There was much anticipation ahead of the 2025-26 season, with David Moyes gearing up for his first full campaign at Everton since departing the club 12 years ago.
It began in the worst possible way, with a defeat to Premier League newcomers Leeds United. Frustratingly, the goal Everton conceded was the result of a VAR decision to award a penalty after a highly controversial handball claim.
This was followed by a victory over Brighton & Hove Albion and since then, the Toffees have recorded a mixed bag of results, with consistency proving to be an issue.
Premier League table comparison
Despite this, Everton are three points and two positions better off after 10 matches than they were at the same stage last season.
Their goal difference of 3 should indicate there are problems which Moyes must resolve, but it is superior to their –7 figure from this point 1 year ago.
However, Everton got off to a dreadful start last season and gradually progressed up the table, finally moving out of the relegation zone for the first time after five matches.
The opposite has been true this season, with Everton sitting as high as 5th after three matches, yet dropping to 14th by the end of game Matchweek 9.
This appears concerning at face value, as it could be an indicator that Moyes’s men are already beginning to drop off. It is, however, important to consider the quality of the opposition faced, and this has been a key cause of Everton’s recent decline in form.
The four teams Everton have most recently faced were all positioned in the top six ahead of these fixtures. It is therefore understandable that points have been dropped.
Even still, Everton defeated Crystal Palace, ending the FA Cup winners’ 19-match unbeaten run. Added to this, they got a point away from home against high-flying Sunderland, who are playing some excellent football, despite being new to the Premier League.
Everton look stronger at home
One notable reason for Everton’s improved position in the Premier League table after 10 matches is their form at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
It has not taken long for the new ground to feel like home. Everton have claimed eight points on home soil this season, compared with five points at Goodison Park at the same stage of last season.
Their only home defeat has come against Tottenham Hotspur, in what was a disappointing performance which saw the visitors score two goals from corner kicks.
Things could have gone differently, as the hosts scored from a corner too, but the goal was disallowed due to Jack Grealish and Iliman Ndiaye being offside beyond the line of the goalkeeper. Moyes accepted that this was the correct decision, but there were doubts over whether the Italian goalkeeper would have made the save anyway. If the disallowed Everton equaliser had counted, the momentum may have been in their favour.
Based on the club’s five home matches, it certainly looks like the Hill Dickinson Stadium could become a fortress.
Everton have improved in one key area – but remain at a standstill in another
Another positive for Everton is a much-improved defence compared with their opening matches last season. They had conceded a mindblowing 17 goals at this stage in the 2024-25 campaign, but have let in seven fewer this time around.
This comes despite an injury to Jarrad Branthwaite. Michael Keane has stepped up this season, and his partnership with James Tarkowski has generally been fine, aided by the strong goalkeeping of Jordan Pickford.
Everton’s attack is unfortunately no better off, however, even with the signings of Jack Grealish, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, and Thierno Barry. Their current goal tally of 10 is identical to this point last season.
Grealish got off to an electric start following his loan move from Manchester City, but he has been kept quiet recently. Dewsbury-Hall started well, too, albeit to a lesser extent, and has since dropped off in form.
Then there is Barry, who is without a goal contribution in 10 Premier League appearances, three of which have been starts. The fact that he is the second choice to a struggling Beto indicates he is not adapting to English football the way Moyes may have anticipated.
What does all this mean for the rest of the season?
There are positives to be taken from Everton’s opening 10 Premier League matches. Their defence is more stable, their home form has improved, and the squad is better than before.
However, there are still obvious shortcomings, and the Toffees still have the look of a team that will deliver nothing more than a mid-table finish at best.
Moyes has a poor record against the big six teams, and early evidence suggests this is only set to continue. Outside of these matches, Everton have a fairly even spread of victories, draws, and defeats.
There is a desperate need for a striker who will finish chances, and if this is not resolved in January, it is hard to see what the side can do to improve in attack.
If a key player, such as Grealish or Illiman Ndiaye, gets injured, things are only going to get worse, so the mid-season transfer window could prove to be important. Ndiaye is also set to depart for the African Cup of Nations next month, alongside Senegal teammate Idrissa Gana Gueye. Those two will leave big holes in the current side.
