Carlo Ancelotti says fatigue and Fulham pressing were major factors in Everton’s defeat at Goodison tonight.
Carlo Ancelotti said: “The performance was not good enough, it was not what we expected. We knew it was an important game and that it was a difficult game. We were not able to manage our difficulties. It was a really high intensity game and we were really tired from the game on Wednesday and, second, the pressure they put really high on our centre-backs meant we didn’t have the opportunity to use possession to create opportunities.”
Everton welcome Manchester City to Goodison on Wednesday night before going to Anfield and facing Liverpool on Saturday.
Carlo Ancelotti said: “We are really disappointed because with a victory we could climb the table and, now, we have two difficult games to play but I think we need to have hope because usually, these types of games we played better,” the Blues boss said. We have missed the, on paper, easy games but in the difficult games we have played really well and, I think we can do the same on Wednesday. The Newcastle game [2-0 defeat], in my opinion, was due to the mental aspect. I am, of course, disappointed and the players are disappointed. We have to be focused on the next two games.”
A pair of second-half goals from Josh Maja condemned the Blues to a fifth league defeat at home this season. Everton were poor all evening, registering just two shots on target, and missed the chance to go level on points with fourth-placed Liverpool. Ancelotti felt the exertions of Wednesday night’s FA Cup extra-time win over Spurs played its part in this defeat.
