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Post by Everton News. on Nov 3, 2023 13:05:29 GMT
MCNEIL: LET'S BUILD ON RUTHLESS STREAK
Dwight McNeil says an extra shot of ruthlessness has been key to Everton's impressive run of form and says the Blues are hungry to build on their positive momentum ahead of Saturday's visit of Brighton & Hove Albion.
The Toffees - who have won five of their past seven games in all competitions, including consecutive 3-0 victories at Goodison Park - return to home soil to take on Roberto De Zebra's in-form Seagulls this weekend.
McNeil believes healthy squad competition and displaying a more clinical edge in both boxes are key reasons behind converting promising early-season performances into positive results.
"We've got a good squad and good depth in the squad as well," the 23-year-old winger told evertonfc.com. "It's good to have competition for places all over the pitch and we've got that this year.
"We knew we just needed to hit the back of the net more and now we're starting to do that and becoming more ruthless in front of goal, while defending well. It's showing in the results. We're getting more points on the board and we're determined to keep winning games because we want to keep climbing the league.
"We have to keep doing what we're doing, focusing on ourselves and sticking together."
After missing the start of the campaign with an ankle injury sustained in a pre-season friendly win at Stoke City, McNeil, whose midweek performance against Burnley was labelled as "outstanding" by manager Sean Dyche, has been back to his best in recent games.
Reflecting on Wednesday's Carabao Cup fourth round victory, in which McNeil provided a cross for fellow former Claret James Tarkowski to head home the opener, he said: "It was a good night's work. The aim was, of course, to get through and keep the momentum going, keep up the confidence and belief in the squad - and we did that.
"I thought we played a lot better in the second half and, overall, scoring three goals and keeping a clean sheet at home is good for us.
"It's promising and [keeping clean sheets] helps massively. We look to defend from the front and we know our back four and Jordan in goal are solid.
"It's good but we can't get too ahead of ourselves because we know how tough the Premier League is and we've got to take every training session and every game at a time.
"We know it's another massive game at Goodison on Saturday. Brighton are an amazing team but we've got to focus on ourselves.
"We're at home in front of our fans and that's a positive. We want to keep this momentum going get another three points on the board."
Everton FC
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Post by halewoodblue on Nov 4, 2023 10:44:47 GMT
Can we possibly beat the best run side in the world?
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Post by Everton News. on Nov 4, 2023 14:00:39 GMT
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Post by Everton News. on Nov 4, 2023 14:00:44 GMT
Team News!
Two changes from Wednesday as Gana and Doucoure come in for Onana and Danjuma.
Everton Starting XI: Pickford, Young, Tarkowski (c), Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Gana, Garner, Doucoure, Harrison, McNeil, Calvert-Lewin
Substitutes: Virginia, Lonergan, Patterson, Keane, Godfrey, Danjuma, Beto, Chermiti, Dobbin
Abdoulaye Doucoure and Idrissa Gana Gueye come into the Everton XI to face Brighton & Hove Albion as the two changes from Wednesday night's 3-0 Carabao Cup win over Burnley.
Doucoure - who signed a new one-year contract with the Club on Friday - replaces Arnaut Danjuma, while Gana will be his partner in midfield along with James Garner, with Amadou Onana missing out on the matchday squad.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin will once again lead Everton's attack, flanked by Jack Harrison and Dwight McNeil. Jordan Pickford starts in goal, behind a defence of captain James Tarkowski, Jarrad Branthwaite, right-back Ashley Young and Vitalii Mykolenko on the left side of the back four.
Everton FC
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Post by Avinalaff on Nov 4, 2023 14:59:27 GMT
Onana injured.
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