Alex Iwobi has insisted that Everton are ‘hungry and ready for the fight’ as the Toffees face a huge scrap for Premier League survival.
Second-half headers from Andrew Robertson and Divock Origi condemned Everton to a 2-0 defeat against local rivals, Liverpool at Anfield in the Merseyside derby on Sunday (24 April).
A home win for Burnley over Wolves earlier that afternoon meant that the Toffees slipped into the relegation zone with a two-point gap to the Clarets, who climbed out of the bottom three and now sit 17th despite now having one game in hand to Everton’s two catch-up games left in the season run-in.
Speaking to evertontv about the club’s fight to avoid a first top-flight relegation since 1950-51 season, Iwobi insisted that the players “are ready for the fight”, despite admitting that it won’t be an easy battle with tricky trips to Leicester, Watford and Arsenal to come.
Everton’s remaining home games however look winnable as the Toffees face Chelsea, Brentford and Crystal Palace in their final three home games of the season at Goodison Park.
Iwobi has therefore urged his teammates to step up despite the squad experiencing a injury-hit campaign with several players in and out of the squad throughout the season, as he said: “We need everyone. It’s a team thing and everyone is ready to fight.”
On whether he and his fellow teammates will have one eye on the relegation fight especially with Burnley playing 23 hours before their home game against Chelsea on Sunday, Iwobi commented: “We know where we are. We are going to focus on ourselves, prepare for Chelsea and try to get a result.
“We have great chemistry and great spirit in the team. I’m sure we can get out of this situation.”
Everton have taken seven points from their last three home matches, which included wins over Newcastle and Manchester United in front of atmospheric crowds, with Iwobi confident that the home fans give the players “this belief” within Goodison Park.
The 25 year-old added that he believes that the home crowds will be crucial to the team’s survival chances as he described a “full capacity at Goodison Park” as forming an “extra man in our team” which boosts the confidence of the players on the pitch in getting a result.
Iwobi also insisted that his teammates need to carry “fight and determination” plus stronger “clinical” finishing from the Merseyside derby into Sunday’s clash against Chelsea, if they’re to fight for victory at home.
With Everton having claimed just 10 points from 12 league matches under manager – Frank Lampard since his arrival on deadline day of January’s transfer window, Iwobi added that it is clear that the whole squad are “fighting for the manager and for ourselves. We have a lot to prove.”
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