Williams spells out Everton’s top-five ambition

Ashley Williams reckons that Everton have every chance of breaking into the Premier League’s ‘elite group’ by sealing fifth place this season.

The Toffees, who have suffered just two defeats in their last 15 league outings, find themselves seventh in the table, level on points with Arsenal and three behind Manchester United, the current incumbents of the automatic Europa League group stage qualification spot.

Williams’ team may have played two games more than the Gunners and United but the 32-year-old defender, who joined Everton from Swansea City in a £12m deal last summer, believes that Ronald Koeman’s side can match their most recent fifth-placed finish – the joint second-highest the Toffees have achieved in the Premier League –  which came in the 2013-14 campaign.

“Getting into fifth is what we’re trying to do. Obviously, whether we achieve it or not depends on what the others do as well, but all we can do is look after our own games, and we’ve been doing that,” said Wales captain Williams.

“We have a lot of confidence and are winning a lot of games.

“As the season has gone on, I feel like without it being said, we have realised we are a good team.

“Hopefully, we are starting to look like one of those teams.

“We want to push to try to be in that top group in the league, which is a difficult ask of anyone, to break into that elite group.”