Everton were written off this season before a ball was even kicked. They were coming into the new season having finished 13th last season with no major signings that suggested a push back to the top 10.
Yes you had the highly promising Hayden Hackney, some experience in Christian Norgaard and an interesting swap deal for Brennan Johnson, but no-one was coming through the door who was going to set the world alight.
The season began at home to Crystal Palace, where Everton won 2-0, before a visit to the south coast against Bournemouth the following week. Everton scored late on through James Tarkowski to earn a point in a somewhat quiet 1-1 draw.
On September 1, as the clock struck 11pm on deadline day, things looked bleak for the Toffees. Anyone who hadn’t already written them off had done so now – irrespective of their solid start.
Ndiaye was gone, Beto was gone, and there was no replacement in attack, making Thierno Barry Everton’s sole attacking option until at least January 2027.
But, despite those concerns, Everton are currently seventh in the Premier League and unbeaten in all competitions so far this campaign. They have done all of this with just 18 senior outfield players, making them one of the thinnest squads in the division.
The heartbeats of the team
One guarantee with Everton is that the core spine very rarely changes. Jordan Pickford has been almost always reliable between the sticks since he arrived in 2017, but that’s not all.
James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite have formed a solid defensive partnership in front of Pickford, while James Garner has proved to be the glue in midfield since signing from Nottingham Forest four seasons ago.
No matter the landscape at Everton, these players, among others, are ones you know what you are going to get from them. They aren’t world beaters or players who get you off your seat, but they put in a shift week in, week out.
A few weeks ago, when question marks and concern surrounded Everton in the way that it did, all eyes turned to these kinds of profiles.
Yet, what’s been most impressive from David Moyes’ side is that other names have stepped up almost out of nowhere. One player, in particular, is 19-year-old Harrison Armstrong.
Harrison Armstrong’s impact
Armstrong has run 60.4 kilometres so far this season in the Premier League, more than any other player. His work rate has seen him cover over 12 kilometres per match.
He has also made the most sprints in the team (72) and created the most big chances (two). When things looked like they were heading south, Armstrong stayed north and worked harder than anybody else on the pitch to ensure his club didn’t feel the full effects of their difficult summer window.
The Englishman joined Everton’s academy when he was five years old and steadily rose through the youth ranks before making his senior Premier League debut in August 2024.
He spent the first half of last season on loan at Preston North End honing his craft, before returning to solidify his place in the Everton first team. He won the Toffees Young Player of the Season award and attracted significant transfer interest over the summer.
As fate would have it, Armstrong would stay following an outcry from the Everton fans, and thank goodness he did. The teenage midfielder has been vital in his side’s seven-game unbeaten streak, a record they have achieved for only the third time this century.
How long can this form last?
The unbeaten run cannot be expected to last forever, but it doesn’t have to. Everton have already lasted seven matches, and while the road to the end of the season is long, the road to the January window isn’t a million miles away.
There will be tougher tests ahead, and inevitably an injury to throw a spanner in the works, but if Moyes can take his team into the new year in a decent position, he will have pulled off a masterstroke.
Beyond the obvious key cogs in the 63-year-old’s squad, one of Everton’s own is stepping up in what could have easily been a crisis. In the midst of concern surrounding his boyhood club, Armstrong has served as a great example of where Moyes can look for depth if their luck does run out.
The tactics – watch below
Written by Isabelle Martin
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