- Beto has four goal involvements in his last two games
- Tarkowski has started all of his 31 appearances this season for Everton
- Six cup finals await the Toffees as they chase down a European spot.
Everton’s players are feeling the shift. After years of looking over their shoulders at the relegation zone, the Blues are now chasing European football with genuine belief.
Two key figures in the run, Beto and James Tarkowski, sat down with Everton to preview the first Merseyside derby at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Neither tried to hide the ambition burning inside the dressing room. Both players were selected in ReadEverton’s combined Liverpool-Everton X1.
The striker has found his scoring touch at the perfect time. Beto netted a brace against Chelsea and added a fine header at Brentford. He was asked whether his mentality had changed during the season.
Beto: ‘I just kept going’
“Not really, I didn’t do anything new,” Beto said. “I just kept going. I was having chances but missing them, but I always put into my mind to keep going. I did it, so I’m happy to start scoring and to help the team now.”
On the historic nature of Sunday’s fixture, the first derby at Everton’s new home, Beto was clear about the stakes.
“We are in a good moment. We know it’s going to be a tough game, but if we want to get into Europe, we need to win this game. This is what the team wants and I believe we can do it.”
He also reflected on how far Everton have come. “It’s a good feeling to be in this position after the tough seasons before. Now we are really happy and we want to keep going.”
Tarkowski: ‘His belief never wavers’
James Tarkowski, a veteran of many derbies, spoke about the squad’s resilience and singled out Beto for special praise.
“We’ve got great belief in ourselves,” Tarkowski said. “We’ve scored quite a few late goals and that’s because we keep going. Every game is tough. Brentford at the weekend was a very difficult game, but we’re pleased we got that late goal.”
On Beto, the defender was full of admiration. “He never doubts himself. He always backs himself. We had plenty of conversations around through the weeks when he wasn’t scoring, but his belief never wavers, and he puts in the work all the time, so I’m very pleased he’s scoring his goals now.”
Tarkowski, who grew up watching Everton challenge for the top four under David Moyes, is excited about the direction the club is heading.
“That’s the ambition now. We’ve put ourselves in a position where it’s within touching distance. There are still a lot of tough games coming up and we need to put some wins on the board. I grew up in an era when Everton were right up there, top four, competing all the time and under this manager. It’s exciting times for the fans and the team, so hopefully we can get there. But the work isn’t done yet.”
With six games remaining and European qualification within reach, Everton have every reason to believe. And if Beto keeps scoring and Tarkowski keeps organising, that first derby win at Hill Dickinson Stadium could be the springboard they need.
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- Why Everton fans may be worried ahead of first derby clash at Hill Dickinson Stadium
