Everton

Josh Lobley
BBC Sport Journalist

Everton boss David Moyes has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game at Crystal Palace (kick-off 17:30 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Moyes says Iliman Ndiaye will "certainly be out for a few weeks" after he picked up an injury against Liverpool: "He has got a medial ligament injury - it's not looking great at the moment. We are probably not sure how long it will be."

• He says the mood has been high in the dressing room after Wednesday: "We took a point from the game but not three. But we are also realistic that we got something from a game that was difficult to get anything at all. That made it a little bit more special and it has given us a good feeling."

• Moyes gave an assessment of his first month back in the Everton dugout: "I cannot praise the players enough for what they've done. We are trying to make things better and a lot of them have done it. We need to try to keep building."

• On Beto's goalscoring form: "Strikers need a little bit of time to settle in and they live off their goals. If Beto is judging himself off goals then I would say he's doing great. He has started very well for us and I hope he keeps it up."

• When asked if there is any plans to integrate any academy players into the first team, Moyes said: "Leighton Baines has been keeping me up to date. We're seeing bits of them in training and if I think it's needed then they'll play. We hope the ones we've got can step up."

• He denied the rumours that Harrison Armstrong may be recalled from his loan at Derby County.

• Moyes said Abdoulaye Doucoure is "doing fine" after the racial abuse he has received since the Merseyside derby: "I was disappointed [that he got sent off] but it doesn't mean people are allowed to abuse you."

Listen to BBC Radio 5 Live commentary of Crystal Palace v Everton at 17:30 on Saturday

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Crystal Palace have won just one of their past 20 Premier League games against Everton, beating them 3-1 at Selhurst Park in December 2021.

David Moyes has lost all three of his managerial meetings with Oliver Glasner - twice against Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2021-22 Europa League and once against Crystal Palace in the Premier League last season while in charge at West Ham.

Only three managers have won each of their first four games against David Moyes: Claudio Ranieri won his first six, while Alex Ferguson and Manuel Pellegrini won their first four.

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BBC Sport pundit and former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha has been answering your questions on your club.

Finley asked: As you were a defender, who was the most difficult attacking player you've played against and why did you find them hard to contain?

Nedum replied: If I am going off someone I played against several times, it would have to be Wayne Rooney.

Before we both made our professional debuts, I remember seeing him play for Everton in the Youth Cup. They said there was this kid that was supposed to be unbelievable and is only about 16 years old.

The Youth Cup was for under-18s, yet I watched him bully City's 18 year olds that day.

I must have been about 15 at the time and I remember thinking that was interesting. Fast forward a few months and he was scoring that goal against Arsenal.

As a player, he had so much drive, passion and technical ability but he also had the desire to be involved in the game as well. Whenever you played against him, it was very rare he would have a quiet day because if he was quiet in front of goal, he would still have an active day in how he was pressing and going into one-on-one battles.

Rooney was a strong runner, he had an eye for a pass and was just super aggressive as well. So if he hadn't scored against you then you would know he had had a different level of impact within his team.

Plus, when he finished his career, he was England and Manchester United's top goalscorer, which are two pretty impressive accolades in the history of football.

Nedum Onuoha was speaking to BBC Sport's Katie Stafford

Mike Richards
Fan writer

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Blood and thunder. A throwback. A proper Merseyside derby, with the most fitting of endings.

The fireworks began on Goodison Road a couple of hours before kick-off as the Everton coach arrived at the ground and continued throughout a moody evening that had it all.

It was pure theatre.

If you could have scripted it, it would not have been written much better.

Faces coated in blue powder littered the stands. Braveheart-inspired Evertonians prepared for the extended battle that was to come.

Considering the gap between the two sides in the table, it certainly was not evident on the pitch.

Everton played with a belief and an edge. A squad riddled with injuries, including losing our most creative player Iliman Ndiaye early on, it would have been easy for the manager to inflict a more pragmatic attitude onto the players. This Everton side appear to be different.

There was time a time for digging in. There was a time for football. Whatever was needed, it was on show in abundance.

It was almost poetic that it ended the way it did.

James Tarkowski had a difficult game against Bournemouth only a few days earlier. It was almost written in the stars that he would artistically – and brutally – write his own redemption song.

He will never catch a ball that perfectly ever again.

Cue pandemonium.

Fans on the pitch. Players in the crowd. The corner flag raised in triumph and blue smoke rising into the night sky. Pure, unadulterated joy.

Not even a prolonged VAR check was going to ruin this final chapter.

Full time scraps and post-match red cards just about summed it all up.

Goodison Park. Our Colosseum. Our home and always in our hearts.

There is nowhere quite like it.

Find more from Mike Richards at Unholy Trinity, external

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

Everton's late showing in the last Merseyside derby at Goodison Park was further evidence of the quick progression made under David Moyes since he returned to the club.

Before he took charge on 11 January, the Toffees were just a point above the relegation zone, while only bottom club Southampton had won fewer games (one) and scored fewer goals (12) than them (three wins, 15 goals).

Fast forward a month and 10 points from their past four Premier League games sees Everton 10 points clear of the drop zone in 15th place.

While the team as a whole has so far benefitted from the former boss' return, some players in particular are really starting to find their feet under the Scotsman.

One of those is striker Beto.

Having struggled not only for goals but also for minutes under Sean Dyche, the 27-year-old has already spent more time on the pitch in the league this season (262) across four games under Moyes than he had in his previous 12 (221).

With three league goals, including the opener against Liverpool on Wednesday, Beto has also already trebled what he had under Dyche in this campaign. This improvement has seen him bring his minutes per goal down from 221 to 87.

