Everton’s great start to the season in numbers — The Moyes effect explained

Everton are beginning to look like a club reborn. After years of turbulence, relegation anxiety and managerial churn, the Blues’ form across the opening months of this campaign has offered something that has been missing for far too long at Goodison Park: measurable, sustained progress. And the numbers behind this resurgence make the story even more compelling.

Winning four of their last five matches, Everton have surged to seventh in the Premier League table on 24 points. For perspective, at this stage last season under Sean Dyche, they had collected just 15 points and were sitting eight places lower. Context matters — and right now, everything about the Toffees suggests a club finally heading in the right direction.

David Moyes’ return in January stabilised a sinking ship and steered the squad to a respectable 13th-place finish in 2024/25. After a significant summer overhaul, Everton are pushing higher still — and the belief inside the camp has been growing week by week.

“This club should be challenging for Europe or be in Europe, but people need to give us time and understand how bad it’s been. But I’m going for it, and so are the players!” — David Moyes

The Everton great start to the season in numbers is not just a catchy phrase — it’s backed by historic context. In only three of the last 18 campaigns have the Blues been higher than seventh at this stage. And they’ve exceeded 24 points after 15 matches only four times in the Premier League era.

Their latest run — four wins from five, all with clean sheets — shows a team with identity, structure and confidence. Defensively, Everton have conceded just 17 goals this season, the joint fifth-best record in the division. You have to go back 12 seasons to find another campaign where they had conceded as few at this point.

This defensive backbone is the foundation of Moyes’ revival. The Toffees aren’t flashy, but they are efficient, disciplined and difficult to break down — and historically, that has been the recipe for their best Premier League eras.

In our view, what makes this start different from previous false dawns is that Everton’s progress is rooted in repeatable behaviours. Although some supporters worry that the scoring output hasn’t exploded, the defensive foundation suggests a much stronger long-term trajectory. Clean sheets, organisation and consistency travel well across the season — unlike bursts of individual form.

Having followed Everton closely during their unstable years, this version feels more mature. Moyes has reintroduced competitive structure, emotional clarity and a clear tactical identity. The numbers are not inflated by luck; they reflect real improvement.

Here’s an important nuance: while Everton’s rise is impressive, the Premier League’s top-seven battle is ruthless. Sustaining this form will require squad freshness and creativity in difficult fixtures. But the foundation is undeniably stronger than in recent seasons.

If you want one metric that proves how far Everton have come, it’s their away record. Under Moyes’ second spell, they’ve collected 27 away points, second only to Arsenal’s 30. And with eight away wins, nobody in the league has more over that span.

Victories at Old Trafford and Bournemouth this season highlight a team capable of absorbing pressure and striking decisively — traits crucial for European contenders.

Everton travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea on Saturday 13th, a fixture that will test just how far Moyes’ side have come. A result there would strengthen the growing belief that Europe is not just a dream — but a realistic ambition.

👉 Everton fans — is this the season the club finally returns to Europe?