David Moyes reflected on the upcoming visit of Manchester City to the blue half of Merseyside.
Everton have kicked on under the Scotsman in his second spell at the club, and they have been in the mix to qualify for continental competition at the backend of this campaign. However, a pair of last-gasp goals from Virgil van Dijk and Callum Wilson have meant 2-1 triumphs for Liverpool at the Hill Dickinson Stadium and West Ham at the London Stadium during the last fortnight.
‘We've been close this year’
The Toffees are now in 11th position in the Premier League table with just four games to go in the calendar. Even though they are only five points behind sixth placed Bournemouth, it will be a tough task to earn one of the coveted European spots, which could make all the difference in the summer.
The next opportunity to make inroads to track this target involves a trip for the Cityzens to the Hill Dickinson Stadium. In the last six weeks, City have claimed the Carabao Cup with a 2-0 win in the final against Arsenal, beaten **Liverpool**4-0 and **Southampton**2-0 to reach the FA Cup final, and defeated the Gunners again to briefly top the table. They have hit their stride in the final phase of the season once more, so Moyes knows that taking any points in this match will be a minor miracle.
*"The players aren't used to it. But it's a better feeling than trying to avoid relegation. Hopefully we keep improving and challenge the best teams. Players want to play in the Premier League, but they also want to be involved in European football. We've been close this year, top end of the league.*
“We struggled to attract players in the summer because they want European football.
"It is not unexpected - Manchester City are capable of things like this. We know if we can do something special it could help us greatly.”