Jesper Lindstrom delivered a blunt assessment of Everton's performance against Southampton, as Sean Dyche's team prepare for a crunch fixture against West Ham.
Everton suffered a 1-0 loss at Southampton on Saturday, as the Saints claimed their first Premier League win of the season.
That defeat snapped a five-game unbeaten run in the league, albeit Everton are still only on nine points after 10 games.
Saturday's trip to West Ham, whose coach Julen Lopetegui is under pressure after a poor run of form, represents a big game for both clubs.
And Lindstrom, who joined Everton on loan from Napoli in July, said there are few excuses for the Toffees.
"We want to win games, we want to win points, we want to win games like this. It's not good enough," he said, as reported by the Liverpool Echo.
"Overall we have to demand more of each other. We have to train hard, we have to keep going.
"The first half especially was not good enough, was not what we expected. We are a much better team than we showed.
"The second half was better we were running more, fighting more, creating chances. I think we deserved at least a point with all the chances but on the other hand I don't think we deserved it because I know we can play much better than we did.
"In the first half, we were too far from each other. From my perspective, my touches were not great.
"It was better in the second half. We created good chances of receiving the ball high but didn’t have the last part, the shot."
West Ham lost 3-0 to in-form Nottingham Forest last time out.
After that match, Jarrod Bowen told Premier League Productions: "We've been on the receiving end of a lot of defeats by a lot of goals, so we need to look at ourselves as players. I think that's a given, but I think we've got to accept this feeling, accept it today, move on and in the last game before the international break we have to put it right."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
West Ham - Jarrod Bowen
Bowen has scored in his last two Premier League home games for West Ham, last scoring in three in a row at the London Stadium in February 2022.
The England forward has also had a hand in five goals in his last six league games against Everton (three goals, two assists).
Everton - Dominic Calvert-Lewin
All three of Calvert-Lewin’s Premier League goals against West Ham have come at the London Stadium, with the last two coming in 1-0 wins for Everton.
Only against Newcastle United (five) has he scored more away goals in the competition than he has at West Ham.
MATCH PREDICTION: WEST HAM WIN
West Ham have conceded 15 goals in the opening 15 minutes of Premier League games so far in 2024, the most such goals any side have conceded in a single calendar year in the competition. Five of those have come so far this season, a joint-league high, along with Ipswich Town.
However, having lost their first three Premier League home games this season, West Ham have now won their last two at London Stadium. They last won three in a row in May/August 2023, while they last did so in the same campaign in October 2022.
Everton, meanwhile, have lost their last three Premier League away games against London sides by an aggregate score of 12-1. They last lost four in a row in the capital between January and September 2018.
West Ham have won five of their last eight Premier League games against Everton (L3), as many as they had in their previous 30 against them (D9 L16).
However, the Toffees - who won the corresponding fixture 1-0 last season - have taken more Premier League games in total (29) and away from home (13) against West Ham than they have against any other opponent.
Dyche's team have lost their first four Premier League games this season, conceding 13 goals in the process. However, they have lost just one of their subsequent six (W2 D3), with their four goals conceded the fewest of any side in that time.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
West Ham - 50.2%
Everton - 24.6%
Draw - 25.2%
Fonseca hails Milan 'courage' during Madrid victory
Paulo Fonseca saluted AC Milan's "courage" during their 3-1 victory over reigning Champions League winners Real Madrid.
Malick Thiaw, Alvaro Morata and Tijjani Reijnders were on target as the Rossoneri condemned Madrid to successive home defeats for the first time under their former boss Carlo Ancelotti.
Milan became the first side in the history of the competition to score three times against Los Blancos at Santiago Bernabeu on two occasions, also achieving the feat in October 2009.
And Fonseca was delighted at the way the players executed his game plan, which he acknowledged was slightly different to normal.
"We won because the players had the courage to come here and not be afraid of anything, playing the game we wanted," he told reporters during his post-match press conference.
