An overview of how the national media viewed Everton's 1-0 defeat to Leeds United
David Moyes reacts during the Premier League match between Leeds United and Everton at Elland Road. Photo by George Wood/Getty Images
David Moyes reacts during the Premier League match between Leeds United and Everton at Elland Road. Photo by George Wood/Getty Images
Everton started their Premier League campaign with a disappointing defeat to Leeds United. While victory was sealed through a late and controversial Lukas Nmecha penalty - one given when James Tarkowski was adjudged to have “leaned” into Anton Stach’s drive - the Blues struggled under the lights at Elland Road.
Different publications landed on different reasons for the frustration, which was partially inspired by injuries to key players on the eve of the season. Here is a round-up of how the media viewed the match and what it suggested about the year ahead for Everton.
Daniel Storey was scathing in the i, both of Moyes’ tactical ambition and of the performance of his players. Under the headline “Moyes's miserable football is a waste of Everton’s best talent”, he wrote: “When you risk taking nothing through your own passivity, you don’t get to expect sympathy. Does this not all represent a paucity of ambition? The conventional wisdom is that Everton will not be relegated. So what are we going through this daft annual charade for if not to try to provide some entertainment and maybe try to beat the team that has just come out of the Championship?”
Storey pointed to individual mistakes and a collective failure to mount effective attacks, but ultimately placed blame on Moyes and those above him, concluding: “We are one game into a new season. Everton supporters wanted 2025-26 to be different: new owners, new stadium, new start. The first weekend of the future began with a dismal reminder of the uninspiring past. That’s on the manager’s lack of ambition as much as the club’s.”
In the Guardian, Aaron Bower had sympathy with Everton’s frustration over the penalty decision but he too found it difficult to mount a case for the away side to deserve anything from this match.
He said: “In truth, the Everton manager could have little to complain about. His side got what they deserved, as there was no cutting edge or attacking intent on a night that felt quite underwhelming ahead of their first game at their new home on Sunday. The visitors struggled all evening, and could have been behind much earlier than when Nmecha’s winner eventually arrived.”
In the Times, Martin Hardy pondered Everton’s ambitions for the season - both what they are and what they should be. He wrote: “It was as worrying as night for Everton as it was encouraging for Leeds. They look shorn of creativity and the spirit Moyes brought back to the club last season, when he replaced Sean Dyche. It is difficult to know quite what their target will be this season, the first away from Goodison Park. Much may depend on any spark Grealish, who looked lean and fit on his first outing for his new club, can find, or serious strengthening in the closing stages of the transfer window.”
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And on the BBC, Phil McNulty reached a similar conclusion as he said the match was evidence that Everton need to do more before next month: Moyes has expressed his concerns about the lack of signings this summer and the mediocre, undercooked fare served up by Everton at Elland Road could be used as Exhibit A to support his argument.
“Everton barely mustered an attack worthy of the name and there will surely be renewed urgency to strengthen a squad which desperately needs a new right-back, a wide-right player and another defensive midfielder - just for starters.”
Finally, the ECHO also focused on concerns over the wider performance - even if this match was decided by a moment of controversy - though did provide some context for the approach and the line-up, pointing to injury misfortune suffered on the eve of the campaign.
It concluded, though: “This was a reminder of the scale of the job required across the next fortnight. Everton started this season without a specialist first-choice right back and with no senior right wing option. They may have tried hard to solve both issues but the failure to find answers has left them short as they enter what should be an historic, new era. The symbol of the new-found ambition, Jack Grealish, may have magic in his feet. He can only do so much if the team is left so vulnerable elsewhere.”