Europe still on the agenda for Jake

JAKE O'BRIEN is convinced Everton remain at the heart of the battle for Europe despite 'letting ourselves down' against Liverpool.

- By JOE THOMAS

The defender believes the Blues were the better side in the Merseyside derby and lost it due to a “poor goal” at the end, when Virgil van Dijk headed in a winner in the tenth minute of stoppage time.

He did, however, believe there were positives to take from the wider performance and into the final five fixtures of a season that could yet go to the wire.

With the margins so tight, the late defeat at the hands of Liverpool could prove costly as a clutch of teams battle for the final European spots. For O'Brien, there was misfortune in how the first derby at Hill Dickinson Stadium played out for Everton.