Everton’s two wins over Newcastle in four days have given Vitaliy Mykolenko reason to think bigger. The defender hopes David Moyes’ side can stay in the race for European qualification deep into the season, while keeping their focus on the next match.
Everton sit seventh in the Premier League on 13 points after Monday’s 1-0 league victory at Newcastle. It was their third win of the campaign and offered a lift after consecutive defeats to Arsenal and Chelsea. They’re three points behind fourth-place Chelsea; a Friday night win over Coventry City would bring them level on points and put them above Liverpool, currently fifth, before the weekend’s other fixtures.
That standing may shift quickly, but it gives Everton a brighter start than many expected after a difficult summer. Mykolenko wants the team to improve on last season and believes it has the mix of youth and experience to compete.
“I hope we perform significantly better than we did last season,” he told Tribuna. “We didn’t play very well last year, but that sort of thing happens to our team sometimes. I hope we’ll be fighting for a spot in European competitions right until the very end. For now, we’re taking it one match at a time and keeping on working.”
He added that the squad has “very talented” players and said the team’s immediate aim was to win its next match. After that, he said, they would assess where things stand following the international break.
Two wins over Newcastle
The league result followed Everton’s Carabao Cup win over Newcastle the previous Thursday, which sent them into the quarterfinals against League One side Fleetwood. Beating the same opponent twice in four days, with one victory coming away from home, mattered to the players as much as the results did.
Mykolenko said Moyes reminded the dressing room how difficult that feat can be. Everton kept a clean sheet in Monday’s match, and the defender was pleased with the team’s collective performance and celebrations.
“It was difficult, but we kept a clean sheet and scored some good goals. I think we also played very well as a team,” he said. “The team spirit and the atmosphere, both in the dressing room and on the pitch, were simply incredible.”
For Mykolenko, the clean sheet had particular meaning. He described winning and preventing goals as the priorities for a defender, and said he was glad to share the post-match celebration with his fellow defenders and goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. “Right now, I’m just enjoying the moment,” he said.
Support from the stands
Mykolenko’s display at St James’ Park drew particular praise from Everton supporters, who sang his song during the match. The left-back has had to establish himself with a fanbase that has seen strong performers in his position, including Lucas Digne and Leighton Baines.
He said he was pleased to deliver a performance that helps his teammates trust him. Hearing the song again was a welcome surprise: he couldn’t recall the last time it had been sung, but said he appreciated the support and called Everton’s fans “incredible, as always.”
The reaction and the back-to-back Newcastle victories offer Mykolenko a clear measure of the mood around the squad. Everton’s league position remains early-season evidence rather than a promise, but the defender’s target is plain: keep improving, take each match as it comes, and stay close enough to the European places for the ambition to matter.
The post Vitaliy Mykolenko targets European place as Everton build on Newcastle wins appeared first on Sport Witness.