Everton

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

Everton simply must sign a recognised right-back before the window shuts. It has been a glaring problem for more than a year.

It is a weakness recognised by everyone at the club but either a prime target cannot be agreed upon or is out of reach.

Talented midfielder Merlin Rohl took on the job for the opening game against Crystal Palace, while Jake O'Brien and James Garner have also been pressed into service.

Time to finally make a decision and get one in. Maybe David Moyes will also look at adding another striker with questions still hanging over Beto and Thierno Barry.

Chelsea outcast Liam Delap is one name regularly linked with Everton.

What business do you think still needs to get done before 23:00 BST on 1 September?

Get in touch with your views here

Image source, Getty Images

Everton manager David Moyes says he would "recommend" Preston North End as a destination for young coaches "looking to go and earn their stripes".

The 63-year-old returns to familiar territory in the Carabao Cup second round on Wednesday night (20:00 BST), as the Toffees travel to a ground where he made an impact as both a player and a manager.

On replacing Gary Peters and taking up his first managerial role at Deepdale in January 1998, Moyes said: "It was a brilliant job for me. I would be recommending it to all the young coaches.

"You are better off to earning your stripes and finding a way through the leagues than being thrown in at a club where it is difficult at the start."

He also recalled some of his chats with the "legendary" Sir Tom Finney, who made 372 appearances and scored 171 goals for North End in the period between his debut in 1946 and his retirement in 1960.

"He used to come in and have a cup of tea with me on a Friday before a game in the early days," Moyes added. "He was legendary and he still is. He was the pillar of how I see Preston.

"The biggest thing I used to ask him about was him being renowned for beating players and he would say: 'Well, they would over-cover one side and I would just take them on the other side'.

"Obviously I didn't see him play, I was too young, but I've seen a few clips and he was a big thing for Preston."

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

Image source, Getty Images

I was at St James' Park on Sunday and when I regained my composure after the beautiful and poignant celebrations of the great Kevin Keegan's life, I quickly understood the devil-may-care approach that Matthias Jaissle's Newcastle United side brought to the party.

Liverpool were champions two years ago. They have spent many hundreds of millions of pounds since, on a squad which still looks threadbare, but on Sunday they were matched by a very young midfield duo delivered at a fraction of the cost.

Florian Wirtz (£116m) and Alexander Isak (£125m) were stifled by 20-year-old Lewis Miley, who cost nothing, and 18-year-old Sean Steur, who was signed for a measly initial £20m from Ajax. Putting that sort of youth up against world superstars would have been considered foolhardy until very recently, but the new coaches aren't bringing any fear with them into their new roles.

It is not just the newbies either, Everton's engine room under Davie Moyes had Premier League debutant Hayden Hackney (£24m from Middlesbrough) beside 19-year-old Harrison Armstrong, a Toffees academy graduate. They were still trusted to control the midfield and duly dispatched Crystal Palace.

This was always going to be a season of upheaval with all the managerial changes but it might be even more substantial than that. It could be the dawn of a complete shift in outlook.

Arsenal with their quality and experience might still see off the wannabe challengers in the end. Then again, weren't they riding the crest of this wave of organised chaos, utilising set-piece bedlam, as they won the title last season?

The big take: The league is always exciting but hasn't always given us enough tales of the unexpected, this season promises to be different. The newcomers appear to have a lack of fear and a love of chaos.

Pat Nevin writes weekly in the Football Extra newsletter. If you're outside the UK and would like to receive it, sign up here.

The BBC Radio Merseyside sport team takes you behind the scenes of Everton's win over Crystal Palace in a new feature for this season.

Giulia Bould, Ian Kennedy and Phil Munns talk through their views of the game, standout performers, right-back chat and more - including finding out which famous face made an appearance at the match at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday.

Bould also gives her verdict on whether Iliman Ndiaye will remain at the club this summer and, through some investigating on social media, thinks Jack Grealish could still be thinking about a return to Merseyside.

"I think if Iliman Ndiaye goes, Jack Grealish is the obvious replacement," she said.

"His bio on Instagram still has him down as an Everton player. Whether or not he just has not realised, I don't know. It could be either with Jack, who knows, but that's my thought process. But I'm not convinced Iliman Ndiaye stays."

Hit play below or listen on BBC Sounds here

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Everton and Crystal Palace.

Here are some of your comments:

Everton fans

Thomas: Hard to have any complaints, we scored two and on another day could have scored more. Solid performances across the board but I'd like to see us recruit a proper right back, then my optimism will be in full swing.

William: A nervous start but our first win which will boost our team and they look like they believe in getting the result in their new home. Onwards and upwards after a great result.

Chris: Things beginning to look ever so slightly positive. When everyone's fit the midfield options are there.

