EVERTON
V ARSENAL
SUNDAY 28 APRIL 2024 | 12.30PM
OFFICIAL DIGITAL PROGRAMME
SUNDAY 28 APRIL 2024 | 12.30PM
OFFICIAL DIGITAL PROGRAMME
MANAGER'S NOTES
BRIAN SORENSEN
Good afternoon, Evertonians.
Welcome back to Walton Hall Park for our match against Arsenal.
This is the first time I am writing to you since the news of my contract extension with Everton.
Firstly, I would express how happy I am to continue on as manager of this fantastic football club.
From the staff to the players and the incredible supporters, I feel honoured to work alongside so many special individuals.
My family has settled well here - which was another important factor behind my decision - and I am excited to continue the project we are building here.
We have an excellent squad who are only going to improve and there is a plan in place to take the Club forward in a positive direction.
I am also grateful that our assistant manager Stephen has committed his future to the Club.
I have worked with Stephen for a number of years now and he offers something different to our coaching, which I feel is important when you work as a group. He helps brings the best out of our squad, and I am delighted he sees his future as part of this club.
It has been a difficult season, results have gone against us, we have been hit with injuries to key players, but the performances have been excellent for the most part, and the group has stuck together through difficult moments.
That togetherness was showcased last week when we went down to Brighton to pick up a vital three points.
The team was clinical at both ends of the pitch, took our chances when it mattered, and controlled the game in large parts.
Today’s match will be a different challenge against a very strong Arsenal side, but the application and mindset from our players will remain unchanged.
When the moments get tough, we dig in, play ugly when we need to, and most of all, play with confidence.
I thought we were unlucky not to take anything from the game against Arsenal earlier this year. We have taken factors of what we did well that day and built it into our preparations for today’s match.
Earlier this week we also got confirmation this afternoon’s match is a sell-out which is incredible, but it is nothing short of what I have come to expect from Evertonians.
With this being the penultimate home game for our season, we are motivated to finish as strong as possible to repay the support we have received this season, and also set a benchmark of what we expect come the following campaign.
Thank you as always for your incredible support.
Enjoy the game,
CAPTAIN'S NOTES
MEGAN FINNIGAN
Good afternoon and welcome to Walton Hall Park for today’s match against Arsenal.
Firstly, I would like to congratulate our manager Brian and assistant manager Stephen who recently committed their futures to the Club.
It has been a rewarding experience working alongside them both. It has myself and the squad excited for the further development they can help bring to Everton.
There is real potential with this group. We feel we are on the cusp of achieving success. We are all excited at how we will continue to evolve over the coming years and I look forward to hopefully continuing to play a part in it.
The staff and players are in agreement that results this season have been below what we expect as a group but agree there has been an element of misfortune in that.
We know our performances this season have merited better results and, with that frustration, comes a hunger to rectify that next season and return this club to a place higher in the table.
That is why last week’s result against Brighton was so satisfying.
It was a long way to travel and there was added incentive after the long break to come back and get three points on the board.
I was left with a lot of pride with how our girls competed. Luck has been against us a lot this season, but the character from us to respond after conceding so soon after Karen’s goal is testament to how resilient this group is.
This group doesn’t quit. We dig deep, fight for every ball and play for the pride of the badge. That is the Everton way.
We have done that a lot this season and I expect us to do the same today against a strong Arsenal side.
Reflecting on the reverse fixture against today’s opponents, I felt we could and should have taken something from the game.
When you play against the top sides in this league, you know you are going to be under pressure. You have to be at your absolute best as one lapse of concentration and they punish you.
There is confidence in the group from what we did in that game, as well as the belief generated from last week’s result that we can go out and deliver a performance to be proud of in front of a sold-out Walton Hall Park.
Your support has been incredible so far this season. We want to finish these final games on the best possible note and hope we can do just that today.
Enjoy the game,
SQUAD LIST
OPPOSITION
FINAL HOME FIXTURE OF THE SEASON
SAT 4 MAY
KO, 12PM
FINAL HOME FIXTURE OF THE SEASON
SAT 4 MAY
KO, 12PM
OLESEN: MY TOUGHEST SETBACK
Karoline Olesen is eager to repay the love and support from her Everton teammates as she embarks on her return from the sidelines.
The 19-year-old spent two months out of action after suffering a deep cut on her quadriceps that required stitches following a clash in the game against West Ham United at Walton Hall Park in February.
It was actually the best-case scenario following initial fears of a more serious injury for the Denmark youth international.
“It’s a weird feeling being out for this long,” the midfielder told the Official Matchday Programme. “I’ve never been out for this amount of time.
“It’s a strange injury, too, in the sense that I’ve just had to wait for the scar to heal, but I'm glad to be through the other end of that now.
“I remember coming on to the pitch against West Ham – I had only been on for a couple of minutes and when you come on, you’re always eager to get involved as much as possible.
“I went in for a challenge and I knew I got caught but the adrenaline took over, so I stood up, looked down and saw there was pretty much a hole in my leg.
“I was obviously scared. It was difficult to come to terms with, especially when I was getting the stitches in, and the adrenaline wore off.”
After the full-time whistle, the team gathered for a huddle with the group shouting ‘For Karo’ in support of their teammate who had been taken off on a stretcher minutes earlier.
The moment was captured and published on the Club’s social media channels and viewed by Olesen in hospital.
“It was so sweet but it’s what I would expect from this group,” she added.
“The girls are amazing, and we stick together through difficult times.
