Everton take on David Moyes’s old team for the first time since his return to Goodison Park, as we move one step closer to the end of an era with this Saturday afternoon Premier League mid-table clash.
After Everton, it’s West Ham where Moyes has spent the longest time in his managerial career, albeit in two spells since 2017, until he left last Summer. West Ham have already sacked his successor, Julen Lopetegui, but they still languish in mid-table under Graham Potter, sitting below Everton on goal difference. They were defeated 1-0 by Newcastle United earlier this week.
Meanwhile, Moyes has gone almost to the top of the form table in the Premier League as he looks to extend The Toffees’ unbeaten run to a remarkable 9 games at the expense of his bubble-blowing alumni.
But he must go into this match still handicapped by the absence of key players — some of whom have yet to play for him, like Dwight McNeil, who has now been out for 3 months with a knee injury. Illiman Ndiaye was thought to be getting closer to a return; Moyes said: “Iliman is doing much better. He’s not running yet, but he’s certainly improving from his injury” — but he won’t be playing again until next month.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Orel Mangala are both the victims of long-term injuries, while Armando Broja may be closer to a return this weekend, having featured in photos of full training with the rest of the squad.
Moyes said: “Broja is in and around it. It’s a bit like Youssef [Chermiti] and Seamus [Coleman], who have had another 5 or 6 days of training, whereas Broja is just back in amongst it. He’s just getting closer but hopefully we’ll be able to get him on the bench for tomorrow’s game.”
However, Moyes has at least turned a corner with this tsunami of injuries: there were no young players just making up the number on the subs bench last weekend against Wolves.
Not that Moyes was ever likely to even consider them while he still believed Everton’s place in next season’s Premier League remained in any doubt. Hopefully that view may change this weekend — as long as the likes of Bowen, Soucek and Kudus don’t do us the damage we know they are capable of!
West Ham will be without Michail Antonio after his car crash in January. Niclas Fullkrug is also out with a persistent hamstring injury. And Vladimir Coufal is a doubt for this game.
Kick-Off: 3 pm GMT, Saturday, 15 March 2025
Referee: Darren Bond.
Assistants: Dan Robathan, Marc Perry.
Fourth official: Ruebyn Ricardo.
Video Assistant Referee: Chris Kavanagh.
Assistant VAR: Scott Ledger.