- Everton are winless in their last six Premier League matches.
- Lost final home game against Sunderland and missed chance of Europe.
- A trend of conceding late goals has emerged in recent weeks.
Everton’s final matches of the Premier League season have shown the Toffees to be a defensively weak side, and it is something David Moyes will aim to rectify in the summer.
Matches against Liverpool, West Ham United, and Manchester City were all characterised by the Blues slipping up in the final minutes, with stoppage-time goals conceded in all three games.
Although the result was in essence secured against Sunderland, Moyes’ men fell once again as Wilson Isidor rubber-stamped their final home defeat of the campaign with a goal in the 90th minute.
Prior to the run-in, Everton had shown solidity for good chunks of the season, but when it mattered most, they could not keep their composure.
Everton cannot stay strong in the latter stages of matches
The Toffees have not won a match since their outstanding 3-0 victory against Chelsea in March.
They returned from the international break with a skip in their step, salvaged a late point against Brentford, but a 100th-minute winner from Virgil van Dijk in the Merseyside Derby has appeared to have totally knocked their confidence.
In their first 29 league matches, Everton had only conceded five goals in the 76th minute or later, but in their last 8 matches, this figure has doubled to 10, according to EFC Statto.
With just one game to go, Moyes will be eager to leave this season behind him and focus on their next campaign.
One more test remains as the Blues will pay a visit to Tottenham Hotspur, who will be fighting for their lives in a bid to maintain Premier League status.
Why have Everton become so weak?
For a team to collapse in such a consistent fashion likely means the team has suffered a major shock or setback.
The injury to Everton’s best defender, Jarrard Branthwaite, has certainly not helped, with his composure being a sorely missed attribute in the back line.
Yet the Englishman has only played in 10 league matches this season, and before his return in late January, the Toffees were proving to be a resolute defensive unit.
The reason for the Blues’ recent downfall is their abundance of clear-cut mistakes, leading to the opposition finding the back of the net.
Dwight McNeil’s clumsy back pass against Liverpool, the collective slip-up against Manchester City that allowed Erling Haaland to pull his side back into the match, and Jake O’Brien’s poor first touch, which handed Sunderland their equaliser.
These costly mistakes have halted Everton’s momentum and control in matches, which has then led to them spiralling out of games and, in turn, surrendering precious points.
In a sport that can be defined by fine margins, several slip-ups have cost Everton a place in Europe for next season.
