Teenager Jack Rodwell insists a Europa League revenge victory over Benfica on Thursday will kickstart Everton's season after six matches without a victory.

That run includes a 5-0 hammering by the Portuguese giants in Lisbon, plus a Carling Cup exit at Spurs.

Saturday's home draw with Aston Villa, and winger Diniyar Bilyaletdinov's red card which means a three-match domestic ban, did nothing to lift the gloom at Goodison Park.

But Rodwell, 18, said: "We feel good about the performance against Villa but not about the result.

"It is playing on our minds that we need a win and the perfect time to get that is on Thursday at Goodison.

"The defeat over in Portugal was difficult to take. In the first 45 minutes we were as good, if not better than Benfica, but in the second half we were not at the races and our heads dropped.

"Now they have got to come to our ground and we have to show Benfica what a good side we are.

"We owe Benfica one and we owe it to ourselves. Hopefully on Thursday we can turn it around."