“Chilled” Alex Iwobi claims he never loses any sleep over a football game but the Evertonians who surround him – even around his home in Manchester – have left him in no doubt over the importance of this Sunday’s survival showdown against Bournemouth.
For the third time in their history, Everton go into the final day of the season with their Premier League status on the line. Unlike when they stayed up in 1994 and 1998, their fate remains in their own hands with Sean Dyche’s side knowing that if they can secure a victory it will be enough to avoid a first relegation in 72 years regardless of what rivals Leeds United and Leicester City do in their games at home to Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United respectively.
Despite the high-pressure stakes, Iwobi appears relaxed as he prepares for a potentially career-defining game for himself and his team-mates. Others have spent months tossing and turning over the Blues’ fate, waking up in the dead of night with the issue on their mind or rising early because they just can’t settle but the when asked if he thinks he’ll have any problems sleeping on the eve of the big game, the 27-year-old said: “No never – never! I will get to sleep early before the game, prepare right, no problem.
