- Everton set for their penultimate home game of the season against Man City.
- The Toffees will need at least a point to keep their European aspirations alive.
- David Moyes gave his thoughts ahead of the game at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Everton face one of their toughest tests of the season as Manchester City will pay their first visit to Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday night.
The Toffees have not defeated City since 2017, and they are in need of a result to maintain their push for European football.
David Moyes is about to complete his first full season in charge of the Blues since 2013, but the Scotsman has faced criticism following back-to-back defeats.
Ahead of Monday’s crucial clash, Moyes gave his thoughts on what could be a pivotal night for his side.
‘Rubbish’ PGMOL and settling into Hill Dickinson Stadium
Everton’s boss appeared at his press conference while his side trained at Hill Dickinson Stadium, and vented his frustration with the PGMOL after another shocking referee decision in their most recent match against West Ham United.
Moyes detailed that the club had received a response from the PGMOL after complaining about the officiating at the London Stadium, but he was not satisfied with it.
He said: “It’s always rubbish you get back.
You never get anything back, and it’s never what you want to hear.”
He also added that he could not give any additional context to the response.
Moyes was also asked about Everton’s historic first season at their new ground, Hill Dickinson Stadium.
He said: “We have had a settled season without too much drama.
“We’ve laid good foundations and want to build on it.”
Adding on to his point about laying foundations, he also stated how much of a priority Europe is for next season.
“Players want to play in Europe so we’ve got to make sure that’s a possibility,” Moyes added.
“That will be a challenge, I found it difficult to attract players [last season] because of that.
“But Everton have been closer to the top end of the league this year, so from that point of view there’s a lot to be proud of.”
The transition period at Everton continues
Moyes’ comments spotlighted that Everton are nowhere near their end goal, and it is going to take multiple seasons to build a club that is a global powerhouse.
With commercial affairs expanding off the pitch, it is evident the Toffees are heading in the right direction.
But they still require more quality, and most importantly, need to secure European football to attract talent.
Some may see failure to qualify as a disappointment, but this is the Blues’ first season where they have been allowed to develop, as opposed to scraping points to avoid the drop to the Championship.
If European football is not on the cards for the 2026-27 season, it must not be forgotten that this campaign has still been one of progression and hope.
