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Steven Pienaar: 'Pressure is off me'

Pienaar: 'Pressure is off me'
© PA Photos
Steven Pienaar says that he is happy to have scored so early on in the season for Everton.

Everton midfielder Steven Pienaar believes that there is no pressure on him following his goal against Aston Villa at the weekend.

The South African scored the opener after just three minutes on Saturday as the Toffees brushed aside Aston Villa 3-1 at Villa Park. The former Ajax man is delighted to have gotten off the mark so early on in the season.

"I'm happy to break the duck so early in the season," Pienaar said. "You don't want to go too long without scoring. Hopefully I can play with a little less pressure now that the first one is out of the way.

"But it was also important to give the team a good start. That took a bit of pressure off us, and from there we silenced the crowd, which was important.

"It's enjoyable to play. The way the manager wants us to play, we can interchange positions. You saw it against Manchester United when Felli was up front and there was a lot of running off him. But people like [Steven] Naismith can come in and it is good for the team, the way he plays. We don't just play one style, which can only benefit the team."

Next up for Everton is a trip to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.

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