The Everton manager will take charge of the team's last home match of the season and then have just over a year on his current contract left to run
David Moyes ahead of the match between Everton and Liverpool at Hill Dickinson Stadium on April 19, 2026
David Moyes has led Everton to a decent first season at Hill Dickinson Stadium(Image: Gary Oakley/Everton FC/SmartFrame)
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As season-ending games go, a visit from Sunderland is, with all respect, hardly a mouth-watering prospect. That is, of course, season-ending as far as Hill Dickinson Stadium is concerned. Everton will still have a fixture at Tottenham Hotspur to fulfil.
But a strictly mid-table affair will bring the curtain down on the first Premier League campaign in the club’s riverside home. A three o’clock kick-off on a Sunday afternoon is hardly likely to enhance the occasion, it is fair to say.
Having not been to every Everton game at Hill Dickinson, it would be harsh to pass any sort of emphatic judgement on the atmosphere over the course of the season. But, by their nature, these state-of-the-art arenas tend to produce a same pattern.
When they are rocking, they are incredible. When they are not, they are soulless.
That could probably be said of any ground, the performance of the home team being the major deciding factor in the atmosphere. But it seems particularly relevant to new-builds.
Thinking back to the last home game of last season, it could be a bit subdued at Hill Dickinson on Sunday. But over the course of the season, the venue has proven itself fantastic, and the team has performed decently, even if they have won more points on the road.
So, there should be an element of celebration ahead of the match against Sunderland (what happens after the first whistle has been blown will depend on how Everton play.) A first season in a new stadium is a learning curve and that is certainly what Everton and their players have been on.
Arne Slot and David Moyes smile and shake hands
David Moyes and Arne Slot both have one more year of their contracts left to run(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
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And a finish in the top half of the table would be acceptable, worthy of mild acclamation. It would also be worthy of a contract agreement with David Moyes.
Feelings within the fanbase regarding Moyes’ future are probably not unanimous. But even in this winless run, he has lost none of his vigour and you cannot say this group of players does not give their all for him.
And when his squad has a relatively clean bill of health, he can field a team that is not far off being very, very good. The full-back and central striker areas need attention but there is a lot of quality elsewhere.
Allowing Premier League managers to go into the final year of their contracts does not seem too uncommon. Pep Guardiola, Mikel Arteta, Arne Slot, Vitor Pereira and Daniel Farke all have contracts that run only until the end of the 2026/27 season.
David Moyes thanks the supporters after the Premier League match between Brentford and Everton at the Gtech Community Stadium in Brentford. Photo by MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
David Moyes has won over the doubters who had reservations about his return to Everton
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So does Moyes, who might be happy to carry on without renegotiation. But for the way he has navigated the first season based at a new home, he deserves reward. He deserves a vote of confidence a new deal would bring.
And if the hierarchy decided it would be a nice development to announce on the weekend of the last home game of the season, it would be no bad thing.
While they wait for the benefits of the new home to start coming through, consolidating a mid-table finish will be key. And right now, Moyes is the man to take the club forward.
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