Everton manager Roberto Martinez has claimed that the Capital One Cup has brought his players closer together.

The Merseyside outfit have reached the final eight for the first time since 2008 following a penalty-shootout win over Norwich City at Goodison Park on Tuesday night.

"It's fair to say all the ingredients you need to have for a wining team have been tested in this competition from resilience to strength of character to never giving up, finding the chemistry between the players and pushing at the right moments," Martinez told reporters.

"It's about more than good technical play. It's about taking your chances at big moments in the game. The competition so far has built a very strong platform in the dressing room and build relationships and we hope that will continue."

Everton will switch their attention back to the Premier League when they take on Sunderland on Sunday.