Intensity Key To Second-Half Display, Says Skipper

Phil Jagielka believes Everton’s intensity and character were key to an impressive second-half display against city rivals Liverpool on Saturday.

The 231st Merseyside derby ended in stalemate at Goodison Park but the Toffees will count themselves unfortunate not to have secured victory after carving out a succession of chances after the break.

Cenk Tosun, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Seamus Coleman all went close for Sam Allardyce’s men, who were the dominant force in the latter stages of the game.

Roared on by a passionate Goodison crowd, the Blues poured forward in waves but couldn’t find the breakthrough as Liverpool escaped with a point.

Jagielka was a commanding figure alongside the equally-impressive Michael Keane at centre-back, as they kept a previously free-scoring Liverpool outfit – who had scored 10 goals in their past three matches – at arm’s length. 

While the Toffees skipper said a clean sheet and “battling performance” were clear positives, he admitted a feeling of frustration that the Blues couldn’t top off their display with a winner.

“I thought we should have got a goal but unfortunately we just couldn’t quite finish it off,” he said. “I think we conceded too much of the pitch to them in the first half but we definitely performed better in the second half.

“We put them under a lot more pressure and got in their faces, especially towards the end of the game. We could have got the winner if a couple of touches went our way – we were just inches away.

“But, in the end, we kept a clean sheet and put a battling performance in.”

The ovation afforded to the players upon the final whistle showed their efforts were appreciated by the watching Evertonians.

Jagielka – who played his 373rd game for the Blues on Saturday – relished the rousing derby atmosphere at the Grand Old Lady.

“It’s something we always want but it’s down to the players to excite the fans,” the 36-year-old said.  “We knew if we put in a solid performance today and battled the fans would be with us and you could feel the atmosphere from the first whistle to the last. They really got behind us.”

Jagielka’s focus is now firmly focused on the Toffees’ clash at Swansea City on Saturday.

The centre-back says the Blues are determined to build on their gritty win at Stoke City in their last away game – and added there’s no danger of the players taking their foot off the gas between now and the end of the campaign.

“For the players, if we want to stake a claim for next season, when we get an opportunity we all have to perform well,” he said.

“We’ve got an away game coming up next and the aim is to win back-to-back away matches.

“We want to get as many wins as possible and finish as high as we can up the league.”