When David Moyes stepped back into the Everton dugout eleven and a half years after his initial departure, many observers were quick to dismiss the appointment as a nostalgic stunt by a club in crisis. On paper, it looked like a struggling side grasping at the past in a bid to generate a short‑term morale boost while fighting for Premier League survival. Everton were reeling financially, still reeling from a points deduction imposed less than a year and a half earlier, and they were perched just one point above the relegation zone when the Scottish manager returned to Goodison Park. Fast forward to today: the Toffees have settled into a brand‑new stadium, have set their sights on higher goals, and are gearing up for the inaugural Hill Dickinson Merseyside derby that will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.
Any talk of European qualification—or even Champions League aspirations—would have been met with laughter when Moyes first walked back through the club’s doors. Since his original exit, Everton had drifted farther away from the top‑six places that grant continental competition. Yet the simple act of reinstating the manager who led the club to its most recent appearance in Europe two decades ago appears to have ignited a belief that the Toffees can once again challenge for a spot on the continent.
It would be unfair to credit Moyes alone; he also guided West Ham to their sole European trophy, a feat that, while impressive, did not involve the same level of expectation as reviving Everton’s fortunes. A victory over arch‑rivals Liverpool on Sunday would lift Everton to just two points shy of the fifth‑place slot that guarantees a return to the Champions League. Since Moyes’s comeback, Everton have climbed to seventh in the league, sitting above traditional heavyweights such as Manchester United, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur—clubs that have either recently featured in the Champions League or currently occupy its qualification spots. Those rivals have also outspent Everton in the last two transfer windows, each committing at least £100 million—often well beyond the Toffees’ budget.
Nevertheless, Moyes has maximised the resources at his disposal, transforming a team that was once labelled a relegation candidate into a credible European contender. The catalyst for this turnaround has been an area that was previously a glaring weakness in Moyes’s résumé: his away‑game record.
Since his return, Everton have become one of the most effective road sides in the division. Only Arsenal and Manchester City have accumulated more points away from home, with Everton averaging 1.68 points per game on the road. The only other spell in Moyes’s career where his away performance eclipsed his home form was during his brief tenure at Manchester United. At clubs such as Real Sociedad, Sunderland and during both of his spells at West Ham, he rarely managed a full point per game away from his own stadium.
Because Everton have not relied on prolific scoring—Kiernan Dewsbury‑Hall’s seven goals lead the tally this season—Moyes has focused on building a defensively resilient side that is difficult to break down. This approach has yielded points in some of the league’s most intimidating venues, leaving Old Trafford, St James’ Park and Villa Park stunned by the Toffees’ composure. That resilience explains how Everton have found themselves in the race for European places seemingly out of nowhere.
However, as they approach the first Merseyside derby at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, the club’s home form becomes the next obstacle to overcome. While the road results have been exemplary, Everton have secured only six Premier League wins in front of their own fans, leaving them 14th in the home‑games table. Some analysts attribute this disparity to the teething problems that often accompany a move to a new stadium.
Moyes himself has remarked that “if you look back, all the teams that move into a new stadium— I think just about them all have struggled.” The shift from the compact, intimidating atmosphere of Goodison Park to the more open design of the new arena may have diluted the vocal pressure that once rattled visiting teams. Sound carries differently in a larger bowl, potentially reducing the psychological edge that Everton traditionally enjoyed. Statistically, Everton’s style changes markedly when they play at home. They become noticeably more direct, attempting 107 more long passes per match away from the stadium, while their possession drops to 39.7 % on the road compared with 47.6 % at Hill Dickinson.
Yet the shift is not confined to attacking patterns. At home they have netted 21 goals from an expected‑goals (xG) figure of 20.46, whereas away they have scored 19 from an xG of 22.82.
The higher xG on the road suggests they create better chances despite scoring fewer goals. Defensively, the increased possession at home appears to expose Everton to greater risk.
Although they have conceded only one more goal at the new venue than away, their expected goals conceded (xGC) is almost four goals worse at Hill Dickinson. This implies that when the team holds the ball longer, they become vulnerable to losing possession in dangerous areas, allowing opponents to capitalize on the resulting pressure. The common mantra during the season’s final stretch—that every match should be treated like a cup final—needs a slight tweak for Moyes and his squad.
Regardless of venue, they should approach each game as if it were an away fixture, focusing on compact defending, disciplined transitions and efficient use of limited possession. Applying that mindset to the upcoming derby against Liverpool could be the decisive factor. If Everton can maintain this disciplined, road‑oriented approach, there is a genuine chance that Moyes will achieve what seemed impossible at the campaign’s outset: restoring European football to the blue half of Merseyside. Fans can catch the showdown live on Sky Sports Main Event at 1 pm on Super Sunday, with the added excitement of a Super 6 competition offering a £250,000 prize for free entrants.