Everton were one point clear of the Premier League relegation zone and had won only three of their previous 19 games when David Moyes was reappointed manager on January 11.
A little over a month later, however, the Merseyside club is suddenly the most in-form team in the top league.
With Saturday’s victory at Crystal Palace, Moyes now has 13 points since returning to Goodison Park, more than any other team (Arsenal has 13 as well). The Scot’s four wins in six league matches are also more than his predecessor, Sean Dyche, managed in 19 games before being dismissed.
With 13 games remaining in the 2024-25 season, Everton is 13 points ahead of the bottom three and only seven points behind the top half.
It would take an amazing combination of events for the Toffees to fall back into the relegation zone, and fans can undoubtedly begin to anticipate witnessing top-flight football at their new stadium on Bramley Moore Dock next season.
“It was a great win because for the most part we weren’t at our best,” Moyes told BBC Match of the Day following the 2-1 triumph at Selhurst Park. “I believed Crystal Palace were ahead, but happily we grabbed the three points. “Everton has had a rough era, but I firmly believe there is light at the end of tunnel.
Even the most optimistic Everton fans could not have predicted such a spectacular turnaround under Moyes, who oversaw more than 500 games during his 11-year tenure from 2002 to 2013.
Prior to his return, the Toffees had scored only 15 goals in 19 league games, the fourth-lowest total in franchise history, while their expected goals (xG) tally of 18.33 was the lowest in the division.
In just six league games under Moyes, they have already scored 12 goals, with an xG of 8.12.
That improvement is all the more impressive given a personnel crisis that left them without nine first-team players against Palace, including Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Iliman Ndiaye, and the suspended Abdoulaye Doucoure, who missed the trip to London after celebrating in front of Liverpool fans at the end of Wednesday’s thrilling Merseyside derby.
“Since the manager came in, we’ve definitely improved,” defender James Tarkowski told Sky Sports. “Winning and scoring goals restores [the conviction]. “We were low on numbers today, with all the emotions of Wednesday [but] we stuck at it and got the win.”
When asked to shed light on Everton’s recent form improvement, Moyes replied, “I don’t know if there’s a secret. Sometimes in football, you are given opportunities and must seize them.
“There is a much stronger bond between the supporters and the players. This is unquestionably a club that thrives on its support. “Hopefully we’re getting them all back on side again.”
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