THE key difference between Everton and the ‘big four’ after watching last week’s Carling Cup semi-final second leg?

About £15million. A spare £15million too, if you’ve got that much to splash out on a striker when your forward line is looking a bit depleted.

And that’s what Chelsea spent on Nicolas Anelka, just to get them through January without Didier Drogba and ensure they got through to Wembley into the bargain.

That’s the perfect example of how these teams are just raising the bar all the time.

David Moyes is dead right about how the magic ingredient is what he needs to find to be able to get Everton to compete with them.

But it costs money and as the rich get richer breaking into that elite is getting more and more difficult

True, Moyes is making a better job of it than anyone else but in a semi-final you need all your best players over those two legs to compete with a squad as strong as Chelsea’s.

But looking ahead to tomorrow, this week is a good time to play Spurs. They have had two massive games in the past week and you get the feeling the last thing they need right now is Goodison Park on a Wednesday night.

Get in and amongst them and Everton will soon be getting in and amongst those Champions League places once again.