Everton have emerged as leading contenders to sign Middlesbrough's 23-year-old English midfielder Hayden Hackney this summer. (Teamtalk), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column
Image source, Getty ImagesFormer Everton goalkeeper Sander Westerveld says David Moyes has changed the fortunes of the club "almost by himself".
Despite a late defeat in Sunday's Merseyside derby, the Toffees are set to hit the 50-point mark for the first time since 2020-21 under Carlo Ancelotti and are still very much in the mix for European qualification.
"You talk about managers of the season and of course Regis Le Bris at Sunderland has done a fantastic job or Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola are up there if they win the league," Westerveld told BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast.
"But, I think David Moyes is definitely one of the coaches of the season.
"If you look at the last few seasons for Everton - battling relegation - and then Moyes comes back in and it's just like he ended last time. In his first spell he was always battling for European football with strong squads.
"Almost by himself he has changed this team around. If they had won yesterday they would be genuine contenders for the Champions League. They are still up there, it's still only a couple of points.
"He has done an amazing job and they are a totally different team to what they were at the beginning of the season."
Everton midfielder Dwight McNeil has claimed responsibility for Liverpool's first goal in the Merseyside derby on Sunday.
The Reds defeated Everton 2-1 at Hill Dickinson Stadium, courtesy of a last-minute winner from Virgil van Dijk, and McNeil says his error leading to Mohamed Salah's opener made it more difficult for his side to secure a victory.
"I thought we were the better team - a last-minute goal and my moment in giving the ball away [in the build-up to Salah's strike], and that's what happens at this level against Liverpool – they punish you," McNeil told BBC Radio Merseyside after the match.
"I know that was my fault leading to the goal which makes it's harder to get back into the game. We grew back into it and got the equaliser and I thought we going to go on and win it, but it was just that final moment.
"We know how good they are as a team, they won the league last year, so for us to be competing with them shows the big way we've come along in the last few years. It was disappointing the way we lost it but there's still plenty more points to play for.
"As a group, we've still got massive games to come. We wanted to get the win here but now we've got to look forward because there's a massive end to the season."
Listen to more from McNeil on BBC Sounds here or by clicking play on the clip above
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We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Everton and Liverpool.
Everton fans
Paul: Disappointed with the result, but proud of the performance and I felt we deserved more. Credit to David Moyes as he was obviously going for the win whereas in previous seasons he was too conservative. If we had more class up front, then we would have got what we deserved.
Ron: No quality on our subs bench, Thierno Barry was particularly poor. Hope Jarrad Branthwaite's injury is not serious. We lack intensity when we really should be pushing the opposition. A chance lost.
Alex: Everton should be proud of that performance. We are a totally different side to the one that has struggled season after season. Without VAR to disallow Iliman Ndiaye's goal, we would've been 1-0 up. It could've been very different. However, we never looked like scoring when Beto went off injured. The subs were totally ineffective. Barry is not a Premier League-quality striker. Overall, we didn't deserve to lose the match on the balance of play.
Timothy: Everton played well for 85 minutes, but they ran out of steam. The Toffees need to work on defending corners and crosses - a Jordan Pickford weakness.
Liverpool fans
Chris: Great performance and a great result. I just want to give a shout-out to Curtis Jones, who played at full-back and he was awesome. He tried to push Liverpool forward from that position. Throughout the game he was always looking for a forward pass.
Philip: Adequate, but nothing more. We rode our luck at times and at the business end we remain too lethargic. We have a lot of work ahead of us for the 2026-27 campaign.
Wayne: They got the three points and on balance Liverpool were the better team. Today has shown we can't let Andy Robertson walk away. He is still the best left-back we have!
Keith: Thought after early Everton energy Liverpool largely controlled the game. After Florian Wirtz went off, we lost a bit of that, but unlike a lot of this season we stayed strong. The last-minute winner was as sweet as honey. That should secure us Champions League football next season, but major questions remain as to why we have struggled so much this year.
Pundits Wayne Rooney and Danny Murphy join host Mark Chapman to bring you the action and talking points from Sunday's Premier League fixtures.
And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:
Aadam Patel
Football reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesFrom the moment the team buses were welcomed in through clouds of blue smoke as Everton fans lined the streets, there was a sense of excitement about this one as Everton sensed that Liverpool were there for the taking.
Everton manager David Moyes named an unchanged side and his team were far more energetic in the early stages but were guilty of wastefulness, with Beto in particular spurning a massive opportunity when he was through on goal.
The noise inside the stadium was quite something when Iliman Ndiaye scored, but the decision to disallow the goal for offside deflated the players and the fans and Liverpool showed their quality when Mohamed Salah finished clinically.
