Everton manager Dyche: We need a strong jaw against Arsenal

Football
1 Mar 2023 • 12:21 AM MYT
Tribal Football
Tribal Football

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Everton manager Sean Dyche has called on his players to demonstrate a strong jaw" at Arsenal.

The Toffees are heading to the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, weeks after they beat the Gunners at home in a shock Premier League result.

Dyche knows the away game will be a great deal more challenging, especially as Arsenal will be out for revenge.

Speaking in Monday's pre-match press conference, he stated: "It's simple when we talk about [finding more goals] but it's not easy to deliver.

"The mentality of the players has been good. We've got to ask questions, create different ways of affecting games and that's what we're looking to do but, while we're doing that, not lose sight of the fact that the defensive shape has to still be good.

"The Premier League is unforgiving at both ends of the pitch and we've shown good signs of the side being tighter and more structured in its defending.

"Now it's [about] how you can open the door when you're attacking and, certainly, I think if you take the goals out of the game on Saturday and looking at winning two of the past three coming into it, I think we maybe even delivered a more powerful performance.

"That's how the big, clinical moments count. That's how important they are to change a performance and people's view of it, because Saturday was a good performance all-round but we didn't score the goals and we let two soft ones in. We've got to change that, obviously."

"We have to go into these games with a belief in what we do and it's mainly the consistency - the consistency of performance home and away," he continued.

"It's well known that apart from the [COVID] pandemic season that most clubs have a stronger home form.

"There are all kinds of scientific reasons - higher testosterone in players from playing in front of the home crowd and all kinds of different things.

"At the end of the day, you can still have good away records by structuring the team and by suggesting the team maybe have to work in different ways, but most of all the mentality is important.

"You want players to go away from home with a strong jaw and a strong mentality to how it's going to test you. That's something we've got to build here.

"We're in the early processes of doing that and having that ability to go away and still deliver on a consistent level and with that edge, because it's important, particularly away from home, to have that edge in your play.

"At home, the crowd can help give you that edge but when you're away you have to bring it in through the collective on the pitch. I think that's important."