Silva Urges Everton To Keep Heads Held High

Marco Silva says Everton’s players must keep their heads up after a performance packed with “fight and spirit” went unrewarded at Leicester City on Sunday.

Everton were aiming for a second straight victory on the road and to hit back at the first time of asking following last week’s Goodison Park defeat by Norwich City.

In Leicester, though, the Blues were facing a team which had claimed 13 points from five home matches this term.

Manager Silva’s side took the game to their hosts and led on 23 minutes when Richarlison athletically converted Djibril Sidibe’s precise delivery.

Jamie Vardy touched in to equalise against the run of play with 22 minutes remaining but Everton looked good for a point, at least, before substitute Kelechi Iheanacho struck a last-gasp winner.

Everton have only 72 hours to dust themselves down, with the season’s first Merseyside derby set for Anfield on Wednesday.

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01:59 Sun 01 Dec 2019

LEICESTER 2-1 EVERTON: TWO-MINUTE HIGHLIGHTS

Key action from Blues' cruel loss at the King Power Stadium.


“It was harsh for us what happened in the last minutes,” Silva told evertontv.

“We did not deserve it at all – we deserved to take more from the game than we did but that is football.

“The players know what my ambition is every day – the feedback they receive from me is to win every match. That has to be our philosophy as a football club.

“We knew the players should be brave and we were brave.

“It is tough in our dressing room but I gave the right feedback to them.

“They have to put their heads up.

“When we come here and fight and show this team spirit, then good things will come.”

Richarlison’s flying header put the seal on a flowing team move which stemmed from Lucas Digne's throw-in on the left and finished with wing-back counterpart Sidibe crossing for the Brazilian to score his sixth goal of the campaign.

Operating with a three-man backline and Alex Iwobi and Richarlison raiding either side of striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Everton caused in-form Leicester a succession of problems.

Sidibe sent two crosses flashing across goal after half-time, while Richarlison was off target with a header from Digne’s left-wing corner.

Leicester, who had scored 14 goals and conceded only three at their King Power Stadium home entering this game, equalised when Vardy prodded in a cross-shot from Iheanacho,

And former Manchester City forward Iheanacho slid the ball beyond Jordan Pickford after ignoring a linesman’s raised flag to race clear deep into stoppage time.

A lengthy VAR check determined the striker was onside and awarded the decisive goal to Leicester.

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01:29 Sun 01 Dec 2019

SIGURDSSON ON NEED TO STICK TOGETHER AND STAY POSITIVE

Midfielder reflects on harsh 2-1 loss at Leicester.


“It is not easy for opposing teams to come here and score against Leicester - we scored and had chances to score more,” said Silva.

“We can look at how we conceded the goals but looking at the match and the way our players stuck within the plan and strategy… we did well.

“We were the best team in the first half. We stopped them [from playing], they did not create many chances.

“When we had the ball, we had our moments, we scored and had good moments in the first half.

“We spoke at half-time about what we could improve with the ball.

“And we created chances to score and had dangerous set pieces.

“The game was balanced after their equaliser, we changed the formation and played with two strikers.

“We lost the ball when it [the match] was under control and they scored.”

Everton’s energetic and mobile display was indicative of a group of players determined to redirect the narrative of their team’s season.

Their first opportunity to achieve that turnaround comes against Premier League leaders Liverpool in midweek.

“It is our obligation [to remain confident],” added Silva.

“It is what we should do, another game comes quickly and it will be a tough and busy week for us.

“We have to take the positives from today, apart from the result, and prepare well for the match.

“It will be a tough one again but with this attitude and commitment, we have to go there with ambition and believe we can get a result.

“I never had doubts [about the players’ commitment].

“The players know our obligation as Everton Football Club – they showed it this afternoon.

"Together we can change the situation.

"Teams are scoring in the last minutes, if we lose balls they score every time.

“It will change and this type of fortune will come for us, for sure.”