Moyes' side deserve credit for finding a way back into the game, with Beto causing Liverpool problems all afternoon until he was forced off with concussion in the 73rd minute.
But yet again Everton were on the wrong end of a stoppage-time winner from Liverpool and that will sting massively.
Moyes has won only four of his 41 Premier League games against Liverpool.
His points-per-game rate of 0.54 is the lowest against any team in his managerial career in the competition.
Everton still have a chance of securing European football for next season and look set to hit the 50-point mark for the first time since 2020-21 under Carlo Ancelotti, but this defeat will hurt more than most.
Result against Liverpool wasn't a true reflection of the game - Moyes
Everton manager David Moyes speaking to Sky Sports: "I thought the players played great today, they didn't get the result they deserved. We deserved more from it than we did. They did a great job. Disappointed with the last goal but in the main the players did a brilliant job.
On the disallowed goal: "The game was quite chaotic. In that period, it looked like a good goal for me but we trust the people that they got it right. We're not here to make any excuses, we should have got more, we didn't."
On Jarrad Branthwaite's injury: "It doesn't look great, it caused problems because we had already made a couple of subs so we were down to our last one. Jarrad was head and shoulders above anyone else on the pitch, I thought he played so well."
On losing to Liverpool: "There's no shame in how we performed today, we're playing against one of the teams in the league who expect to be challenging for Champions League and trophies. I think we gave them a good run for their money. I want this team to always be competitive. They didn't have it their own way."
Did you know?
Everton's David Moyes has won just four of his 41 Premier League games against Liverpool (D10 L27). His points-per-game rate of 0.54 against the Reds is his lowest against any opponent in his managerial career in the competition.
Beto has scored in three (or more) consecutive Premier League appearances for just the second time, after a run of four in a row in February 2025 - which also included a goal at home to Liverpool.
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Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.
Have your say on Everton's performance
What did you make of Liverpool's display?
Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies
David Moyes names an unchanged Everton side from the team that drew 2-2 at Brentford last weekend.
Everton XI: Pickford; O'Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Gueye, Garner, Dewsbury-Hall; McNeil, Ndiaye, Beto
Subs: Travers, Patterson, Keane, Barry, George, Dibling, Alcaraz, Rohl, Iroegbunam.
For Liverpool, Arne Slot makes four changes from their defeat to Paris St-Germain with Andy Robertson, Curtis Jones, Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo all coming in.
Liverpool XI: Mamardashvili; Szoboszlai, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Jones; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Isak
Subs: Woodman, Pesci, Kerkez, Mac Allister, Chiesa, Frimpong, Nyoni, Ngumoha.
I actually thought Liverpool did OK against Paris St-Germain in midweek and had a period where they took the game to them, even if they did not get the result they needed.
Now this season is all about finishing in the top five for Arne Slot, but Everton are a good side and, if they win this, they can reel Liverpool in.
An Everton win was actually my first thought here, but I've changed my mind. I'm going to sit on the fence instead.
Sutton's prediction: 1-1
There are four games in the Premier League on Sunday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.
Aston Villa v Sunderland
Everton v Liverpool
Nottingham Forest v Burnley
Man City v Arsenal (16:30 BST)
Kick-off times 14:00 BST unless stated
Follow all of the action and reaction to the early games here and the late match here
You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Everton v Liverpool" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Man City v Arsenal", for instance.
Find out more about how to listen to Premier League football on BBC Sounds
The first Merseyside derby to be played at Hill Dickinson Stadium, this Sunday (14:00 BST), sees these old rivals closer to each other in the league table than many would have predicted at this stage of the season. BBC Sport looks at the key themes around the fixture.
Beto hits run of goalscoring form
Everton's recent record against Liverpool may be poor but on paper this appears to be an excellent chance to notch up a rare win over their cross-city rivals. The Toffees are full of confidence and lie just five points behind the Reds, who sit in a Champions League spot, as they look to secure European football for the first time since the 2017-18 campaign.
But getting three points off Liverpool is a task that they have found incredibly hard of late. Everton won six of their first 15 Premier League meetings between 1992 and 1999, but since the turn of the century they have managed a paltry six victories in their subsequent 52 top-flight derbies.
Only once in the last 13 seasons have the Blues been within five points of Liverpool after 32 matches of a campaign.
If they do manage to secure the bragging rights it will mark the first time David Moyes' side have won three successive matches at their new home.
They have been indebted of late to the goals of much-maligned striker Beto. Only Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes (seven) has been involved in more top-flight goals since the end of February than the Guinea-Bissau striker's five, with four goals and one assist.
He puts his upturn in form down to hard work. "I know people in my position would have given up," he says. "Me? Even if I go to the last game of the season and I only have one goal to my name, I will still be there, putting in everything I have to make it right."
