How Everton are performing after 10 Premier League matches compared with last season | OneFootball

​There was much anticipation ahead of the 2025/26 season, with David Moyes gearing up for his first full campaign at Everton since departing the club 12 years ago.

​It began in the worst possible way, with a defeat to Premier League newcomers Leeds United. Frustratingly, the goal Everton conceded was the result of a VAR decision to award a penalty after a highly controversial handball claim.

​This was followed by a victory over Brighton & Hove Albion and since then, the Toffees have recorded a mixed bag of results, with consistency proving to be an issue.

?Premier League table comparison

Despite this, Everton are three points and two positions better off after 10 matches than they were at the same stage last season.

​Their goal difference of -3 should indicate there are problems which Moyes must resolve, but it is superior to their -7 figure from this point one year ago.

​However, Everton got off to a dreadful start last season and gradually progressed up the table, finally moving out of the relegation zone for the first time after five matches.

​The opposite has been true this year, with Everton sitting as high as fifth after three matches, yet dropping to 14th by the end of game week nine.

​This appears concerning at face value, as it could be an indicator that Moyes’s men are already beginning to drop off. It is, however, important to consider the quality of the opposition faced, and this has been a key cause of Everton’s recent decline in form.

​The four teams Everton have most recently faced were all positioned in the top six ahead of these fixtures. It is therefore understandable that points have been dropped.

​Even still, Everton defeated Crystal Palace, ending the FA Cup winners’ 19-match unbeaten run. Added to this, they got a point away from home against high-flying Sunderland, who are playing some excellent football, despite being new to the league.

?Everton look stronger at home

One notable reason for Everton’s improved position in the Premier League table after 10 matches is their form at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

​It has not taken long for the new ground to feel like home. Everton have claimed eight points on home soil this season, compared with five points at Goodison Park at the same stage of last season.

​Their only home defeat has come against Tottenham Hotspur, in what was a disappointing performance which saw the visitors score two goals from corner kicks.

​Things could have gone differently, as the hosts scored from a corner too, but the goal was disallowed due to Jack Grealish and Iliman Ndiaye being offside beyond the line of the goalkeeper. Moyes accepted that this was the correct decision, but there were doubts over whether the Italian goalkeeper would have made the save anyway. If the disallowed Everton equaliser had counted, the momentum may have been in their favour.

​Based on the club’s five home matches, it certainly looks like the Hill Dickinson Stadium could become a fortress.

Everton have improved in one key area - but remain at a standstill in another.

Another positive for Everton is a much-improved defence compared with their opening matches last season. They had conceded a mindblowing 17 goals at this stage in the 2024/25 campaign, but have let in seven fewer this time around.

​This comes despite an injury to Jarrad Branthwaite. Michael Keane has stepped up this season, and his partnership with James Tarkowski has generally been fine, aided by the strong goalkeeping of Jordan Pickford.

​Everton’s attack is unfortunately no better off, however, even with the signings of Jack Grealish, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, and Thierno Barry. Their current goal tally of 10 is identical to this point last season.

​Grealish got off to an electric start following his loan move from Manchester City, but he has been kept quiet recently. Dewsbury-Hall started well, too, albeit to a lesser extent, and has since dropped off in form.

​Then there is Barry, who is without a goal contribution in 10 Premier League appearances, three of which have been starts. The fact that he is the second choice to a struggling Beto indicates he is not adapting to English football the way Moyes may have anticipated.

?What does all this mean for the rest of the season?

There are positives to be taken from Everton’s opening ten Premier League matches. Their defence is more stable, their home form has improved, and the squad is better than before.

​However, there are still obvious shortcomings, and the Toffees still have the look of a team that will deliver nothing more than a mid-table finish at best.

​Moyes has a poor record against the big six teams, and early evidence suggests this is only set to continue. Outside of these matches, Everton have a fairly even spread of victories, draws, and defeats.

​There is a desperate need for a striker who will finish chances, and if this is not resolved in January, it is hard to see what the side can do to improve in attack.

​If a key player, such as Grealish or Illiman Ndiaye, gets injured, things are only going to get worse, so the mid-season transfer window could prove to be important. Ndiaye is also set to depart for the Africa Cup of Nations next month, alongside Senegal teammate Idrissa Gueye. Those two will leave big holes in the current side.

​For now, Moyes must work with the players he has to get back in form and put points on the board, and a home fixture against Fulham is a good opportunity to get back on track.