Friday 8 March 2019 07:48, UK
Everton manager Marco Silva says there is plenty for his team to play for this season, despite their comfortable berth in mid-table.
Over the last week, Everton have eased the pressure on Silva, ending a poor run of form with a 3-0 victory at Cardiff and a 0-0 draw in the Merseyside derby against Liverpool.
They are 10th in the table following those results, 12 points clear of the drop zone but six points adrift of seventh place - which may yet offer a Europa League qualification spot, depending on how the FA Cup pans out.
However, ahead of a tricky trip to Newcastle on Saturday, Silva insisted that he wants to end his first season in charge at Goodison Park on a high.
He said: "We have to look at each match like a final for us, like we did against Cardiff and the derby also.
"Each game we must do our maximum to achieve the three points, and do everything to finish the season in a good run and in a good spot also in the table.
"Everything is open for us.
"It is not important to talk about the last games, it is important to look at ourselves and play each game as a final.
"It was a good week for us, no doubts about that.
"A good win and then a tough home match, the derby - a really balanced match and both teams had chances to win.
"Of course it helps to grow the confidence of the team, even though the last game was not a victory."
Jordan Pickford made an excellent save in the derby to deny Liverpool's Mohamed Salah - but Silva did not see it as providing atonement for the goalkeeper's costly error in the reverse fixture.
"Even at Anfield, he did good saves," said the Everton boss. "Not just at Goodison.
"His performance (last week), of course he did well, he did a good save in that moment.
"He didn't have many, many moments to do a good save because our opponent didn't have big chances to give more work to Jordan.
"It was a good save, but to change something about three months ago doesn't make sense.
"Even in that match he did very good saves also."
Full-back Leighton Baines has returned to light training but will be unavailable for the trip to St James' Park on Saturday afternoon, as he continues his recovery from a back injury.
And his fellow defender and club captain Phil Jagielka is a doubt, having missed Everton's last two training sessions.
Silva said: "Leighton is not ready. He has started to work with the team but he's not ready.
"Even Jags is out of the last two sessions also.
"All the others are OK and we are ready to go, play a tough match and one idea in our mind is to win the match."