Dusty: A few lucky moments with Palace hitting the woodwork, but overall a solid performance. I have faith in Moyes and feel we can give most teams a game. A good signing or two could really boost an already great start to the season.

Harry: Great to be back and especially getting three points. Palace were unlucky not to go ahead and there were lessons to be learned for our defence! Barry will get a lot of confidence from scoring and Armstrong will get better as the season develops. All we need now is a new manager to inspire them.

Crystal Palace fans

Steve: An inability to put the ball in the back of the net continues. Palace cannot just depend upon one man - Sarr! The midfield has to chip in on a regular basis. Palace should have been two or three up in the first half.

Bob: Welcome to the Premier League Pierre Sage. It will be an uphill struggle right from the start as uncertainty around our squad continues. Sarr could also be leaving us and there's a legal battle going on about Mateta's contract. I really wish that the transfer window closes before the start of the season. As it is now there's even more chance of losing key players. At least there was a little consolation today.

Freddie: The unlucky streak at Everton continues. Another promising start, only to be punished for not taking our chances. It was encouraging to see a glimpse of what life after Glasner could look like under Sage, with some positive, attacking football. Nothing to worry about just yet, we hope!

Will: Played some nice stuff in the first half but I'm not surprised at the result in the end. With Hull and Ipswich already looking lively, and Sarr looking for a move, I have a feeling we're in for a long season.

Everton midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall says three points and a clean sheet against Crystal Palace "was the perfect" way to open the new season.

Goals from Dewsbury-Hall and Thierno Barry either side of half-time were enough to earn the Blues their earliest victory in a new campaign since Rafael Benitez guided them to a 3-1 win over Southampton in August 2021.

Hit play above to hear Dewsbury-Hall speaking to BBC Radio Merseyside's Giulia Bould, or listen on BBC Sounds here

Keifer MacDonald
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

When Thierno Barry joined Everton last summer, he arrived at a club building for a brighter future.

In the years before his arrival, the Toffees had gone through a succession of managers, all of whom had faced relegation battles.

Everton had also been hit with a points deduction for breaching the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

All of those factors meant that when David Moyes and his recruitment staff drew up plans to sign a new striker, they knew they would not have the financial muscle or pulling power to attract someone who was the finished article.

It meant that when Barry arrived on Merseyside, fresh from an 11-goal campaign in La Liga, there was an acceptance his development would take time.

But by the midway point of the season, that patience was growing thin among some supporters, with the Frenchman having scored only once in 18 Premier League appearances.

In January, however, Barry's season burst into life and, by his standards, he produced an impressive return in his debut campaign, finishing with eight goals in 38 Premier League appearances.

It was a return enhanced by the fact half of the forward's goals came after Everton's creator-in-chief, Jack Grealish, suffered a season-ending injury in January.

Barry's form peaked at the business end of the season, while some of his team-mates saw theirs dip as they pushed to help Everton secure a European place.

At the end of the campaign, Barry's eight-goal tally came from an xG of 8.1 and he recorded a shot-conversion rate of 21.1% - just shy of Erling Haaland's 21.4%.

Sarah Mulkerrins
Final Score reporter

Image source, Getty Images

There was a run last season where playing at home was tough, there was also the winless run of seven that left Everton out of the European spots at the end of the season and there was also a run of four opening day defeats in the last four years.

However, walking out with the buoyant home fans after this opening win against Crystal Palace, there was only excitement in the sunshine around Bramley Dock. New season positivity everywhere. Kiernan Dewsbury Hall had told me before the game how important a strong start was.

Once Everton weathered the early Palace threat, he was the man to get the fans off their feet in jubilation with a superb goal late in the first half. There was a little niggle to the game and some frustrations in the stands, but that melted away after the opener. The fans were nearly horizontal in relaxation after their second.

That came from Thierno Barry, who came in for criticism at his conversion rate last season. He's done well in pre-season and so the fans hope he'll be more adjusted to the Premier League this campaign. An opening day goal will certainly help. David Moyes wants more signings before the window closes, it's a long season and the challenges will be many.

But for the fans, alongside Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who was in attendance, there was nothing but smiles.

Everton manager David Moyes speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "There were bits of the first half we were good, but missed the chances on transition to score. We could have easily been a couple goals down. The goalkeeper made a worldie save. It could have gone the other way.

"Once we got the first goal it settled us, and the second one made things feel a lot easier. We managed the game well after that, contained Palace."

On the performances of Harrison Armstrong and Tyrique George: "Harrison is 19 and he is making his way. If other people were fit he might not be getting so many opportunities, but he is getting them and doing well.

"Tyrique George looked a threat from the start, hopefully he continues to do that, we want more deliveries from his as well."

Everton midfielder Hayden Hackney speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "I'm delighted with the way that went, first half we were a bit open but then we managed to put our chances away.

