Leon Osman sends Everton new warning ahead of relegation battle after Manchester City loss
Leon Osman has expressed his concern at the number of goals that Everton conceded in Sunday’s 0-3 loss to Manchester City at Goodison Park.
It was a damaging blow to the Toffees’ Premier League survival aspirations, but with City scoring their third just six minutes into the second half, it could have been much worse had Pep Guardiola’s side piled on the agony.
With just two games remaining, Everton are just one point ahead of Leeds United in the table with the weekend’s results also impacting the goal difference situation.
After Ilkay Gundogan’s second striker of the afternoon, the former Goodison hero made his opinion clear on the matter, as reported by BBC Sport’s live text commentary of the game.
“This game seems over as a contest, but how many goals are Everton going to concede here?” he said.
“It could be crucial to the end of season outcome and Premier League survival.
“Going into this game they were four goals ahead of Leeds, the next team behind them (on goal difference), and three of those have already gone.”
Every goal matters
Ahead of the final two weeks of the season, Everton are just outside the relegation zone but that could change when Leicester City host Liverpool on Monday evening.
They will be hoping for a ‘favour’ of sorts from their city rivals as a win for Jurgen Klopp’s side would leave the Toffees’ fate in their own hands, ahead of the last two games, away to Wolves and home to Bournemouth, respectively.
It is very much all to play for, in what will be a nervous, fraught time for all the Evertonians and Osman is right to question the goal situation. As well as every point, at this stage, every goal matters as well with the fine margins that could decide the relegation outcome, very soon.
Everton will sense that they can get the points required to be safe but the picture will be much clearer after tomorrow night at the King Power Stadium.