Former Everton defender Michael Ball looks at the state of the Blues squad and which player he hopes will benefit from the spaces in Moyes' team
Tyler Dibling looks on during the Premier League match between Everton and Arsenal at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images
Tyler Dibling looks on during the Premier League match between Everton and Arsenal at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images
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Everton have started a tough period and how they deal with the coming weeks will be interesting to see. This last swathe of games looked difficult once the fixtures came out, with trips to the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Bournemouth around home games against Arsenal and Newcastle United.
As it happens, Everton have done well. Losing the last two has been frustrating but perhaps that shows just how far the club has come if narrow defeats to Arsenal and Chelsea are the source of such disappointment.
It has certainly been great to end those terrible winless runs at Old Trafford and the Vitality Stadium.
This next run of games is tough for a completely different reason. While there are no easy games, trips to Burnley and Nottingham Forest and home games with Brentford and Wolves represent good opportunities to pick up wins and firmly establish the Blues in the top 10.
Doing that with the squad available will not be easy though, given David Moyes is without the likes of key players Idrissa Gueye and Iliman Ndiaye due to the Africa Cup of Nations and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall through injury.
Now is the time for some of those players who have been on the periphery of the first XI to step up - they will never have a better opportunity.
At the top of my wishlist is to see more of Tyler Dibling. I was not surprised to see Dwight McNeil start on the right wing against Arsenal given their strength but I do not think he is the most natural replacement for Ndiaye.
That role has to fall to Dibling, who has a real opportunity now to integrate into the Everton set-up. It can be hard to get up to speed having not had many minutes this season but if and when his opportunity comes I hope he takes it. I want him to get on that pitch, to come out of his shell and express himself.
I want him to be dynamic, to get balls into the box and to beat his man. Get us fans off our feet.
I don’t want Everton to be too predictable - I thought Arsenal were well set up to deal with what we had at the weekend and worry that without the likes of Ndiaye and Dewsbury-Hall we seek to rely on Jack Grealish too much.
There is more to come from him, too, I think. I want us to start seeing more of the Aston Villa Grealish, for him to start playing with that arrogance and confidence that made him so exciting.
He can really get those around him ticking and I would like him to go rogue and see what happens.
Given how the full-backs on both sides are generally cautious there is less risk to going in search of the ball, so take advantage of that.
Moyes needs everyone to step up and Carlos Alcaraz and McNeil are among those who could prove useful.
This is the time of the season when Everton’s squad will be tested - it is up to those players to take their chances and give Moyes tough decisions to make when their teammates return to the squad.