Everton manager Roberto Martinez has expressed his belief that his side's final three games of the season are the worst they could have possibly faced.

The Toffees kept their hopes of a Champions League place alive with a 2-0 victory over Manchester United at Goodison Park this afternoon, a result that keeps them one point behind Arsenal in the race for fourth.

However, the Merseyside outfit face the trickier run-in on paper, with a home game against title-chasing Manchester City sandwiched between trips to Southampton and FA Cup finalists Hull City.

"We have another nine points to fight for. We play Manchester City, Southampton, and Hull a week before the cup final. You couldn't pick a worse three games," Martinez told reporters.

Everton have already amassed their highest number of points in a Premier League season, with today's victory taking their tally up to 69.