Having averaged the worst shot quality (0.08 xG per shot) in the league this season under Dyche, Everton had improved the quality of their chances before the Merseyside derby to 0.15 Expected Goals (xG) per shot.

With better chances being created, it is giving forwards like Beto more opportunities to get shots on goal.

His seven total shots under Moyes is second among his team-mates. Under Dyche he had just the 11 and was eighth in the team rankings.

The Guinea-Bissau international is also converting more of these chances with his shot conversion rate sky-rocketing from just nine percent up to 43%.

Even just being in the box more can help strikers take chances. It might not be spectacular, but it can help a player and the team stack up the number of times the ball is being put in the back of the net and this is another area where Beto has shown improvement.

He is joint-third among Everton players for touches in the opposition box under Moyes with 13 - one off Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Abdoulaye Doucoure - and just five short of the 18 he had under ex-Burnley boss Dyche.

It is this kind of boost in form that both player and club desperately needed as the Toffees bid to make sure they begin life in their new stadium in the Premier League next season and not the Championship.

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Everton defender James Tarkowski relished providing Goodison Park with a supremely memorable moment in the final Merseyside derby at the ground - and said it also provided him with a form of personal redemption.

After a difficult day against Bournemouth in the FA Cup exit on Sunday, his stunning 98th-minute equaliser against Liverpool returned the smile to his face.

"I had a really tough weekend," said the defender. "I was really disappointed with how things went in the FA Cup and was really disappointed in myself, so to come back and score like that felt special.

"[I had] a little bit of support from team-mates and family but it is not nice when you have a tough game like I had over the weekend. You do question things a little bit but we luckily have games that come round quick, and thankfully it did in a massive occasion.

"It is all part of being a footballer - having tough moments - and part of that is bouncing back."

Tarkowski also reflected on the pandemonium after his goal and how they are now part of the fabric of Goodison Park.

"A special, special night and what a way to finish the last derby here," he said. "I had an 80-year-old man grabbing me and then a five-year-old kid pulling me to the floor. There were stewards everywhere. Chaos - but what a moment it was!

"I've had a couple of proud moments; promotions and playing for my country, but for me this is the biggest just with everything which is happening right now, leaving this iconic stadium.

"For me, it will be the biggest goal of my career."

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

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Everton looked lost and in trouble when they sacked Sean Dyche las tmonth but, in a few short weeks, David Moyes has given them fresh confidence and belief - and far more importantly, 10 points.

There was no disguising his passion on the touchline last night in the final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park, as well as the celebrations for James Tarkowski's last minute equaliser.

Moyes looks right at home in his second spell, and his previous knowledge of what Everton fans demand plays right into the atmosphere experienced last night.

James Tarkowski took the headlines and instant plaudits but did substitute Jack Harrison fly under the radar for his performance in Wednesday's drama-filled draw with Liverpool.

The winger came into the fixture for the injured Iliman Ndiaye on 25 minutes and proceeded to put a fine shift in at both ends.

Looking at post-match data from Opta, we can see Harrison had three touches in the Liverpool box and two shots inside the box - no Everton player had more.

He completed 20 of his 24 passes for a completion rate of 83.3%. Of the players who featured for a substantial spell in the game, only Tarkowski matched that rate. The likes of Ashley Young and Iliman Ndiaye had 100% completion but were brought on late on or taken off early in the fixture respectively.

Harrison also had 16 duels in the match, winning eight. Only Idrissa Gueye - who won nine - battled with more success in a blue shirt.

If that is not testament enough to his spirit, the on-loan Leeds player won three tackles and three fouls - both metrics saw him joint-top of Everton's rankings.

The left flank occupied by Harrison was key for Everton, with 50% of their play featuring in that area when we look at data for attacking thirds.

Harrison had 55 touches on the night having missed over a quarter of the fixture. His tally was third in Everton's team, with Vitaly Mykolenko (58) and Jarrad Branthwaite (61) bettering him - though both played the entire fixture.

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We asked for your views on Everton clinching a last-gasp equaliser against Liverpool in the final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.

Here are some of your comments:

Suzie: For James Tarkowski to score the equaliser, after the unjustified grief he received following the Bournemouth game, was absolutely perfect. What a captain, what a goal, and what an amazing final Goodison Park Merseyside derby! I felt exhausted watching it. I'm off to have a lie down in a dark room.

Jeff: What a way to end the last derby at Goodison Park! Tarkowski went from zero to hero. Goodison Park exploded and not even VAR could ruin the party. Onwards, Evertonians!

Andy: To all the Liverpool fans whinging about decisions going against them, welcome to our world over the last 40 years. If I listed every derby injustice Everton have suffered, I would be here all week. An amazing battling performance, with such passion from the players and fans, and losing would have been a travesty. Well done Moyes and the lads - a fitting final derby at Goodison in so many ways.

Richard: Gutsy and dogged. It was a little bit light on quality but you can really see the David Moyes effect working. Everton deserved at least a point.

Ivor: Unbelievable 'never say die' attitude! Talk about pride and commitment, we have got a brilliant mentality. Our injuries are a worry though.

Anton: What is it about Everton number sixes and last-minute volleys? No more than what we deserved. Moyes got it spot on. The players were very good and, crucially, we didn't lose Goodison's last-ever derby, even though it looked like them lot were going to steal a win with a very lucky and against-the-run-of-play goal. I think that turned out to be a fitting last-ever Goodison derby, don't you? You have to love/laugh at the full-time scenes too!