“I’ve felt that support through my recovery, too. The girls come up and talk to me, ask how I am.
“I’ve never been ruled out with an injury before, so having the more experienced players in the group put confidence in me, telling me this won’t damage your career, and how everyone helped me once I was back on the pitch has helped keep me positive.
“Unfortunately, we have had a lot of injuries this season. During my rehab the physio room was practically full, so it hasn’t felt a lonely experience.
“Being with others in rehab has helped, we push each other on and it’s been nice to have that support.”
HOLMGAARD TWINS’ UNBREAKABLE BOND
The relationship between siblings can be one of the most powerful and unbreakable bonds.
Everton’s Holmgaard twins certainly share that connection that extends beyond a football pitch.
But their togetherness reaped the rewards on it, too, as - for the second time this season - the Danish duo combined to put Everton in front last week against Brighton & Hove Albion.
Similar to the winner earlier this term at West Ham United, Sara’s delivery found Karen at the back post, with the midfielder heading in at the Amex Stadium to put the Blues ahead.
The 60th-minute opener was crucial as Brian Sorensen’s side went on to triumph 2-1 for a vital victory on the south coast.
“It was an amazing feeling,” Karen told evertontv. “It’s been a tough few months and I’ve been putting in a lot of hard work behind the scenes.
“Finally, I’m back on the pitch and I’m just happy I can score to help the team.”
“It’s just nice to see Karen score a goal,” Sara continued. “She’s deserved it after some tough months. It’s an amazing feeling.”
It’s often joked the pair are telepathic with how well connected they are.
While not to be drawn into superstitions, the twins discussed last week’s Brighton goal upon arrival at the Amex.
“Before the game, we were talking in the changing room, and I said to Sara, ‘We need to score today. We need to do something special’,” Karen revealed.
“To make that a reality was an incredible feeling.”
The Holmgaard twins returned from the sidelines in March and have been on a journey back to match fitness since.
They welcome Arsenal on Sunday at a sold-out Walton Hall Park, and Karen stressed the importance of carrying positive momentum into this weekend’s match.
“Arsenal are a really good team,” she said. “We got three important points last weekend and we take a lot of confidence heading into Sunday.
“That’s important for us. We need to continue in this way, play as well as we can for what is going to be some tough last few games.”
THE MENU
JUSTINE VANHAEVERMAET
What’s your go-to breakfast?
I really like porridge and a coffee in the morning.
What does your lunch look like?
I like Mexican food, so maybe tacos or burritos!
What do you have for tea?
Usually, some salad with chicken and mango and avocado. Something light.
What do you like to snack on?
After training it’s usually a protein shake, and then some fruit and nuts, or yoghurt.
What do you like for dessert?
I’m from Belgium, so I’d say a chocolate fondant. I really like that!
How well can you cook?
I can cook pretty well, yes. I’m maybe a little bit better than average!
What’s your best dish to make?
I like oven dishes – all sorts of oven dishes.
What’s your favourite type of cuisine?
I like all kinds – Mexican, Italian, Japanese. I like a lot!
BLUES TRIO BECOME AMBASSADORS
Everton in the Community is delighted to announce Everton stars James Tarkowski and Courtney Brosnan, plus former Blues midfielder Leon Osman, have joined forces with Everton in the Community and the Steve Morgan Foundation to become official Ambassadors of its strategic partnership.
The trio of new ambassadors will now work to support the delivery of the ‘Steve Morgan Community Impact Model’ in Speke-Garston to protect young people from exploitation and inspire them to reach their full potential.
The Club's official charitable arm has been working with the Steve Morgan Foundation since 2020 and, in July 2023, the charity secured additional funding to extend the Impact Model to Liverpool 4 and South Sefton - with both communities also facing a number of socio-economic challenges that severely hinder educational achievements.
Made possible thanks to the funding received from Steve Morgan Foundation, Everton in the Community’s delivery of the Impact Model has significantly enhanced the lives of more than 13,500 young people in Speke-Garston and contributed to wider school and community changes, including improved literary scores and declining anti-social behaviour trends in an area where 40 per cent of young people aged 16+ have no qualifications and 40% of children live in poverty.
As EitC and Steve Morgan Foundation Ambassadors, Tarkowski, Brosnan and Osman will help raise awareness of the Impact Model and the remarkable impact it has had on South Liverpool, L4 and South Sefton.
Their roles will also see them visit Steve Morgan Foundation-funded sessions and witness the beneficial effects that the charity’s delivery has had on the lives of thousands of young people across Liverpool City Region.
Tarkowski said: “It’s always a pleasure to support Everton in the Community’s work, and I’ve seen first-hand the impact of their delivery of the Steve Morgan Community Impact Model in raising children’s self-esteem when I visited a local secondary school last year. It’s a fantastic programme that’s truly making a positive difference to the lives of many young people across Liverpool and it’s an honour to endorse it.”
Everton Women's goalkeeper Brosnan added: “I’ve had the privilege of attending a number of the charity’s sessions over the years and meeting the participants who benefit from its work. It’s clear to see that the Steve Morgan Community Impact Model has been instrumental in tackling the many barriers facing young people within the local community, so it’s a great opportunity to be able to support the programme and I look forward to visiting one of the sessions.”
Liam Eaglestone, CEO of the Steve Morgan Foundation, added: “We are delighted that the Steve Morgan Impact Model is having such a significant effect on the lives of so many young people in our region. Along with our commitment to provide long-term secure funding for our partnership with Everton in the Community, we will also continue to provide practical support and expertise to keep driving positive change.”
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