"We knew they [Palace] wanted to play out, we worked on pressing form the front and managed to get a goal from it."

On Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's goal: "He does that in training a lot, that's what he's got, that quality in the final third, great finish from him."

On Everton's aims this season: "Finish as high a possible, in the European spots hopefully, it's a long season and it will be difficult but I think that's the aim."

Listen to more from David Moyes on BBC Sounds

Did you know?

• Everton have won their opening Premier League game of the season for the first time since August 2021 (3-1 against Southampton), having lost their last four MD1 games without scoring before today.

• Nine of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's 12 Premier League goals have come since he signed for Everton at the start of last season. Indeed, no Toffee's player has netted more goals in the competition in that time (Beto & Thierno Barry also 9 each).

Keifer MacDonald
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

It has taken the best part of 12 months, but Everton are finally starting to feel at home at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

On the eve of the new Premier League season, Blues manager David Moyes likened his side's first season at their new, state-of-the-art home on the banks of the River Mersey, which produced only six wins from 19 Premier League games, to a room in a new house that only had the wallpaper up.

But by the end of this impressive opening-day performance, which didn't come without its frights, Moyes can surely start to feel as though wins are starting to become part of the furniture of Everton's new household.

It was far from an ideal start for Everton, who are still without a natural right-back, but the performances of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, mixed in with a couple of magnificent saves from Jordan Pickford, were enough to help them navigate a difficult first half, in which Eddie Nketiah and Jean-Philippe Mateta struck the post for Crystal Palace.

By the time the full-time whistle sounded on Merseyside, there was a feeling of both optimism and excitement about what this season could look like for Moyes' side if they are able to add one or two players to their squad before the window closes.

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 Crystal Palace's display?

Reaction and analysis to follow - and come back on Monday for a selection of your replies.

There are five games in the Premier League on Saturday as the opening weekend continues, and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Hull City v Man Utd (12:30)

• Everton v Crystal Palace - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Ipswich v Sunderland - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2

• Nottingham Forest v Leeds

• Brentford v Tottenham (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 15:00 BST unless stated.

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on your smart speaker. Just say "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play Ipswich v Sunderland" or "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play the Tottenham match", for example.

How to follow the opening Premier League weekend across the BBC

New this season: Live match updates

Fans of Premier League clubs can now get real-time scores live on their phone lock screen for every game.

Simply follow your favourite football teams on the BBC Sport app for updates throughout the 2026-27 season.

Find out more here

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Simply predict the outcome of the six fixtures we've selected from across domestic and European competitions every week.

Players can join at any time, get involved with the latest round and start building a streak.

Read more about it here

You can find the predictor in the navigation bar at the top of this page, or on this link

After the success Oliver Glasner had at Crystal Palace, new boss Pierre Sage has got some big shoes to fill.

Still, Palace have got some serious firepower and plenty of goals in their team, so I think they will be fine this season.

Goals are a bigger problem for Everton and again the key to their campaign probably rests on what manager David Moyes can get out of strikers Thierno Barry and Beto.

But I am sure Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall will chip in too because he is a wonderful footballer and, while I do see Palace scoring, I fancy Everton to edge this.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Matthew Hobbs
BBC Sport journalist

An Everton side who competed for the European places for much of last season begin this campaign against a Crystal Palace team playing their first Premier League game under manager Pierre Sage.

BBC Sport examines some of the key themes going into their meeting at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday.

Everton begin the new season with perhaps two main ambitions: a challenge for the European places that lasts until the end of the campaign and better form at home.

In 2025-26, the Toffees were in contention for Champions League football before failing to win any of their final seven matches.

Those fixtures included a last-gasp home defeat by rivals Liverpool and a chastening home loss to Sunderland - disappointing results indicative of wider struggles in their first campaign at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Everton's points-per-game tally of 1.2 at home last season was the lowest by any team to start life in a new stadium in the Premier League in the competition's history.

The need for a win in Everton's opening fixture of the new campaign is pressing for two additional reasons.

First, the Blues' past four opening matches of a Premier League season amount to a total of zero goals and zero points.

Secondly, they are at risking of failing to win in eight successive league outings for the first time in either of David Moyes' two reigns with the club.

Moyes broke his summer-long silence earlier this week to declare that Everton "need to do more" in the transfer market before it closes at the end of this month.

The Toffees have officially signed five players, although midfielder Merlin Rohl and winger Tyrique George were on loan at the club last season, while the departures of Seamus Coleman and Idrissa Gueye have deprived Everton of more than 600 Premier League appearances' worth of experience.

One piece of business done so far was a swap with Saturday's visitors, with wingers Brennan Johnson moving to Merseyside and Dwight McNeil heading to south London.

It means that both players could make their debuts against their former club in a match between two sides who prefer to play without the ball.

