Everton midfielder James McCarthy has told his teammates to rekindle their top-four hopes following back-to-back defeats by Manchester United and Arsenal.

The Toffees earned a much-needed reprieve from Premier League duties by beating Norwich City 4-3 in a penalty shootout on Tuesday to clinch a League Cup quarter-final spot.

Their league setbacks of recent weeks saw Roberto Martinez's side drop back to 11th, seven points adrift of the top four, but the Republic of Ireland international says that Champions League football and a piece of silverware are realistic goals.

"The top four is still our aim. It is still early in the season," he is quoted as saying by the Daily Star. "We know we have a good enough squad here to push for European places.

"We know that every single one of us wants to push up the table and we are all in it together.

"Each and every one of us in the dressing room wants to get in the European places but we won't look too far ahead of ourselves, we want some silverware."

Everton face Middlesbrough - who eliminated Manchester United in the fourth round - in the last eight of the League Cup.

Their last trophy came in the form of an FA Cup triumph in 1995.