Everton midfielder Amadou Onana has revealed that they were made aware they were set for relegation at half time in the clash with Bournemouth.
The midfielder has been speaking to L’Equipe about his season with Everton, who he joined in the summer from Lille.
He arrived as part of a summer rebuild by Frank Lampard last year and quickly established himself as a key player in the side under him and his successor Sean Dyche.
He proved to be a key player in keeping Everton in the Premier League, playing a role in a midfield three alongside Abdoulaye Doucoure and Idrissa Gana Gueye in the make-or-break clash with Bournemouth on Sunday.
Everton won that courtesy of a superb strike from the latter in the second half, one which ensured a 1-0 win and survival by the narrowest of margins.
At one point they had been heading for the Championship, with Leicester leading against West Ham and the Toffees only drawing 0-0 against the Cherries.
That situation meant that Everton were on course for relegation on goal difference, with only a win good enough to maintain their top flight status.
The knowledge that Leicester were leading led to a nervous atmosphere at Goodison Park, to say the least, and Onana admits the players knew the situation when they got into the dressing room at half time.
“It (the atmosphere) was exceptional. It was a huge emotional lift for me,” he said.
“There was a lot of pressure, stress and fatigue, given what was at stake. The club has never been relegated to the Championship.
“It is one of the founding members of the Premier League. At half-time, we were told that Leicester were leading at home. Mathematically, we were temporarily relegated.
“We had to deal with a lot of emotions while remaining concentrated to try and score in 45 minutes. I’ve never done so much running. It was the survival match for this great club. I’m glad we got the job done.”
