‘We are’… James Tarkowski says there’s something Everton are now the best in the Premier League at

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James Tarkowski has claimed that Everton are the ‘fittest team in the league’.

The defender’s claim comes following the Toffees’ first taste of Sean Dyche’s infamous ‘Gaffer’s Day’.

For James Tarkowski, it has been a familiar fixture in his campaign since working under Dyche at Turf Moor.

The Everton manager put the team through their first ‘Gaffer’s Day’ during pre-season – a ‘gruelling test of fitness, stamina and team spirit’, that requires a lot of running.

Tarkowski first told a story of his Burnley days where Dyche made the team run 100 metres every minute for 100 minutes. He said: “Don’t smile, don’t laugh, don’t look like you’re enjoying it.

“I remember we did a 100m every minute for 100 minutes. After about 50 or 60, Ashley Westwood was smiling, laughing, joking… and the gaffer just ramped it up because he wasn’t happy that Westy was enjoying it. But Westy was a freak, he could run all day. I was just at the end plodding along.”

It was then that he claimed that the entire Everton squad were pretty certain that they were the ‘fittest’ in the Premier League.

Speaking on Ben Foster’s ‘Fozcast’ podcast, the Toffees defender said: “It’s probably something we know between ourselves now. We think we are the fittest team in the league.

“So we know Newcastle are right up there as well, and the other night we were thinking we’re going to run all over these… and that’s what we pride ourselves on is that, no matter what in this game, we will make sure we work harder than the other team.”

How important is Gaffer’s Day?

Everton have certainly looked a lot more energetic and committed for a full 90 minutes this season, with seven of their goals in all competitions this term coming after the 80th minute.

It seems to be working miracles for the Toffees though, who just look a much better team in recent months – willing to press and push the opposition, whilst also looking almost invincible at times in defence.

It will be Everton’s fitness that helps them this weekend if they are to claim anything from Tottenham too. Spurs have back-to-back wins and will be confident they can take all three points, but the Toffees will need that stamina to push the hosts right till the full-time whistle.