee to sit 15 points behind William Hill Premiership leaders Celtic.

West Ham, meanwhile, had unveiled Graham Potter as the club’s new head coach on Thursday morning following the departure of Julen Lopetegui – and he will be in charge of his first game away to Aston Villa in the FA Cup on Friday night.

Everton avoid upset after Dyche departure

Caretaker managers Leighton Baines and Seamus Coleman succeeded where Dyche had so often failed as Everton ground out a 2-0 win over Peterborough at Goodison Park.

Just three league wins all season had seen new American-based owners the Friedkin Group look for a change in direction – which came less than four hours ahead of the FA Cup tie against League One Posh.

Although under-18s head coach Baines and club captain Coleman took charge of first-team affairs on an interim basis, it was a side picked by Dyche before his departure which got the job done with minimum fuss after Beto’s strike just before half-time and a late penalty from Iliman Ndiaye.

Moyes looks set for Toffees return

TFG have already identified their next permanent boss – and it could be a familiar face who is soon back at Goodison Park.

The PA news agency understands Everton are hopeful of securing Dyche’s replacement possibly within the next few days, having sounded out Potter before he opted for West Ham.

Former Toffees boss David Moyes has now emerged as the favourite for a return to Goodison Park – some 12 years after he left for Manchester United.

Jose Mourinho, meanwhile, is another name linked with the Everton hotseat, the Fenerbahce boss having made no secret of his desire to return to the Premier League.

Potter starts Irons spell

Potter admitted it felt like “Christmas” after taking over as the new boss at West Ham.

The 49-year-old has not worked since being sacked by Chelsea in April 2023 and replaces Lopetegui, the Spaniard dismissed on Wednesday after just six months in the job.

Potter will get to work straight away – with a cup trip to Villa Park first up on Friday night.

“(I am) very excited, a very proud day to be head coach of this amazing club. It’s a big tradition, big history, big expectation. A big challenge,” said Potter.

“It’s a bit like Christmas for the adults – excited, not the best of sleeps last night just from excitement. Looking forward to meeting the players, meeting our supporters and getting going. It’s just brilliant.”

Bluebirds blunt much-changed Blades

Cian Ashford struck the only goal as Cardiff turned the form book upside down at Bramall Lane with a 1-0 win to dump Sky Bet Championship promotion-chasers Sheffield United out of the FA Cup.

Ashford marked his eighth senior start for the relegation-battling Bluebirds with a 19th-minute breakaway strike which settled the third-round tie in front of a paltry crowd of just 6,126.

Harrison Burrows struck a post for the Blades late in the game, but it was too little, too late for Chris Wilder’s much-changed side – who can now concentrate on the league, currently just a point off the top of the table.

Silva lining as Fulham sting Hornets

Fulham boss Marco Silva got the better of former club Watford as his side swept into the FA Cup fourth round with a 4-1 win at Craven Cottage.

After a well-worked counter-attack saw Rodrigo Muniz net his first goal of 2025, Rocco Vata scored a goal-of-the-competition contender with a thumping long-range effort to haul the Hornets level.

Raul Jimenez continued his fine scoring record from the penalty spot early in the second half before Joachim Andersen and Timothy Castagne each scored their first goals of the season to help the Premier League side safely through.

More away day woes for the Light Blues

Rangers had been looking to bounce back from being held 3-3 at Hibernian last time out – but it was an all too familiar wretched away day at Dundee.

Philippe Clement’s men – with just three wins in 10 league fixtures outside Ibrox so far – fell behind in the sixth minute when attacking midfielder Oluwaseun Adewumi took advantage of poor defending to fire the hosts in front.

Although Gers winger Vaclav Cerny levelled in the 34th minute, there was no surge of improvement in a laboured and uninspiring performance on a freezing night on Tayside, which again left the Rangers boss facing questions over his future.

What’s on today?

The FA Cup third round action continues with Potter’s first game in charge of West Ham away to Aston Villa, kicking off at 8pm, with the match shown live on ITV1.