Dwight McNeill says Everton made some mistakes that cost them dearly against Chelsea, but he concedes that they performed reasonably well against a fifth consecutive top-five opponent.  

It has been a challenging month for Everton, with the team facing Liverpool, Arsenal, Nottingham Forest, Manchester City and Chelsea in succession, and Saturday's game will be another severe test.  

Dwight McNeill said: “I think we’ve had some good results, like the three points against Nottingham Forest and the point against Arsenal, and that’s where we want to go.  

"We want to be in that position in the table, not like we have been in the last few years. For a club like us, that's where we should be."  

‘I felt we played much better in the second half, we always knew coming here it was going to be difficult. I think it was just that one mistake in the first half. Against a big team like Chelsea, if you make a mistake like that, you usually get punished and that was the case today.  

Dwight McNeill came on as a substitute in the 63rd minute and had a chance to equalise near the end of the game, but his low shot from close range was saved brilliantly by Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.  

"It was a difficult chance because I didn't see it until the very end," said the winger. "For me the ball wasn't high enough to have the power I wanted, but I think we have to improve. In the final third, to create more chances and be more aggressive in front of goal."  

Dwight McNeill has been out since December with a knee injury and did not return until early April, with Saturday's game being his fourth appearance since his return. The winger has been impressive off the bench, assisting Everton's winning goal against Nottingham Forest two weeks ago and nearly scoring the equaliser against Chelsea.  

Dwight McNeill said: "I hope to get back to the form at the beginning of the season. It is a bit frustrating to be out for four months. For me, this is the first time I have suffered a serious injury. It is really hard not to participate, but I am glad that I am back now. I just want to get healthy, get sharper, and try my best to get back to the state before the injury."  

"I always try my best to contribute to the team. As I said before, my goal is to help the team achieve better results and lead the team to more victories in the standings. Because this is not only the team's dream, but also our common mission. I hope to contribute to the realization of this dream."