Amadou Onana has stressed the importance of Everton supporters, following the team’s away win over West Ham United on Sunday.
The Toffees came away from the London Stadium with three points, courtesy of a smart finish from a fit and firing Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Sean Dyche’s side were well-organised and succeeded in frustrating the Hammers, who will have hopes of securing a European spot this season.
After some early teething problems, the Blues appear to have turned a corner in recent weeks and responded to their defeat in the Merseyside derby with an impressive win over West Ham. The victory moves Everton up to 15th in the table, five points clear of the bottom three.
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Onana was instrumental in helping to stifle the Hammers’ attacks and produced a commanding performance in the middle of the park. The Belgium international believes the return of Calvert-Lewin has helped transform the team’s fortunes and has credited his teammates for his own impressive displays.
"Everyone expects me to perform well, that is part of my job and I'm doing my job," Onana told evertontv. "My team-mates are helping me as much as they can as well, making it easy for me to perform like that, so thanks to them I am able to do my thing and shine."
"It's been several weeks that we have been playing very good football, that's what I think personally," he added. "We just needed that extra bit in the final third, we had that. It was a great performance.”
Next up, Everton will hope to continue their Carabao Cup cup and book their place in the quarter-finals against Burnley at Goodison Park on Wednesday. Speaking after the win at the London Stadium, Onana was eager to praise Evertonians, admitting his determination to ensure that the club does not endure the stress of a third successive relegation battle.
"[The fans] mean a lot, I enjoy the relationship," Onana explained . "You can see at the end of the game me going there and celebrating with them. That's what they deserve.
"Last season was very tough for us, but also for them. We are trying to give them back what they have given us every single week."
Looking ahead to the cup tie with Burnley, he said: "We are on a good streak right now. It's a very nice feeling playing at home, with our fans and supporters, it's a different atmosphere. Goodison is home. We're always pleased to play there."