Reds seeking end-of-season boost
Liverpool's final chance of silverware this season was extinguished on Tuesday as they tamely bowed out of the Champions League to a Paris Saint-Germain side who proved to be a class apart over both legs.
It was their 17th defeat of a disappointing season and further heaped pressure on boss Arne Slot. He was left fuming that they were on the wrong end of a VAR call, which he feels has been a regular theme throughout the campaign. "I'm not surprised," Slot said after their 64th-minute spot-kick was overturned on review. "So many decisions have gone against us this season."
To further compound their frustrations, top scorer Hugo Ekitike has been ruled out for the season with a serious Achilles injury. Slot must now pick his players up and focus on securing Champions League football.
With this being their first match at Hill Dickinson Stadium, the Reds have the chance to become the first team to win at 60 different Premier League grounds having managed to do so at 59 of the 61 they have played at so far. For quiz fans, Kenilworth Road and Bloomfield Road are the ones they have still to conquer.
Image source, Getty ImagesFormer Everton striker Wayne Rooney believes his old club are in better form than Merseyside rivals Liverpool and should go into Sunday's derby with "a bit of arrogance about them".
It is Liverpool's first trip to the Toffees' new Hill Dickinson Stadium and David Moyes' side could close the gap to Arne Slot's in fifth to just two points with a win.
Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show, the former Everton player said: "Derby week's always horrible for Evertonians. Maybe not this one because Everton are in decent form, but it's not nice.
"Everton have done well. I think I half-expected them to be better with Moyesy [David Moyes] and they've done well this season. And Liverpool haven't done so well and are struggling a bit. This is one where Everton have to have a bit of arrogance about them.
"I think Everton over the last few months have been the better team and the new stadium, the atmosphere's been great, so go in there with a bit of belief that you can win."
MMA fighter and Liverpool fan Paddy Pimblett was a guest on the podcast and said: "Moyes just does something for Everton. I don't know what it is, he just does something."
On what Moyes brings to the club, Rooney said: "He's not over-complicated. Sometimes in football, you can over-complicate it. Probably in fighting as well, you can think about it too much rather than doing your job that's right there in front of you, and that's what he's done."
Watch The Wayne Rooney Show on BBC iPlayer or listen on BBC Sounds
Huzaifah Khan
BBC Sport journalist
Everton boss David Moyes has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Liverpool at the Hill Dickinson Stadium (kick-off 14:00 BST).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
On the latest team news, Moyes confirmed Charly Alcaraz is back and his squad are nearly close to full fitness apart from Jack Grealish, who is still sidelined.
On whether winning on Sunday and catching Liverpool is on his mind, he said his focus is on catching "whoever is above us" and they have to "try and fend off" those behind them.
He added: "I think the biggest thing for me that we're six games to go and we have something to play for here."
Reflecting on the changing ambitions of the club, he said: "Over recent years, it's been the wrong thing we've been playing for, but this year we're getting a bit closer to where you'd hope we'd be in. I'm hoping we can keep it going and keep that dream alive. Let's see what happens."
On Beto's improving form, Moyes said: "I'm fortunate I get to see him all year and I've seen good signs all year. Maybe when it came down to the actions on the pitch, he just couldn't reproduce. The biggest thing I keep telling people is his effort to work is as big as anybody and his attitude to try and improve is so good."
Reacting to reports that talks to extend his contract beyond next season have started, he responded that it is "not important" for him and his focus is on Everton competing high up in the league every season.
On how different this season's Merseyside derby at the new stadium will be compared to last season's dramatic 2-2 draw at Goodison Park, Moyes said: "It was amazing the last game at Goodison and it was a privilege that I was in that position to take the team. A bit sad to leave Goodison because it was so important to me, my family, everybody over many years. But leaving it in a good way was pleasing."
He added: "We're in the Hill Dicky now and we're enjoying it."
Listen to full match commentary of Everton v Liverpool on BBC Radio 5 Live at 14:00 BST
Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news
Got a question about Everton? Get in touch here and we'll seek answers from our experts
English defender Matt Targett, 30, who is on loan at Middlesbrough from Newcastle, is on the radar of Everton and Leeds. (Teamtalk), external
Marseille hold a strong interest in Morocco left-back Adam Aznou, 19, who is yet to make a Premier League appearance for Everton. (Teamtalk, external)
Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column
Image source, Getty ImagesEverton fan Lee, from Falcon Blues TV, says he believes "head over heart" that the Toffees will win Sunday's Merseyside derby against Liverpool.
Just five points separate the two sides this season after a disappointing campaign from the Reds and a better than expected one under David Moyes for Everton.
Arne Slot's side make the short trip off the back of being knocked out of the Champions League, which ended any hopes of them finishing this season with silverware.
