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“Goodison effect” will be key for Martinez

Roberto Martinez has cited the advantage of Fortress Goodison as being key to his team's chances down the final stretch as he prepares for the four crucial remaining home games.

With the 3-2 win over Swansea yesterday, the Blues registered an eighth successive victory at Goodison Park in all competitions for the first time since March 1986 but taking that streak to nine will entail beating Arsenal early next month.

With a potentially important game in hand against Crystal Palace and mouth-watering match-ups against both Manchester sides to follow, a raucous Goodison crowd could have a big role to play in the team's chances to sneaking into fourth place come May.

"We've got the game in hand against Crystal Palace... and then the other three games — phenomenal, glamorous games against Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal — so you can imagine that the Goodison effect is going to be vital to see how well we can finish the season," the Catalan says.

"I think there's a real connection between the Goodison crowd and the players, and I think that's shown since the Sunderland defeat."

Martinez adds that the feels his squad has the right ingredients to finish the season strongly: "The reality is that to be able to win games consistently is what allows you to achieve at the end of the season. Sometimes it will be down to brilliance, good football and at times it will be down to a bit of a character and being efficient with your work.

"We've showed that we can do both, which is a remarkable achievement when you see players at 19, like John Stones, and Ross Barkley and Romelu Lukaku, at 20, is a real good balance that we've got in the side. That's what excites me about the next nine games."

Quotes sourced from Click Liverpool

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