"We prepared for a match in which we wanted to keep the ball. In the first half, we did important things and, in the second half, we suffered more. But we deserved to win, no doubt about it.
"Today, we showed that an Italian team came to the Bernabeu to play and not to defend alone. We can still grow a lot. I have to be honest. This type of game is totally different to what we have in Serie A.
"In Italy, perhaps, we don't have the chance to play with this aggressiveness. I don't think it's possible to do what we did today. Here, there are no teams that press man-to-man all over the pitch."
Ancelotti concerned about Real Madrid's level of performance in defeat to Milan
Carlo Ancelotti has said he was worried about Real Madrid's level of performance in their 3-1 home defeat to AC Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday.
The result marked the first time in three years that they have suffered back-to-back defeats in all competitions, having been hammered 4-0 by Barcelona at the Bernabeu last time out.
Following the match, Real Madrid are 17th in the Champions League table – just three points off dropping out of the play-off positions – with Wednesday's games to come.
"We have to be concerned, the team is not playing well," Ancelotti told a press conference on Tuesday.
"The team is not compact, we need to be more compact, more organised, we've conceded a lot of goals ... The team is not well organised on the pitch and we need to work on this.
"We have to focus on what we have today, which is a team that is not at its best, and get back to our level so we can fight for all competitions."
Real Madrid have conceded nine goals in their last three matches, while a Vinicius Junior penalty on Tuesday was their only goal in their last two. Players such as Aurelien Tchouameni and Kylian Mbappe, meanwhile, were booed by fans.
"It is not an issue of motivation or attitude, it's a collective thing that we need to fix quickly," said Ancelotti.
"On the pitch, something is missing and we have not been able to show our best version. We have to fix this, but the nights are going to be very long and we have to recover the solidity that we are lacking.
"That's the problem above all, we've conceded too many goals for a team that is built on solidity.
"We have to accept criticism and accept reality. We want to do better because it's very difficult to get to the end of the season like this. We have to defend better and we have to look for solutions, without going crazy after drastic changes.
"It's good that the players are down like I am. We can all think about how to improve our version. We are confident that this team will improve." (Reporting by Fernando Kallas; Editing by Ken Ferris)
Silva concedes Man City 'in a dark place' as Guardiola vows 'I'm not giving up'
Bernardo Silva acknowledged Manchester City are "in a dark place right now" following their disappointing 4-1 defeat at Sporting CP.
Viktor Gyokeres' hat-trick inspired the Primeira Liga leaders to a commanding victory at Estadio Jose Alvalade, where Ruben Amorim was overseeing his final home game before taking over the reins at Manchester United on November 11.
Injury-hit City, who were without the likes of Rodri, Jack Grealish, Ruben Dias and John Stones, have now suffered three successive defeats in a season for the first time since April 2018.
Having been knocked out of the EFL Cup by Tottenham, the Citizens also saw their 32-match unbeaten run in the Premier League ended by a 2-1 loss at Bournemouth on Saturday.
And Silva knows he and his team-mates must address the slump quickly.
"At the beginning of the second half, we just gave them too many opportunities to be there and to score goals," the City winger said.
"[It's] disappointing because we're a bit in a dark place right now, and everything looks to be going the wrong way - even when we play well.
"Definitely, we need to look inside, check what we're not doing well and start being better very quickly. Otherwise, it will be difficult to come back from these losses.
"It's football, it's difficult to find reasons for what's happening right now to us.
"Obviously, we need to do better. Our injured players need to come back because we need them. It's just not good enough at the minute."
Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola insists he is "not giving up" with the Spaniard relishing the opportunity to put things right.
"It is a tough challenge, but I am here," the head coach added. "It will be a tough season - we knew that from the start. But this is what it is. I like it, I love it, I want to face it and lift my players.
"I have to try and find an explanation. Sometimes, it is just football. We have to accept it. Life is that, sport is that. Sometimes, we have bad moments, but we face the reality.
"Everyone has to try to be better. We are still alive in all competitions, and we continue. I am not giving up."
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