"If you are asking for sympathy from a Liverpool perspective then you are looking at the wrong person," Lee told BBC Radio Merseyside., external "I think they have been spoiled in terms of success and they have had some great times - certainly in my lifetime.
"If this is Liverpool's version of struggling, then I'd liked to have seen them in our shoes for the last three, four, five years which have been a nightmare!
"But you have to be realistic [for the derby] and, yes, I'm an Everton fan and I want us to win and I am confident that we have a really good chance of winning on Sunday.
"I'm not naive and I know that Liverpool still have the better players and the better squad, so they should come to the Hill Dickinson Stadium as favourites. But I really fancy Everton at the weekend.
"Momentum is massive and I do think it will count for something that it's the first [derby] at the stadium. Liverpool love nothing more than upsetting the apple cart and they can - at times - find a way, but for the first time in a long time, I am leaning towards an Everton win.
"I think this is head over heart, and usually it's heart over head, I expect Everton to win."
Image source, Getty ImagesMerseyside derbies are always huge occasions across both sides of Stanley Park, but this weekend's instalment has enhanced significance for Everton and their unexpected quest for European football.
Rarely has a derby so deep into a season had such importance for the Toffees at the right end of the Premier League table.
Depending on results elsewhere, an Everton win could move them into the top six of the Premier League - and to within two points of their city neighbours.
The Toffees have not finished above Liverpool since the 2012-13 season - the last campaign of David Moyes' first spell in charge - but the prospect of them doing so again is as much about their success as about the Reds' struggles.
The statistics bear that out.
A victory for Moyes' side would see them hit the 50-point mark in a Premier League season for the first time since 2020-21 under Carlo Ancelotti (59).
After an inconsistent start at their new Hill Dickinson Stadium, with their impressive away form the foundation for their league position, they are starting to feel at home at a pivotal stage of the season - and just before they welcome their arch-rivals to their new home for the first time.
Everton have won their last two home Premier League matches and are looking to win three in a row at the Hill Dickinson Stadium for the first time in what is their 17th game there. It took them 18 matches to win three in a row at Goodison Park.
The goals are flowing now too. The Toffees have scored 10 in their last five games and Beto has found his scoring touch at just the right moment.
The 28-year-old had become a figure of ridicule in a first half of the season in which he scored just once in his opening 19 appearances.
But now Beto has been involved in five goals in his last five Premier League appearances (four goals, one assist), with only Bruno Fernandes (seven) involved in more since the start of this run on 28 February.
No player has scored more goals in that time - although Brentford's Igor Thiago has scored the same number as the Everton striker.
Liverpool are interested in Everton forward Iliman Ndiaye, 26, as they seek to bolster their attacking options for next season. (Teamtalk, external)
Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column
Mike Richards
Fan writer
Image source, Getty ImagesSeason ticket prices for the 2026-27 campaign were released late last week, external and it is fair to say the feathers of many Evertonians have been ruffled.
With an average of a £45 increase for adults - up to a maximum of £85 - you can well understand why many fans feel a sense of disappointment at the latest price rises. This has been compounded further by a reduction in the number of seats in the Family Stand, meaning if those impacted want to keep the same seat, they will have a near £300 increase.
It is important to highlight that prices for under-11s have been frozen, which offers an element of protection for our younger fan base.
With the volatile nature of the global landscape - with seemingly ever increasing prices for everyone - the reaction from those dissenting voices is entirely understandable. The Everton Fan Advisory Board have also issued a statement, external to express their disappointment, with the club conversing with them regularly since October.
There is an acceptance by others that the increases were somewhat inevitable. A new stadium, grand ambitions and a need to increase revenue comes at a price. We want to be in a position to compete in the transfer market and any extra revenue can help us achieve that.
The big question is whether an extra couple of million pounds could have been made up elsewhere.
Speaking directly to the club, it confirmed that Everton is still a loss-making business, with a need to increase both commercial and matchday revenue to work towards becoming sustainable - very much in line with the second stage of the owner's strategy. The club also pointed out that it remains 12th in terms of average season ticket prices across all clubs in the league.
Price increases are always a balancing act. Personally I expected a rise and deep down knew the reasons. It equates to approximately £3 per game for me and I am fortunate enough to be able to renew. It does not stop me having empathy for those who are not.
Find more from Mike Richards at Unholy Trinity, external
Image source, Getty ImagesTwo Premier League heavyweights are set to face each other this weekend at Etihad Stadium, as Manchester City host Arsenal.
Both teams go into the fixture with different targets. For Mikel Arteta's side, it is about extending their lead at the top of the table. For Pep Guardiola's side, it is about closing the gap and keeping themselves in the title race.
It is a fixture being labelled a title decider by some, so we want to know who you want to win this Sunday's match.
Will you be cheering on the Citizens or getting behind the Gunners?
