Everton are fifth in the Premier League and still unbeaten after five games, yet David Moyes is in no mood to talk about Europe. Thierno Barry’s 11th-minute goal gave the Toffees a 1-0 home win over Ipswich Town, a second victory of the campaign to go with three draws, and lifted them to nine points.
Asked whether he had challenged his players to earn European qualification this season, Moyes was blunt. “Not [saying] in front of you people [the media], that’s for sure, because we’re still preparing ourselves and make sure we can do the best we can,” he said, adding simply: “We are not using those words this year.”
The caution is easy to understand. A 3-0 win over Chelsea in March had left Moyes’ side eighth, three points off what would have been a Champions League place, and supporters were dreaming of a first European campaign since 2017-18. It did not happen. Everton failed to win any of their final seven games, finishing 13th – four points behind Brighton, who qualified for the Conference League, and five behind Sunderland, who joined Bournemouth and Crystal Palace in the Europa League.
“I enjoyed saying the words last year,” Moyes said of those European ambitions. “If you think of what we had done, been relegation material when we came in January [2025], got out and won the games, 12/13 new players had to come in… But the players had done so well, I started to believe that we had a real chance, and it allowed me to be like that.”
When Moyes returned for a second spell in charge in January 2025, Everton were 16th, one point clear of the relegation zone. He has since had to manage rising expectations and was quick to defend the club’s progress. “I heard a lot of things [said] that last year was not so good and I thought ‘my goodness, I don’t know what the people are talking or writing about because it’s absolute baloney’,” he said. “It was fantastic what we did and we came so close to doing something that would have been incredibly special after no money, being on the verge of relegation, moving to a new stadium – and it has never been an easy job for anyone moving to a new stadium – so we came really close.”
Everton’s start has been built on a solid defence. Moyes’ side have kept five clean sheets in seven matches overall, and their league record includes away draws at Tottenham and Bournemouth. They have also won two Carabao Cup ties, setting up a home last-16 meeting with Newcastle in October. Everton are one of only five clubs still unbeaten in the Premier League.
Even so, Moyes sees plenty of room for improvement. “We’ve statistically been making more chances and we had 21 shots [against Ipswich], which is very good, but only two on target which isn’t very good,” he said. “The players get huge credit to get to this point, unbeaten in five games. It’s really good, but I’m expecting them to do this. If we’re thinking ‘we’re doing a great job because we’ve gone a few games’, no, the manager expects that. I’m actually more disappointed that we aren’t scoring more goals. I’m rapping them like you wouldn’t believe – why are we not getting better crosses into the box, better finishes, shooting from the edge of the box, not scoring more? That’s the only thing we’re missing from being a half-decent side.”
Those goals have to come from a thin forward line. Barry is the only recognised striker at the club after Beto moved to Fiorentina on transfer deadline day, with key attacking midfielder Iliman Ndiaye joining Manchester City on the same day. The 23-year-old Barry, who scored a hat-trick in the 4-0 Carabao Cup win at Preston and has two Premier League goals this season, found the net eight times last season. Former England midfielder and BBC pundit Danny Murphy believes the squad’s balance makes up for the lack of striking cover. “Nothing surprises me with a David Moyes side,” he said. “They’re so well organised, so well motivated and always dangerous when their backs are against the wall. There’s been a lot of discontent among the fanbase regarding the owners and a transfer policy that left themselves short in forward areas. But the rest of the side is so well balanced, they all know their jobs, they know what they’re doing and that backline with the keeper behind it is really solid. It is a thin squad, but they’ve still got quality.”
Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford saw the Ipswich win as a fitting way to close this block of fixtures, with the international break meaning Everton are not in league action again until 11 October, when they face Hull City. “You have to dig in, that’s the Everton way,” he said. “We are building momentum and we will be focused and ready to go when we come back. It was a great way to finish the week off.” On Barry, he added: “He works hard and the goals will come from working hard. The first year in the Premier League is always tough. He has found his feet and he has started a lot better this year.”