Everton hero Leon Osman has highlighted the true test for Carlo Ancelotti's side as they look to continue their strong start to the season.
The Blues have secured five wins from as many matches to kick off 2020/21, with the most recent of those coming with a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday.
Ancelotti will now lead his squad into two important home fixtures this week, against West Ham United in the League Cup on Wednesday before welcoming Brighton to Goodison Park on Saturday.
And Osman believes that momentum at the beginning of a campaign can set the tone for the rest of a season, as Everton 's 2004/05 exploits show.
He told the ECHO : "Momentum is huge. Carlo Ancelotti mentioned it himself, he feels his side have good momentum and wants to keep feeding into that.
"He's right, you look at the momentum Everton were on at the end of last season and it was a negative one, they couldn't shake themselves out of it.
"With the start of a new season now, new signings, you suddenly have a bounce into the first game and you can take it from there.
"Speaking of momentum, in the 04/05 season we got a bit of it despite being favourites to go down at the beginning. We won two of our first three games, got a little bit of momentum and ended up in the Champions League places!
"Momentum is huge, you ride it while you've got it and you keep positive."
A good start is important, but Ancelotti has been clear over what his side needs over the course of the season.
Consistency is something that Everton have not been able to boast about for some time, but Osman agrees that will be the real test for the Blues over the coming weeks and months.
"I think the test for this team now is to keep on delivering and not let themselves lose concentration for a while, thinking that we've started really well and if we mess up a game it's ok," he added.
"We've got to keep driving forward, every point is important from now until the end of the season.
"It brings such a feel good factor throughout the squad that you can't help but ride the wave. You feel confident in yourself, in teammates and you start to believe things will bounce for you in the game.
"Those little moments in a game will go your way, so you start making that extra five-yard run and you might get a little bit lucky.
"There will be many times when things aren't bouncing your way so, when it is, you've got to use it and take advantage of that.
"And the moment it seems to be with Everton so they need to keep on tapping into it and moving forward."
Everton's beginning to the season has got many pundits wondering what would constitute a success for the club this term and thinking about just how far the Blues could go.
And Osman agrees that a strong beginning can change expectations of what would be a good season for his former club.
He said: "At the start of the season you start to think about what is a good season for Everton. Silverware? Qualifying for Europe? I do think that would be a good landmark having finished 12th last season.
"Progress in the right direction, bring back Europe and then you can look and maybe starting to get even better players in at the end of the season.
"Suddenly when you have a fantastic start, expectation changes. Look at Leicester last season, at the start they would have very happily taken fifth position but they ended up disappointed with not getting in the top four because of the incredible run they had.
"I think Carlo Ancelotti is very experienced to realise a season is 38 games long and, despite the good run they're on now, they'll be judged at the end of it.
"But if the points are there to be had, you need to try and take every single one of them."
