Moyes: Everton ‘too big’ to look down instead of up

Everton are “too big a club” to fight relegation, says David Moyes.

The Toffees barely held on in 2022-23, a year after securing Premier League status with just one game to spare under Frank Lampard.

Points deductions led to a pressurized 2023-24 campaign, although Sean Dyche steered Everton out of danger, and his replacement Moyes, who took over during his second spell in charge in January 2025, then secured a 13th-place finish last season.

Moyes began the season, which is Everton’s first at their new home at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, suggesting that European qualification was a potential target, and with 13 games remaining his team sit in eighth place, just two points behind sixth-placed Liverpool.

Before hosting Bournemouth on Tuesday, Moyes said: “This club should never have been in that position. They are too big and too strong a club.”

“We should be talking about the other end of the league. Now I think we have to continue growing and get away from the feeling of being a club in last place.

“I would prefer to talk about European places and not relegation places. Probably the history of the club lately has been about relegation places.

“At the moment, we have a long way to go, but if you stick with the teams above us, you never know.”

Everton were regulars in Europe during Moyes’ first spell in charge between 2002 and 2013, although the Toffees have played continental football just twice since the Scot left for Manchester United.

They reached the last 16 of the Europa League in 2014-15, but failed to advance beyond the group stage in 2017-18.

With Jack Grealish expected to miss the rest of the season due to injury, a player crucial to Everton’s hopes of finishing the campaign on a high note is Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.

The midfielder, who joined from Chelsea in the summer, scored Everton’s equalizer against Fulham on Saturday, before setting up the winner when Bernd Leno deflected his corner.

Only Grealish (eight) surpasses Dewsbury-Hall’s seven league goals for Everton this season.

“Absolutely [he’s reached my expectations]”Moyes said of Dewsbury-Hall. “He said he would score goals for me, so we’re certainly not disappointed in him. We are very, very happy with it.

“It was a big mistake for us in December and January. I hope he keeps doing it. I think he still has a little bit to do to get to where he was.” [before the injury]. But he has recovered well and is doing well.”

The last time against Bournemouth… @JackGrealish #EVEBOU pic.twitter.com/ycuYAvD0ea

—Everton (@Everton) February 9, 2026

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Everton – Thierno Barry

Barry has scored three goals in his last five Premier League home games for Everton, and had not scored in seven before that.

The striker last scored in consecutive home league games in May 2024 for FC Basel at St Jakob-Park.

Bournemouth – Rayan

Bournemouth’s new signing Rayan scored the equalizer against Aston Villa on Saturday.

Rayan is the sixth different South American player to score or assist in each of his first two Premier League games, and is the youngest to do so.

MATCH PREDICTION: EVERTON WIN

Bournemouth are seeking consecutive away wins in the Premier League for the first time since February 2025, while they last had consecutive away clean sheets in December 2023.

Following their 1-0 victory at the Vitality Stadium in December, Everton are looking to complete the league double against Bournemouth for the first time.

Bournemouth have lost six of their eight away league games against Everton, although they came back from 2-0 down to win this exact match 3-2 last season. They also won the last FA Cup match at Goodison Park, beating the Toffees 2-0 in February last year.

Everton have won both of their Premier League games on Tuesdays this season, including a 1-0 victory at Bournemouth in December.

The last time they won three consecutive Tuesday games was between March 2014 and December 2016, while the last time they did so was in the same season in 1992-93.

Everton’s away form has been excellent, but they have picked up just eight points from their last eight Premier League home games (W2 D2 L4), as many as they picked up in their first four games this season at the Hill Dickinson Stadium (W2 D2).

OPTA CHANCE OF WINNING

Everton – 43.3%

Tie – 26.7%

Bournemouth – 30%