Everton vs West Ham: Talking Points

West Ham game offers Everton the chance to bounce back

After a promising start to the 2025/26 season, things have gone a little pear-shaped for Everton over the last week or so. 

The Merseyside derby defeat at Anfield on Saturday was a bitter pill to swallow, particularly as Liverpool were not at their best in the second half.

The Reds ultimately secured a narrow 2-1 victory to maintain their unbeaten start to the campaign and leave Everton wondering what might have been.

David Moyes’ side had the chance to put that result behind them in the League Cup on Tuesday, but exited the competition after a 2-0 defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Read on as we look at the implications of the result at Molineux, before highlighting why the upcoming league game against West Ham United is a chance to get back on track.

Everton miss the opportunity to make progress

Many Everton fans felt Moyes threw away the chance to make progress in the League Cup by making seven changes to his starting XI.

While that argument undoubtedly has merit given that Wolves have been poor this season, it is important to look at the bigger picture.

The game presented an opportunity for Moyes to hand a first start to Tyler Dibling, and allowed other players to get some game time under the belts.

Unfortunately, the players did not capitalise on the chance they were given, which gives Moyes plenty of food for thought over the next few weeks.

While a defeat in the Merseyside derby might have been expected, exiting the League Cup is a blow especially given what Everton did away at the Molineux a few weeks go. However, Everton can now focus on their league campaign, starting with the home game against West Ham on Monday.

The Hammers have endured a miserable start to the new campaign, and could struggle to match Everton’s best starting XI.

Moyes will be eager to make a statement against his former club and it would a significant setback if his team fails to pick up three points at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Grealish can be the catalyst for a positive result

While most of Everton’s summer transfers have yet to prove their worth, loanee Jack Grealish has hit the ground running since joining from Manchester City.

His recent comments about Moyes were not only respectful, but also highlighted why supporters must trust the manager’s methodology.

“I thank him for giving me my love back, and waking up on a match day and wanting to smile and play again,” Grealish told TNT Sports. “And the fans as well, they’ve been so good with me.”

“I think the manager has come out and said a few times, ‘It’s not down to me, it’s down to Jack,’ which sometimes I disagree with.

“Because, I’ve come here and he’s been so, so good with me. I’ve absolutely loved playing for him. As soon as I spoke to him, when I was on holiday, I just knew that I wanted to come and play for him.”

Grealish has joined Everton with a point to prove having largely failed to live up to expectations since his big money move to Man City in 2021.

He struggled to cope at a club where he was no longer the ‘main man’ and seems to be relishing regaining that role in Everton’s starting XI.

His presence in the team brings a different dynamic to proceedings, with his ability to create chances already bringing the best out of other players.

Grealish featured for just half an hour at Molineux, but is guaranteed to play a key role as Everton bid to bounce back against the Hammers.

PSR settlement eases concerns at Everton

While the West Ham game is the primary on-pitch focus over the next few days, recent developments off the field should also help the mood around the club.

The club has reportedly reached an out-of-court settlement with Leeds United in connection with Profit & Sustainability rule breaches during the 2021/22 season.

A Premier League independent commission found Everton guilty of the breach in 2023 and the club admitted it had exceeded the permitted three-year losses of £105 million by around £19.5m.

They were deducted 10 points in November 2023, but the punishment was subsequently reduced to six points on appeal. This allowed Everton’s rivals to assess the earnings they may have lost.

Leeds, who avoided relegation to the Championship that season, reportedly missed out on just over £2m after finishing one point behind the Toffees.

However, Burnley finished inside the drop zone and have instigated court proceedings against Everton to argue their case for lost earnings.

While it is unclear if another out-of-court settlement is feasible, the club’s new owners will be delighted to have resolved the situation with Leeds.

Editor’s Note: This is another piece written by Zach Lowy who is a guest writer for the site. Zach is a freelance football journalist who has written for leading outlets like FotMob, BetUS, Apuestas Deportivas, and has appeared as a radio and television guest for BBC, SiriusXM FC, and various other platforms.