Thursday, 1st May, 2014
Everton forward Steven Naismith has conceded that his side have all but lost the race for the fourth spot to Arsenal.
The Toffees, who lost against Crystal Palace and Southampton in April, are currently fifth in the Premier League table with 69 points from 36 games, four points adrift of fourth-placed Arsenal.
And with just two games remaining in the season, Naismith feels his side are unlikely to be in the top four.
The Scotland international, who, however, insisted that Everton will keep fighting until the end, revealed that the Goodison Park club’s main priority is to consolidate fifth spot.
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“All we are concentrating on is securing European football”, Naismith told his club’s official site.
“We would be so disappointed if we couldn’t finish in fifth. I think we have deserved it for the way we have played this season and the push we have had for fourth.
“It’s disappointing that [it seems] we have missed out on that [finishing fourth] because, although it’s not mathematically impossible, we slipped up against Crystal Palace and at the weekend.
“We will definitely be doing all we can but Arsenal have capitalised.
"We will fight to the end but the main thing is that we have got to finish fifth.”
Everton, who require just a point to secure European football in the 2014/15 campaign, are next up against title-chasing Manchester City on Saturday.
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