David Moyes is hoping Everton can keep the club’s Champions League dream alive with a derby win over Liverpool this weekend.
The Toffees host Liverpool in the first-ever Merseyside derby at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday. A fixture of eternal importance takes on added significance this weekend, with the teams direct rivals in the race for Europe. Liverpool currently occupy 5th place in the Premier League table, the final guaranteed Champions League position.
Eighth-placed Everton can close the gap on Arne Slot’s side to just two points with a victory in the inaugural derby at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Moyes said this season’s challenge for European football is ‘a bit closer’ to where he wants the club to be long-term.
"All we can do is try and catch whoever is above us,” Moyes said at his pre-match press conference.
"I think Brentford are the ones above us at the moment, so we have to try and attempt to get whoever we can. But probably more important is to make sure we don't let anybody catch us because if we stay in a strong position, then we'll give ourselves a chance of getting something regarding Europe, maybe not, but we have to try and make sure we fend off all the other teams as well.
"I think that's the biggest thing for me, that we're six games to go and that we have something to play for here.
"Over recent years, it's been the wrong thing we've been playing for, but this year we're getting a bit closer to getting closer to where you'd hope we'd be in. I'm hoping we can keep it going and keep that dream alive. Let's see what happens."
The visitors arrive at Hill Dickinson Stadium in poor form. Liverpool have lost four of their last five games and have suffered 17 defeats in all competitions. Moyes said he has paid little attention to the struggles of Arne Slot’s side with his full focus on improving his team.
“I don't watch Liverpool's results really,” he said.
"I don't really take a lot to do with it. I look after Everton. My job is to see that we try and do as well as we can.
"We had a good point at Brentford, considering where they are and they're in a similar position to us. I can only focus on us and we can keep it going."
Reader Comments (17)
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2 Posted 17/04/2026 at 18:14:17
Wtf.
3 Posted 17/04/2026 at 18:15:15
That helps in stopping the teams below us catching us.
4 Posted 17/04/2026 at 18:34:53
5 Posted 17/04/2026 at 20:17:01
He will have identified the "Dark Sides" weaknesses, and have a cunning plan to delivery a victory !
6 Posted 17/04/2026 at 00:11:12
Twat them, twat them gooooood.
7 Posted 18/04/2026 at 02:09:30
COYB, let's beat them!!
8 Posted 18/04/2026 at 14:52:52
Anyone who thinks it's gonna be easy because they aren't playing that well are deluded. They will be right up for it.
They hate us as much as we hate them... in fact, they hate us more.
I would take a draw now but, as I said, I would love to beat the horrible fuckers and wipe the smug grin off their faces. COYBs
9 Posted 18/04/2026 at 20:12:26
I don't care how good or bad we play so long as we win. A last-minute scrawny own-goal deflection off Virgil's arse in the 6th minute of 4 minutes of added time will do me fine.
3 points and I think we qualify for some kind of European competition -- who'd have thought that last January?
10 Posted 18/04/2026 at 20:43:47
Unfortunately it doesn't. In 1970, before we went crap, we were virtually level in derby wins. Now, we are over 40 behind.
11 Posted 19/04/2026 at 08:21:45
I've been saying that for years, it's a myth that's been peddled by people who don't know what they're talking about.
Let's be fair, they're our bogey side -- and don't we know it? I'm not looking forward to it and never do.
12 Posted 19/04/2026 at 10:01:21
Respect them... but, whilst you are giving them respect, let them know that you don't fear them and if they want to beat you, then they better be prepared to put every single one of their collective bodies on the line.
When Everton play in front of 49,000 fierce, expectant Evertonians, then all the players have got to do is work harder than their opponents and the fans will hopefully do the rest. COYBB💙
13 Posted 19/04/2026 at 10:17:08
If you spin a coin and it drops in tails 10 times on the run, the chances of it dropping on tails the 11th time is still 50-50.
History has nothing at all to do with today.
14 Posted 19/04/2026 at 10:41:41
No mistakes please, play well and get a positive result to begin the era of success.
15 Posted 19/04/2026 at 11:52:08
I'm going to visit my mum in her nursing home at 1 pm. I can't watch the game.
16 Posted 19/04/2026 at 12:09:27
You're right mate, but it's just that I've seen so much heartache over the decades from these, I never feel confident.
They're definitely nothing special, that's for sure, and I just hope as I'm laid up in my bed after the op that the boys can make me feel 💯 better by 4 o'clock, I might even celebrate with a glass of wine.
I'm worse if I'm not there, when I was at Goodison or Anfield id be quite calm. Not now I'm shitting meself.
17 Posted 19/04/2026 at 12:12:53
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1 Posted 17/04/2026 at 18:02:37
We will rarely have a better opportunity to batter the Redshite but it is very much Moyes style to be cautious and to dampen over enthusiasm.
I do enjoy the fact that he highlights his disinterest in Redshite results and is somewhat dismissive towards them. So let's let forward to Sunday and to a proper performance. Words, ultimately, don't matter. Results do.