For now, Moyes must work with the players he has to get back in form and put points on the board, and a home fixture against Fulham is a good opportunity to get back on track.
Reader Comments (12)
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2 Posted 07/11/2025 at 18:31:44
3 Posted 07/11/2025 at 19:01:15
Just 2 wins out of 5 is nowhere near acceptable, especially as we haven't yet had any of the ‘biggest' teams visit. Even West Ham got a point in the middle of an appalling run of form.
This article is so much fluff without much meaningful comparison. For example, we used to have a poster who would compare the points from equivalent fixtures in the previous season, not just the number of games so far. So have we had better, worse or similar results against the teams we've actually played?
4 Posted 08/11/2025 at 08:48:55
Beto tries hard but is hapless while Barry will need time if he is to adapt.
5 Posted 08/11/2025 at 09:33:46
At least we've got 28 games left
8 Posted 08/11/2025 at 10:34:50
With B&B leading the attack, that may now be a bit optimistic, but we have much better players than last season. Let's hope Moyes uses them.
9 Posted 08/11/2025 at 10:50:46
10 Posted 08/11/2025 at 17:46:28
Far better to compare our results in the first 10 games against the same fixtures as last season.
Answer to that question is: We were 2 points better and had scored 1 more and conceded the same.
And being a complete nerd, anorak, saddo, and any other associated term, I also track each club's results against the same fixture last year.
So far, Arsenal are +9 and Liverpool -3, Man City +8 and Bournemouth +9. Adding that to the remaining 28 results from last season gives Arsenal the title by 2 points.
Wolves currently 12 points down and Sunderland up 12. Yeah, I know. 18th = 1st, 19th = 2nd, 20th = Playoff winners.
Leeds only 1 point better than Leicester.
We would finish 13th, the same as last season.
But today we gained 2 points, 1 goal and conceded 1 less. Happy days. 52 points. And come on, Man City. You lost this match last season.
11 Posted 09/11/2025 at 09:26:49
Besides, every team is probably +1 or +2 on last season simply because the Bottom 3 were so unusually poor.
12 Posted 09/11/2025 at 20:40:03
When we get past the four teams with younger managers we should be appointing, according to many, that occupy the four places directly above us, which we will. Maybe people will stop talking shite.
We are a work in progress. But we're only 4 points off a Champions League spot.
13 Posted 10/11/2025 at 09:20:18
Leicester the best of the relegated so replaced by the best of the promoted - Champions Leeds
Southampton the worst of the relegated so replaced by the worst of the promoted - Play off winning Sunderland.
That leaves Burnley to replace Ipswich results.
Far better methodology, I believe, than getting more points in 1st 10 games than last season when last season those teams all finished in the top 10 and this season were against teams who probably will finish in the bottom 10. Yeah that is not the case but it written to show why I do not like that methodology.
US sports have a number of tie-breaks for the ranking of teams and one of those is strength of schedule - you are more favoured in the tie break wins etc if you have played better teams than the one you are equal too on the other tie-break criteria. My methodology is effectively strength of schedule as we go though the season.
And after 11 games it is showing that Leeds and Burnley are not performing much better than Leicester and Ipswich did last season and also Wolves are 12 points down on last season so given Sunderland being 13 points up on Southamptuon they are likely to stay up and there we have the 3 teams to be relegated. West Ham are only 1 point worse than last season so far.
And after this weekend - We have taken 1 more point compared to last season that United have gained. City now on 82, Arsenal 81 and 3 points further back are our neighbours.
14 Posted 10/11/2025 at 09:35:18
I prefer to think that, while an individual match doesn't always give you what you deserve, performances tend to turn to results in the long term.
I think we're playing much better than the first half of last season. I don't think it's even close. There are positions that we have upgraded and there is some youth in the squad.
We haven't become brilliant in one window so it's hard to see the progress but it's there.
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1 Posted 07/11/2025 at 17:07:15