Unbeaten after five games and fifth in the Premier League, Everton boss David Moyes is refusing to think of Europe after allowing himself to dream last season. "We are not using those words this year," said Moyes bluntly after a 1-0 victory at home against Ipswich Town took the Toffees to nine points. They have two wins and three draws from their first month of the campaign, a healthy start.
But the way 2025-26 ended for Everton was a painful experience for Moyes and the club's fans, and nobody will be getting ahead of themselves this time. A 3-0 win over Chelsea in March had left Moyes' side eighth, three points off what would have been a Champions League place. But just as the fans dreamed of a first European experience since 2017-18, the wheels came off with no wins in their final seven games.
Everton finished 13th, four points behind Brighton, who qualified for the Conference League, and five off Sunderland, who joined Bournemouth and Crystal Palace in the Europa League. So it is no wonder Moyes is refusing to get carried away now. Asked whether he had challenged his players to earn European qualification this season, Moyes said: "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.
"I enjoyed saying the words last year. 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." Everton's strong start, in which they have also won two Carabao Cup games to set up a home last-16 tie against Newcastle in October, had been based on a solid defence.
Moyes' side have kept five clean sheets in seven matches overall and got the three points against Ipswich thanks to an 11th-minute goal from Thierno Barry, his fifth of the season. What makes Everton's form even more impressive is the fact 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. However, Moyes felt his side, one of only five still unbeaten in the Premier League, still have plenty of work to do before he will be happy.
"We've had draws at Tottenham and Bournemouth away from home and we've done pretty well," said Moyes. "Keeping clean sheets is something to be pleased about and try to build on. "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.
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