Harrison Armstrong on the left, David Moyes central and Hayden Hackney on the right ahead of Hill Dickinson
Harrison Armstrong on the left, David Moyes central and Hayden Hackney on the right ahead of Hill Dickinson
The Toffees earned a second victory over Newcastle in a matter of days on Monday, beating the Magpies 1-0 at St. James' Park in the Premier League.
It followed a 3-1 over Mathias Jaissle's side at Hill Dickinson in the Carabao Cup last Thursday, where Hackney started, scored and assisted.
But Armstrong was given the nod in midfield at St. James' Park, with Hackney only featuring for mere minutes at the end of the game.
The summer signing has wowed Evertonians since coming to L3, with many impressed by his willingness to move the Blues up the field.
However, there may still be one reason why Moyes keeps starting Armstrong over him for Everton.
Harrison Armstrong reveal proves where Hayden Hackney needs to improve
Everton were simply outstanding at St. James' Park, arguably putting in their best performance of the season.
Moyes got the game plan spot on, but would people have said the same thing had the Toffees lost?
Well, probably not, as Hackney's absence from the starting eleven was a key talking point before the game.
However, as highlighted on X by BBC Sport's Matt Jones, Armstrong is currently ranked second for distance covered in the Premier League this season, with 105.3km.
Only Brighton's Pascal Gross is ahead of the 19-year-old, who has started nine times in the Premier League for the Toffees this season.
Harrison Armstrong is second for distance covered in the Premier League this season, with 105.3km. Only Pascal Gross (107.4km) has more.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is eighth on the list with 101.1km #EFC
— Matt Jones (@MattJFootball) November 3, 2026
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is eighth, with 101.1km, but that won't surprise any Everton fans; he's a workhorse.
However, Moyes has already been vocal about Hackney's off-the-ball work, suggesting that the 24-year-old needs to improve in this key area.
It looks like this might be the reason why Armstrong and James Garner are currently the preferred midfield duo at Everton.
What Hackney has said about patience under David Moyes
There are arguably not many better players for Hackney to be kept out of a side than Armstrong, who is a homegrown talent.
Former Everton goalkeeper Asmir Begovic once called the teenager a "special" talent, and has known of his ability for a while, as per the Sunderland Echo
Moyes has already told Hackney that he will have to be patient, so what does the ex-Middlesbrough man think of that?
The midfielder has said: "I want to play; every footballer wants to play the games. I understand where he [Moyes] is coming from."
It's clear that Hackney wants to play games, but competition between him and Armstrong is surely only a good thing for Everton.