Everton have gone from one of the Premier League’s weakest-performing teams to one of the division’s standout performers in less than a month.
A sudden turn of fortunes coincided with the club’s decision to sack underachieving Sean Dyche and bring David Moyes back to the club.
Despite marking his touchline debut with a chastening 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa, the 61-year-old has quickly reshaped Everton’s season.
From soul-destroying to watch to a free-firing unit, the Toffees have gone a long way from a relegation scrap to eyeing a mid-table finish.
Moyes’ comeback late in his career headlined the Everton news with a polarising effect among the devastated Merseyside faithful.
Romantic reunion
The Scottish manager made a name for himself at Goodison Park during his 11-year stint before joining Manchester United on Sir Alex Ferguson’s recommendation in 2013.
Although his spell at Old Trafford didn’t go to plan, Moyes has earned a reputation as a wartime strategist, rescuing West Ham United twice across two stints between 2017 and 2024.
Now 61, Moyes took a leap of faith, opting to walk into the chaos of Goodison in the twilight of his career to help his beloved club avoid their first relegation from the top tier since the mid-1950s.
It was against all the logic, yet he followed his heart.
As it often happens, will and determination prevail in times of crisis, and Moyes’ steely-eyed belief has defied every expectation, re-establishing Everton as a legit top-flight competitor.
Sterling run
Jake O’Brien’s senior breakthrough salvaged a point for Everton in a fiercely contested 1-1 draw at Brentford last Wednesday, prompted Moyes to praise his players’ attitude after the game.
Indeed, a gutsy performance at the Gtech Community Stadium extended the Toffees’ remarkable unbeaten run in the Premier League to seven matches.
That’s Everton’s best sequence in England’s elite division since 2017, which looks phenomenal on paper, but there’s more than meets the eye.
As Forbes takes stock of the ‘secret ingredient’ behind Moyes’ success, the Toffees continue to show resilience that had been sorely missed down the final stretch of Dyche’s regime.
Suspensions and injuries have threatened to hinder Everton’s momentum, but they have come out fighting, often against superior opposition.
Relegation fears relinquished
Sitting high in the Premier League’s form charts, Moyes’ charges have steered a healthy 15 points clear of the bottom three.
They should enjoy the remainder of their campaign without the fear of relegation hanging over their heads.
A first top-half finish since 2020/21 would’ve been within striking distance had it not been for a morale-wracking 2-2 home draw against Man Utd in their last home outing.
However, an identical scoreline saw Everton hold eternal rivals Liverpool winless in the last edition of the iconic Merseyside derby at Goodison, testifying to the club’s renaissance under Moyes.
Moreover, three of the Toffees’ four league victories under the former West Ham boss came against sides positioned higher than them in the standings.
Brighton & Hove Albion, Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur fell victim to Everton’s resurgence, with one of the division’s most uneventful attacks averaging two goals per game across those triumphs.
Epic turnaround
Since losing to Villa, Everton have scored in all seven league matches, netting multiple goals on five occasions.
For comparison, they had drawn a blank in 11 of their 19 league games under Dyche.
That’s just one area of improvement Moyes has orchestrated since returning to Goodison.
Moreover, this time last year Everton had not tasted victory in nine consecutive matches.
Now, they’re one of the division’s most in-form sides.
It’s more than just a ‘new manager bounce.’ It’s a new dawn.