Excluding the relegated teams, Everton ranked lowest (43.5%) and the Eagles third lowest (45.5%) for average possession last season, meaning a cagey contest could be expected.

Palace will be playing their first Premier League game with Sage at the helm following the departure of Oliver Glasner.

While the former Lens boss has big shoes to fill following Palace's triumphs in the FA Cup and Conference League under Glasner over the past two seasons, immediate priorities may involve rectifying a recurrent weakness.

Palace conceded 20 set-piece goals (excluding penalties) in the Premier League in 2025-26 – the joint most of any team – while conceding from set-pieces accounted for 39% of all goals that Palace let in last season, the highest ratio of any side.

Sage is attempting to become just the third Palace manager to win his opening game in the Premier League, but his tenure begins with something of a bogey fixture.

The Eagles have won just one of the last 23 Premier League meetings with Everton (D10, L12), a 3-1 home victory in December 2021. They have not won away from home against the Toffees in more than a decade.

Millie Sian
BBC Sport journalist

Everton boss David Moyes has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League season-opener against Crystal Palace at Hill Dickinson Stadium (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• It is going to be a "difficult opening period" for Everton on the injury front. Christian Norgaard isn't fit yet, James Garner is still recovering from a hernia operation and Tim Iroegbunam will be absent for at least one game with an adductor strain.

• However, Moyes feels "ready" to take on his 28th year in football management. He explained: "It is always a privilege to be the manager of any Premier League club, but my longest periods have been with Everton. We had a terrific year after I took over, so let's go again."

• CEO Angus Kinnear telling BBC Radio Merseyside that The Friedkin Group felt missing out on Europe last season was a failure came as a "surprise". Moyes added: "I was hugely disappointed I didn't make it, I've got to say. It took me a long time to get over it this summer. I'm surprised they were disappointed, though, because there was never a time anybody told me I had to make European football."

• On making a strong start to the 2026-27 season: "It is hugely important. We started last season with no great ambition that we could really get into Europe but, after the first three or four games, I was sitting here talking about us having the chance to get there. It was a good feeling to talk the positive game because we did run it really close."

• New Crystal Palace manager Pierre Sage plays a "very similar system" to his predecessor Oliver Glasner, just "with a few tweaks", so Everton should largely know what to expect on Saturday.

• James Tarkowski "didn't have much competition" for succeeding Seamus Coleman as club captain. However, the centre-back has plenty of competition for a starting XI spot this season.

• On whether Everton will sign a right-back before the transfer window closes: "I'm not the only manager looking for a right-back. It sounds as if you would find right-backs to the penny, but it isn't the case when you're looking. We have identified quite a few right-backs and put in bids, so we are right in there. We are working hard to try to get one."

• The current bids have "all gone by the wayside for different reasons", including injury concerns, point-blank rejections and inadequate offers. Moyes added: "Maybe the players we already have are doing a better job than the ones we think we could buy as well. We are trying to do the right thing. We are limited in funds, so we are looking at the levels of players and deciding if they are going to be better than what we already have."

• Jake O'Brien, Nathan Patterson, Merlin Rohl and James Garner have all "done well" at right-back during pre-season.

• On whether he expects more incomings: "Yes, I do. Whether it will happen or not is a different thing, but I do expect more."

• He doesn't want people "expecting too much too soon" from summer signing Hayden Hackney, though. The defensive midfielder has "all the right attributes" to be successful, but right now it is about "developing him".

Hit play above to hear more from Moyes or listen on BBC Sounds here

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences

Got a question about Everton? Get in touch here and we'll seek answers from our experts

Everton fan James Costello says he has been impressed by Tyler Dibling in pre-season but says the winger needs to show better performances during the campaign.

He told BBC Radio Merseyside: "He never showed anything that really proved his £40m business last season albeit yes, he wasn't really given a lot of chances. He was given a sort of chance in the December period when Ndiaye had gone off to Afcon, played a few games around the Christmas period but never really showed the sort of skills that he showed at Southampton."

Dibling only played for 513 minutes for Everton in all competitions during the 2025-26 season.

Costello added: "He has impressed me in the pre-season so far. He looks like a different player. Last season he just looked scared to attack and now he looks a bit more invigorated. He's had his first real pre-season and embedded himself into the team because you know, he signed like halfway through the August transfer window last season so I think this is his real chance to step up.

"Will he start? It's up in the air. I think Tyrique George has probably done a bit more in pre-season to warrant that. Obviously Brennan Johnson is a right midfielder as it stands. If he gets a chance he has to take it. There's no second chances this season for Dibling otherwise we could be seeing a loan move or even a transfer away to be honest because he is still so young but we've not seen any flashes that have really made that transfer really work so far."

Listen to the full chat above or on BBC Sounds