David Moyes Targets Liverpool “Vulnerability” as Everton Boss Seeks to Improve Dreadful Anfield Record

David Moyes says his Everton side are “trying desperately to challenge the big teams” — starting this weekend in the Merseyside derby.

Everton visit Liverpool in Saturday’s early game, with five points between them after four rounds of Premier League fixtures.

Liverpool finished last season 36 points ahead of their neighbours, but Moyes believes his team is moving in the right direction.

Moyes’ dreadful record against Liverpool

Moyes has faced the Reds 44 times as a manager, winning only six, drawing 11 and losing 27.

He has never celebrated victory at Anfield, despite making 22 visits as manager of Everton, Manchester United, West Ham and Sunderland. Everton’s only triumph at Liverpool this century came under Carlo Ancelotti in 2021 — a 2-0 win played behind closed doors during the Covid pandemic. Their last derby victory at Anfield in front of supporters dates back to 1999.

Moyes admits Liverpool fixture is “incredibly difficult”

Moyes is under no illusions about the scale of the task that awaits his side at Anfield. Reflecting on his long history in the derby, he acknowledged just how tough it has been to find a way past Liverpool.

Speaking on Friday morning, Moyes told reporters: “Any big derby in any big city is always really important.

“This has always been an incredibly difficult game for me personally because we’ve always come up against a very good Liverpool team whenever it’s been and teams who have had some great players over the years and made it really hard for us.

“We have always been competitive and that will not change and we will do everything we can to get a victory.”

Liverpool “vulnerability” to exploit

Moyes knows his record at Anfield offers little encouragement, but he insists there are weaknesses in Liverpool’s game that Everton can target.

Liverpool have conceded two goals in four of their opening six matches this season. Moyes said: “Liverpool have shown at different times where they have been very good but other times when they have shown some vulnerability when they have conceded goals.

“We will have to try and take advantage of those moments as well. We played them last year at Anfield and lost to an offside goal and we want to try and run them close again and maybe this time things will go in our favour.”

The Scot also warned that his side must remain fully focused until the final whistle, acknowledging that Liverpool’s knack for late winners is no coincidence.

Liverpool beat Atletico Madrid 3-2 on Wednesday and have now scored a winning goal beyond the 82nd minute in five consecutive games in all competitions.

“The better sides tend to sort of wear you down a little bit and concentration changes,” Moyes said. “In the main we’ve shown resilience in defence so we’ll be looking to maintain that. We are all aware [of their late goals] — it was the same with Fergie at United. I see that as the same with Liverpool.”

“We want to challenge the big teams”

Moyes stressed that his ambitions extend beyond the derby itself. He has repeatedly told his players that the objective this season is to move Everton back towards competing with the league’s elite.

He said: “I’ve told the players that we want to go away from the position we have been in for the last few years, it’s been difficult for the managers, it’s been difficult for the club and the players especially.

“We want to enjoy it and we want to try and play better and win more often and we are trying desperately to challenge the big teams and we will try and do that throughout the season.”

He admitted, however, that there remains a gulf between the clubs. “I think it’s about having a realism on where the two clubs are,” Moyes added.

“I need to try and shorten the gulf between them. At the moment Liverpool are champions and probably favourites for the Champions League and we are Everton who have just come out of three or four difficult seasons so trying to bridge that gap is quite difficult to do.”

During his first stint in charge, Moyes guided Everton to finish above Liverpool three times — in the 2004/05, 2011/12 and 2012/13 seasons — but recent years have seen the Reds pull clear. The manager believes his rebuilt side are “in a much better place” and now capable of closing the gap again.

Praise for Slot and Liverpool’s rebuild

The Everton boss also acknowledged the challenge of facing a Liverpool side revitalised by Arne Slot, who succeeded Jurgen Klopp in the summer of 2024 before winning the Premier League in his first season in England.

Moyes said: “They’ve brought in a lot of really good players. Over recent years Jurgen Klopp’s teams have been fantastic and I think Arne Slot has come in and done a fantastic job for this club since he arrived.

“They’ve gone and bought some top players, so they’ve looked to improve again but I think we’ve improved as well and I want us to keep improving and getting better if we can.”

At the same time, the Scot underlined the financial gulf between the clubs — and stressed that Everton simply cannot compete in the market on the same terms.

Liverpool spent £446.5 million on new signings during a record-breaking Premier League transfer window this summer. The Reds’ most expensive purchase was the British record signing of Alexander Isak for £125m from Newcastle. By contrast, Everton spent £124m in total on new signings.

Moyes said: “You have to earn the right [to spend]. You have to win and be in the big competitions to make the money and I found at West Ham three years in Europe allowed us to spend money, so from that point of view I think Liverpool are entitled to [spend].

“I heard Arne defending himself about that — he has brought in a lot and he certainly has done. I still think that they’ve spent more on one player than we have done on a whole squad.”