Alex Iwobi believes it is only right that the Everton players show the same level of fight as their supporters - and explained why he isn't concerned about the team's injury concerns.
The Blues' relegation worries deepened on Sunday afternoon as they were beaten 3-0 by Manchester City at Goodison Park. Ilkay Gundogan scored a fine brace, while record-breaker Erling Haaland was also on the scoresheet.
City now need just one more win to confirm their latest title, but for Everton, they remain in danger of dropping into the Championship. But despite the defeat, Blues supporters in attendance at Goodison on Sunday remained behind their side.
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As Everton’s players made their way off the pitch following the full-time whistle, they did so to applause and shouts of 'We love you Everton'. And Iwobi believes it is only right that Sean Dyche's men show the same level of fight and commitment in their two remaining games.
He said: "I mean, to have the fans have our back after a disappointing result shows how much the fans care and want us to do well. We use that as motivation to go into the next game. If they can fight for us, it is only right that we can fight for them as well.
"I mean, we can’t be too down after today, but there is a saying in football that you can’t be too high, like against Brighton, and then too low about today. We just need to kick on and go again."
If the defeat to City wasn’t bad enough, Everton also picked up a number of fresh injury concerns before and during the game. Ben Godfrey, Tom Davies and Vitalii Mykolenko were all missing from the matchday squad for the clash against Pep Guardiola’s champions-elect.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin was then withdrawn at half-time due to a tight groin. The England international, who has started each of the past five matches, was taken off before any serious damage was done and will now be monitored ahead of the visit to Molineux to face Wolves next weekend.
But when asked if he was concerned if the Blues were picking up knocks at the wrong time, Iwobi said: "No, because at Everton we have got so many players that can step in and do a job for the club, but it is unfortunate for them.
"I don’t know how bad Dom’s injury is, but we will wait and see. Anyone that is told to do a job for the club and Everton to do our best so we stay up."
Gundogan fired City ahead with a breathtaking finish in front of the Howard Kendall Gwladys Street End seven minutes before the interval. The City skipper controlled a pass from Riyad Mahrez on his knee before hooking the ball past Jordan Pickford with his back to goal.
But moments before Gundogan’s opener, Everton should have gone ahead themselves, with the returning Mason Holgate somehow firing over from a couple of yards out after James Tarkowski headed a corner into this path.
"I mean, if we don’t take our chances against big teams, they are always going to create chances and hurt us," Iwobi said when asked about the Holgate opportunity. "It was an unfortunate miss, but on another day it might have gone in."
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