Gomes insists Everton are focused on qualifying for Europe
Andre Gomes insists that Everton are fully focused on battling Manchester City on Sunday with qualifying for Europe still the club’s aim.
The Blues are set to face the recently crowned Premier League champions at the Etihad Stadium this weekend in a game that will determine whether they Goodison Park will play host to European football next season.
The Toffees have made qualifying difficult for themselves, having thrown away points against ‘beatable’ opposition in Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Sheffield United in recent weeks.
Speaking to Everton’s official website, midfielder Gomes claimed that the club are committed to giving their all on Sunday in the hope that they might still snatch qualification against all odds.
Reflecting on the season while touching on Sunday’s game, Gomes said: “It was a tough season, with a lot of ups and downs.
“Europe was our main target and, right now, we don’t want to think about what happened in the season, we are focused on preparing for the last game and trying to reach the goal.
“Manchester City are the best team in Europe, in this moment, I would say. I don’t expect them to go easy, they are champions and will want to finish well.
“It will be really tough, especially at their stadium. But we still have a chance and will prepare well for the game and try to reach the result we want.”
Lot to learn
Sunday is certainly going to be a difficult test for many of Everton’s players, and while the club might not be able to secure qualification to Europe the game should hopefully help Carlo Ancelotti this summer.
The Italian has some decisions to make regarding which players he brings to Merseyside when the transfer window opens but he must also decide which players to let go off, and the squad should now understand that they’re playing for their futures.
Everton are in a position where anything less than victory on the final day will all but rule them out of Europe, and that’s entirely of their own making.
Too many opportunities have been wasted over the course of the campaign and Ancelotti must now work hard to craft a squad that won’t falter so easily when similar chances arise down the line.
We hope Everton can end the season strong, and a win while unlikely would be brilliant, but more importantly we hope to see Ancelotti making movement in the transfer market sooner rather than later.
In other Everton news, Blues hit with huge injury blow ahead of clash v Man City.
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