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Friday 19 April 2019 09:53, UK
Everton manager Marco Silva has warned Manchester United will face a tough challenge if his side maintain their recent home form when the teams meet in the Premier League on Sunday.
Silva's side drew with Liverpool, before beating Chelsea and Arsenal as they kept clean sheets in their previous three games at Goodison Park.
Despite falling to a shock 2-0 defeat at relegated Fulham last weekend, Silva is confident his side can rediscover the level of performance that saw them trouble United's top-six rivals.
"Even if we have big respect for Man United, with the quality they have, not just individual quality but as a team also, it's up us playing at home," Silva said on Thursday.
"I'm 100 per cent sure if we're at our best level, we'll be tough for them. I don't have doubts about that.
"If we can reach the same level we played the last three home games, it will be really tough for them and it's something I want, it's my desire, our desire as a team, to see again at Goodison our team playing at that level."
Everton are battling with Leicester, Wolves and Watford for a 'best of the rest' seventh-placed finish, with the four sides separated by just a point, while United are vying for top-four finish with Tottenham, Arsenal and Chelsea.
Silva will have to make do without Andre Gomes against United, after the influential midfielder was given a retrospective three-match ban by the FA having been found guilty of stamping on Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic.
"We know Andre," Silva said. "He's an honest and fair football player, enjoying what he's doing here.
"In that moment he didn't show that, but it's something in some moments that can happen during a match.
"It's tough to play sometimes against a tough player like Mitrovic. But we have to keep our emotional balance every time… and it's a moment for Andre to learn because it will be tough for us and it will be tough for him to be out of the next three matches."
