Silva: Now is the time for Everton to get good results away

Goodison Park is well on its way in 2019 to becoming a fearsome destination for away side again, and Everton manager Marco Silva feels the time is right for the Blues’ travel record to be improved as well.

Six consecutive wins across all competitions at home, dating back to after the Merseyside Derby draw late last season, has the players’ confidence sky high now with a trip to AFC Bournemouth on the radar this Sunday.

The Blues have had a stuttering start on the road this season, starting off the Premier League season with an uninspired 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace followed by a limp display in a 2-0 defeat at Aston Villa.

However two rip-roaring wins, 4-2 at Lincoln City and 4-3 against Wolverhampton, have showed the Blues are certainly capable of upping the ante when required, and Silva wants to see it this weekend.

“We are in a good moment at home and now is the moment to get good results away. Against Bournemouth, that is what we want to achieve. Our philosophy and approach to win when we are playing away is more or less the same [as at home].

“We may change some things in our strategy but our approach is to go there and win the match. It is a matter for us to keep improving, learn, keep doing the right things and do our best to win the game.

“For all teams in Premier League, it is tough to play away. We improved clearly our away performances last season [20 points last season, 15 in 2017/18]. But as a Club, we want more. The players know I always want more and they want more also.

“The ambition is big, and it is up to us to prove that every day in training and in the matches.”

The Cherries have been an entertaining opponent for the last few meetings, with boyhood-Blue Eddie Howe always getting his side ready for clashes against the Toffees. There have been action and drama aplenty in those ties, with 33 goals in the last nine games since Bournemouth returned to the Premier League.

“They are an offensive team and with players who can score in each moment of the game. They have individual quality in their attack line. They have pace, quality, tough players to play against. They are a tough team in the set-pieces also. It is up to us to be solid and to play our way.

“We will create chances, for sure, if we play in our way. We have to be a solid team, to go there with big ambition but to respect them because they want to change their last results. We scored seven in the past two games [against Lincoln and Wolves], unfortunately we conceded some goals and we should do better. We have to work on that.

“Now is the matter for us to switch on again and prepare well to be in our best level.”