Vladimír Coufal feels that heading into Saturday’s away match at Everton, he and his teammates can draw a lot of strength from Monday’s crucial 4-2 victory over Brentford.
Making his fourth straight Premier League start, the 31-year-old assisted hat-trick hero Jarrod Bowen’s second goal against the Bees with an inch-perfect cross that the England forward headed in from close range.
The Hammers, who have not lost in the league in seven games, will take on Sean Dyche’s Toffees next on Merseyside. They now rank seventh in the standings going into Saturday’s game.
After losing 1-0 in the rematch at London Stadium in October, David Moyes’ team will be fervently seeking retribution. They will also be buoyant after winning all three of their previous trips to Goodison Park.
Coufal, who needs three more assists to tie the Premier League record held by a Czech player, is hoping the Irons can start to play more consistently in order to qualify for Europe.
“It was a huge win against Brentford,” he declared. I’m hoping we can carry over some excellent momentum from Monday’s game into the upcoming contests.
“Although we have some really significant games coming up, we need to be prepared for Everton right now.
This season has been a bit of an up-and-down rollercoaster thus far. I am not satisfied about some of the really poor performances we have had, mixed in with some very good ones. It is critical to maintain consistency.
Lucas [Paquetá] was back, which was huge for us as well. I heard Emerson say in his post-game interview that “when he [Paquetá] plays, our confidence is very high,” and I believe that to be true because he is a key player and has a significant impact on the team.
Ahead of the Everton fixture, Coufal insists his side have done their homework on the opposition and will be looking to nullify their strengths. However, he is still expecting a difficult test, with Dyche’s charges fighting for Premier League survival.
He said: “They [Everton] are a really big threat from set-pieces, and I think they have routines that they will continue to repeat. They press very high, are aggressive at home and have two very strong central defenders.
“I don’t think many teams like to play at Goodison Park, as the crowd are very unfriendly to all Premier League teams and try to help create the best possible environment for the home team. We won the game against Brentford and want to win against Everton to be consistent, so we need to deal with this.
“It’s something different [playing against teams fighting relegation]. We experienced it last year against teams who came to London Stadium, and it was really tough as they fight for everything on the pitch as they are playing for their futures.
“The mentality is something different because when you’re playing for European places and titles there is nothing to lose, you can just gain, but in a relegation battle in the Premier League there is a lot to lose.”
Coufal had praise for Bowen following his first senior hat-trick against Brentford, and believes fans can expect more of the same, while he is also striving to achieve his own personal accolade.
He added: “I think he [Bowen] has worked very hard on his finishing. After every training session he is doing something extra, and you can see it pays off as he has now scored 14 goals in the Premier League.
Premier League history. I only need three more to equal that!”
It’s very amazing, and I’m thrilled that he achieved his first hat-trick following an excellent performance. He’s a really nice guy who always strives to be upbeat and give his all for the team. More objectives should be achievable, in my opinion, but it also depends on the support we give him.
“I understand and get along well with Jarrod, and I’ve helped him out a lot. I want to become the Czech player with the most assists in Premier League history, so perhaps I can surpass the seven [assists] I had in my debut season here. To equal that, just three more are needed!”
