The Cup holders will make the trip to Merseyside aware that a victory is all but essential if we are to harbour hopes of progressing through to the quarter-finals.
With two wins out of three groups games to date, City currently lie in equal second place in Group C, level on six points with Birmingham and boasting the same goal difference.
Manchester United also have six points but heads the group by virtue of a better goal difference and with the added advantage of having an extra game to play.
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United are also in Conti Cup action tonight at home to Leicester but the final group standings won’t be decided until Birmingham and United wrap up their programme next month.
Irrespective of those ifs and buts however, for Cushing the message going into tonight’s game will be simple.
“We find ourselves in a different situation going into the game,” Cushing spelled out.
“We’ve always dominated and cruised into the quarter and semis
“This year we have to beat Everton as if we don’t, we don’t qualify.
“We have to try and beat Everton well too as if we don’t and Birmingham beat Manchester United by a good score, we lose out on goal difference.
“Everton are a very enthusiastic team with some incredible young players, and they made the game difficult for us when we played there in the league earlier this season.
“But we have put ourselves in that position and we’ve got to get out of it but I’m fully confident we will.
“The way we played against West Ham on Sunday shows we can be clinical, and we need to make sure that we bring that into Thursday.”
City will travel to Everton on the back of two encouraging displays sandwiched either side of the November international break.
We ended a frustrating run of three straight losses with a vital 2-1 Conti Cup win over Birmingham at the start of the month and then resumed WSL action with a vengeance last Sunday, overpowering West Ham 5-0.
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And Cushing believe his players have responded in the perfect way in the wake of that dip in fortunes.
“A lot of people have had a lot to say to say over those three games and rightfully so as we don’t lose three games in a row here,” the manager added.
“We took the criticism and looked at it ourselves but we know we are a good team and we just need to get back to the things that we have consistently done over six seasons to win games and I thought on Sunday that we showed all of those traits.
“The last bit of the performance - putting in five goals against West Ham - was the only bit we have lacked against Birmingham, against Everton in the league, and Sunday shows we can do it and it breeds confidence.”
