• Premier League

Moyes sets unbeaten target

ESPN staff
April 5, 2013
David Moyes saw his Everton side win all three of their Premier League games in March © PA Photos
Enlarge

David Moyes has set his Everton side the challenge of going through April unbeaten as they bid to secure a place in Europe.

His team are four points off a Champions League spot as they prepare to visit third-placed Tottenham on Sunday.

It is the first of five Premier League fixtures during the month for Everton, who then host bottom club QPR ahead of trips to fifth-placed Arsenal and relegation-threatened Sunderland, before hosting Fulham on April 30.

Moyes' side won all three of their Premier League games in March, beating Reading, Manchester City and Stoke at Goodison Park.

That run was tempered by a 3-0 FA Cup quarter-final defeat at home to Wigan, but those three wins earned Moyes the Premier League Manager of the Month award for March.

And he believes that if his team can keep their good run of league form going, European qualification can be achieved.

"I think if you can be around those top positions, then it means that your team is doing well enough and if we could [go unbeaten again] in April it would be big, it really would," Moyes said.

"There were only three games in March but I think we've got a five-game April coming up now and obviously it's a tough one.

"But we've got two homes games coming up in that and we've got to try to pick up points, move along, and if the players keep passing the ball and playing as well as they have done in recent games, I'll be happy."

Moyes beat Manchester United's Sir Alex Ferguson, Southampton's Mauricio Pochettino and Fulham's Martin Jol to the Manager of the Month prize.

He added: "It's an award for all the players and how well they have done in March. Our form has never been too far away and let's hope we can keep that standard up right to the end of the season now."

Midfielder Darren Gibson, meanwhile, is aiming to end a goal drought stretching back more than 14 months at White Hart Lane on Sunday.

Gibson has fond memories of scoring twice against Tottenham for Manchester United in a 2-0 League Cup quarter-final victory in December 2009.

He would love a repeat this weekend, having gone 30 games without scoring for an Everton since hitting the winner in a 1-0 Premier League victory over Manchester City on January 31 last year.

He told Everton's website: "I will be delighted if I can score two like that on Sunday. It's about time I scored. It's long overdue and, fingers crossed, we will see what happens."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Close

ABOUT COOKIES

To help make this website better, to improve and personalize your experience and for advertising purposes, are you happy to accept cookies and other technologies.

More Info Here Cookie Choices