Silva looking for Everton reaction against Arsenal

Marco Silva wants Everton to rectify last weekend’s error-strewn home defeat to West Ham United when they visit Arsenal on Sunday.

Prior to their visit to Goodison Park, the Hammers had lost all four league games this season, but emerged as 3-1 winners against a Blues side which defended dreadfully and were wasteful in front of goal.

Ahead of their trip to North London, Toffees manager Silva is confident his players will not replicate such mistakes against the Gunners. Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Friday, he said:

“The second goal [against West Ham ] was one moment with Jordan [Pickford]. The other two, we have to do better in that situation. We prepare for all these situations. It is something we expect, and at the end we cannot control anything in that moment.

“It is something we analysed in the week and they already know what we did in the wrong way and I expect in the next game we don’t do the same.”

The odds are firmly stacked against Everton this weekend, though, especially since their last win away at any of the so-called ‘top six’ came against Manchester United in December 2013.

Silva has tasted victory at the Emirates Stadium before, beating Arsenal 3-2 with Olympiakos in the Champions League in September 2015, but was not interested in reminiscing about recent glories and instead is focused repeating this success on Sunday:

“It’s the past. It was good when we won there in that moment, [but] different competition, different clubs as well, but it [Arsenal] is a strong side. It is good to play there.

“What I want is to see our players compete in that level all together, working hard and perform well if you can, to achieve a good result.”

Last season, Everton took seven points from their gruelling first six games, which included clashes with both Manchester clubs, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.

The Blues’ opening six games looked comparatively easier, but should they lose to the Gunners, they will have taken a point less this term than after the same number of fixtures last season.

But Silva believes his players are capable of turning draws into victories. He added:

“We started the season well within the circumstances in difficult moments, playing almost two games with ten players.

“We reacted well as well [in] the first home game [2-1 win against Southampton] but after the break, our last performance wasn’t the best.

“It is something we have to handle, we have to analyse; we already did, and to prepare [for] the next game in a better way, working hard like we are working since the first day, learn from our mistakes, but give the same confidence for our players to play.”