Everton midfielder Iliman Ndiaye expressed his hope that the team can win the remaining three home matches at Goodison Park in the English Premier League this season, considering that the Merseyside club will move to Everton Stadium in Bramley-Moore Dock, Liverpool, starting next season. Ndiaye made these comments after helping Everton secure a point through a penalty kick to draw 1-1 against Arsenal in the Premier League matchweek 31 at Goodison Park on Saturday. He stated, “Whenever we play here, there are fewer chances to play here. We want to give our all to the supporters who are always here witnessing everything.” Ndiaye added, “We want to deliver the best performance and hopefully win three matches in the last three home games.” After drawing with Arsenal, Everton only has three home matches left this season, facing Manchester City on April 19, Ipswich Town on May 3, and Southampton on May 18. This season, Everton has a record of four wins, eight draws, and four losses in Premier League home matches, including a 2-2 draw against Liverpool on February 13 that saw The Toffees’ fans jubilantly fill the Goodison Park stands. Their record at Goodison Park is slightly better than their away record in the Premier League, which includes three wins, six draws, and six losses. In the match against Arsenal, Everton initially fell behind due to a goal from Leandro Trossard in the first half, but a minute after half-time, Arsenal’s young talent Myles Lewis-Skelly made a mistake by fouling Jack Harrison in the penalty area. The penalty awarded by referee Darren England sparked controversy, but it didn’t affect Ndiaye’s concentration as he stepped up as the penalty taker to deceive goalkeeper David Raya and equalize the score to 1-1, which remained until the final whistle. The goal was a sweet moment for Ndiaye, who returned to the starting eleven for the first time after a seven-week absence due to a knee injury. He said, “It’s truly amazing to come back and score. I wanted to give it to Beto, but I was confident in taking it, so of course, I’m happy to be back.” “I think it’s a good point. We lost midweek and needed to change the momentum today with a good result, and I think we achieved that,” he added. Ndiaye revealed that manager David Moyes gave some instructions in the dressing room at half-time, which the Everton players successfully implemented to secure a crucial point against Arsenal. The draw lifted Everton to 14th place in the current standings with 35 points. Next, Everton is scheduled to visit Nottingham Forest on Saturday, April 12 next week.
