James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite were absent as Everton fell to a 2-0 defeat against Arsenal on Saturday evening.
The pair of England internationals were ruled out of the trip to the Emirates Stadium due to injuries, as a stint at left-back seemed to take a toll on Branthwaite who needed a rest. It remains to be seen what injury caused Tarkowski to be missing for Everton.
When Joe Thomas of the Liverpool Echo spoke to David Moyes in search of that very information, the Glaswegian gave a strange response.
Who was your Man of the Match in what was a positive performance? 👏
The players deserved so much more… 😡
Michael Keane in action for Everton during a Premier League clash against Arsenal
Photo by Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
David Moyes bluntly deflects question about Everton absentees
Taking to X (previously known as Twitter) to share his experience, Thomas said he “asked David Moyes about the absences of Jarrad Branthwaite and James Tarkowski, and at what point it became clear they would not be available” following the defeat in north London.
The 62-year-old then replied “I have nothing to say about them” and refused to elaborate.
Asked David Moyes about the absences of Jarrad Branthwaite and James Tarkowski, and at what point it became clear they would not be available.
Response to both questions: "I have nothing to say about them."
— Joe Thomas (@joe_thomas18) March 14, 2026
View Tweet
It led some Everton fans to comment that Moyes was acting “strange” and “prickly” about the situation, which now adds an air of mystery about why Branthwaite and Tarkowski missed the game.
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Jake O’Brien and Michael Keane – who almost gave away a penalty – fared relatively well up against the league leaders despite the fact they hardly play in the centre of defence together.
Nevertheless, Everton fans will still hope nothing serious has happened to Tarkowski or Branthwaite, two crucial members of the backline.
Hopefully, Moyes was just in a bad mood after a narrow defeat to the Gunners, and his bluntness was not a result of something caused by the Everton duo.
David Moyes needs to put Jarrad Branthwaite back in the centre after fitness setback
Branthwaite has already admitted he would prefer to play in the centre of defence rather than at full-back, where the added physical demands of chasing opposition wingers and also supporting attacks seems to have taken a toll on the injury-prone England international.
That is partly down to Moyes needlessly fielding the Everton No.32 out wide, ignoring Vitalii Mykolenko and Adam Aznou despite the fact both are natural options at left-back.
Were Everton fortunate to get away with this one? 🫣
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 14: Kai Havertz of Arsenal is challenged by Michael Keane of Everton.
Credit: Getty Images/Justin Setterfield
Once Branthwaite recovers from this minor setback, he should exclusively be seen as a central defender and nothing else, for the sake of his career if nothing else.
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