Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images
Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images
Amid a Premier League season that has already brought a lot of drama, Everton have quietly executed a solid and stable start to the 2026/27 campaign.
Sitting comfortably in seventh place with nine points from five Premier League matches, the Blues look competitive, which has been refreshing to see given how the club finished last season and also factoring in transfer deadline day.
David Moyes’ side are already proving a tough nut to crack and Evertonians are hopeful that even though the situation is far from ideal, another push for European football will be possible.
After seven games, there has been a lot to digest, and here are some of the biggest takeaways from Everton’s unbeaten start to 2026/27.
Moyes has restored defensive bedrock
If there is one thing Moyes guarantees, it is a structure that refuses to beat itself.
Through five league matches so far, the Toffees have conceded just three goals, keeping clean sheets against Crystal Palace, Tottenham Hotspur and Ipswich Town. That sees Jordan Pickford sit joint-top in the race for the Golden Glove.
But these clean sheets are not just down to the goalkeeper. The solidity of centre-backs James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite has given Pickford some welcome protection, with Vitalii Mykolenko having also raised his level significantly from last season.
Thierno Barry is rising to the occasion
After the sale of Beto and failure to bring in Folarin Balogun on transfer deadline day, Thierno Barry became hugely important for Everton – and so far this term he is delivering.
Barry has already notched two league goals so far, and also hit a very morale-boosting hat-trick against Preston North End in the Carabao Cup.
That haul of five goals already means he is only three behind his whole tally from last season.
It has been clear to see that Barry’s hold-up play has improved greatly, and his imposing aerial dominance has put him in some very promising goalscoring positions.
That all said, Barry has also spurned a number of big chances, which serves as a reminder that he is by no means the finished article. The goal now is for him to become clinical, but no one can deny that he’s done well so far. It will be absolutely crucial for Everton to keep him fit.
Branthwaite brilliant for Everton as vultures start to circle
Everton’s unbeaten run on the pitch has been impressive, and inevitably there has already been transfer talk about Jarrad Branthwaite, who has arguably been Everton’s standout performer. Manchester United have been linked and so have Liverpool.
Everton would like to hope there is zero chance that Branthwaite leaves the club any time soon. Supposedly, the club have placed an £80 million valuation on him which they hope will prove prohibitive to potential suitors.
While a sale would likely provide major financial relief under strict Squad Cost Ratio rules, Everton losing their brick wall mid-season is a risk that could really derail Everton, given the amazing attributes he brings to the table.
Youth is finally getting a chance at Everton
Plenty of Everton fans were left grumbling towards the back end of last season as Moyes showed unwavering faith in the more experienced players of the group.
For many, the issue was that these more senior players simply weren’t performing, and that the manager was showing blind loyalty to them.
Meanwhile, youngsters like Tyler Dibling, Adam Aznou and Harrison Armstrong – who had initially got chances after returning from his loan spell at Preston – didn’t get a look in.
This term, it is a different story.
Tyrique George has started four of Everton’s five Premier League games, and come off the bench in both Carabao Cup matches. As was the case last season during his loan, he has been a real livewire, and it’s clear that his unpredictability and direct way of playing are going to be a real asset for Everton. The goal against Manchester United, his first for the club, was nothing short of exceptional.
Harrison Armstrong, who was lined up to be sold just before the transfer deadline, before a fan intervention forced a U-turn, has also featured heavily. And Tyler Dibling gave his best performance for Everton against Wolves in the Carabao Cup, before following that up with another exciting cameo against Ipswich.
Everton’s squad size is perhaps forcing Moyes’ hand a little this season when it comes to fielding the youngsters, but it’s been good to see nonetheless.
Friedkin frustration is taking a back seat, but it’ll be back
With Everton having started the new campaign well, The Friedkin Group have rather managed to get themselves out of the crosshairs.
The owners have come in for heavy criticism from fans, following reports after deadline day that they were looking for new investment into the club. It was also claimed they are not in it for the long haul at Everton, and there were also suggestions that AS Roma – the other club they have owned since 2020 – are their real darlings.
But Everton’s form will eventually dip. It is inevitable given the size of the squad and the quality of teams in this league. The Friedkins are partly responsible for the state of the squad as it is and fans will no doubt be targeting them again when things start to go south.
For now, though, huge credit must go to Moyes and the players, who have made this start in spite of TFG’s poor decision-making and lack of ambition and visibility.