FA Cup is harder to win than ever, says Everton's David Moyes

David Moyes believes it will be harder for Everton to repeat last season's run to the FA Cup final as the competition has become a magnet for wealthier clubs seeking a return on their investment. Despite Liverpool and Manchester United falling by the wayside already this season, the Everton manager rejects the idea the FA Cup has been thrown wide open by their shock exits. Indeed Moyes has claimed the opposite is true, with Manchester City and Aston Villa increasing the competition as they pursue the FA and Carling cups in the absence of a title challenge. The Everton manager, whose side face Birmingham City at Goodison Park this afternoon, said: "Look at the teams now who are spending hundreds of millions just to win a cup. It puts winning the FA Cup into perspective. It's not an easy thing to do. "I think the FA Cup has become harder to win now. Everybody is trying to win the cup competitions. If you're in the Champions League you might try and get through the early rounds of the League Cup with a lesser side but in the FA Cup I don't think there's one team in the Premier League who doesn't want to win it and would say it isn't important to them. You can't take winning the league or the Champions League for granted, so everybody wants to win the FA Cup." Moyes admits he will make few changes from the side that convincingly beat City in the Premier League last weekend and that the influential Spanish midfielder Mikel Arteta is close to a comeback 11 months after suffering a cruciate ligament injury in a game at Newcastle United. "Mikel is much closer now," he said. "He is not in full training but he is getting very close, while Victor Anichebe, Dan Gosling and Jack Rodwell are also close to a return." The Everton manager refused to comment on claims he has struck an agreement to sign the Leeds United striker, Jermaine Beckford, on a free transfer this summer but confirmed the club are in talks with Legia Warsaw over the possibility of signing the Slovakia goalkeeper Jan Mucha. The 27-year-old is out of contract at the end of this season and expected to play for Slovakia at the World Cup. Everton have offered him a deal to join after his return from South Africa, although there are suggestions an agreement is in place. "I couldn't confirm that at the moment but we are in talks," said Moyes. Everton hope to make at least one more loan signing in this transfer window and gave a two-day trial this week to the Molde defender, Knut Olav Rindaroy.