David Moyes may well have watched Goodison Park’s final derby from the comfort of his home in Lytham but for Storm Darragh battering the original date in December into submission. A different storm awaits on Wednesday when Liverpool cross Stanley Park one last time intent on silencing taunts about blowing the league at the home of their oldest rivals and containing the fallout from a shock FA Cup exit at Plymouth. There is nowhere else Moyes would rather be than in its midst of it all.
“Strange it was rearranged,” the 61-year-old said, reflecting on the opportunity that has blown his way since the Merseyside derby was postponed on 7 December, the inevitable consequence of 70mph winds. Everton have changed owners and manager since then. A new era in a new stadium begins at Bramley-Moore dock next season and, thanks to three successive league wins under Moyes, Everton have newfound belief in remaining a Premier League club when they get there.
Related: ‘Not acceptable’: Slot demands derby response from Liverpool after Cup exit
Wednesday, however, is about the old. The 120th derby to be held at a stadium that hosted its first on 13 October, 1894, Everton winning 3-0. The score is 41-41 at Goodison in all competitions. It is also the last game scheduled to be played under the Goodison floodlights at present. A huge part of Merseyside football history is about to disappear.
Moyes has been immersed in the fixture since his first, in December 2002, ended in a goalless draw at Anfield. Wayne Rooney hit the crossbar and Steven Gerrard embedded his studs in Gary Naysmith’s thighs. Moyes sounded more like a football fan than manager when contemplating the significance of his 23rd Merseyside derby.
“We’ve got a derby game which has been going on for 130 years, all of them at Goodison or Anfield,” the Everton manager said. “It is incredible that it is now coming to an end at this stadium. Will it be rougher or tougher because this is the last one? I don’t think so. But the stadium has played a big part in building this up to being a more explosive derby.
“I will tell the players about what it means to the supporters [who plan to line Goodison Road to greet the team coach before kick‑off], although if I have to tell them that you’d have to question where they are in their footballing world. The last one at Goodison is a big thing. Everyone here is trying their best to make the last few games memorable and to put on a spectacle.”
Everton’s players put one on in the corresponding fixture last season. Their 2-0 victory was a highlight of Sean Dyche’s reign with wider ramifications for Everton’s Premier League status and Liverpool’s title chances. But while Arne Slot has fine-tuned Liverpool into a stronger title‑winning position this season, Everton are scrambling for safety and starting over yet again. Moyes believes the gulf in quality between the Merseyside rivals may never have been greater.
The Scot won only three of his 22 league derbies first time around – all at Goodison – but in finishing above Liverpool three times in 11 full seasons as Everton manager he showed the gap can be bridged. “The task is a big one, let’s not kid ourselves, but it’s a one‑off game, especially this one,” Moyes said. “There is a gulf between the teams in quality at the moment and obviously that is shown in the league position as well.
“I don’t think Evertonians want me to kid them or tell them any lies. They’ve probably gone through the worst times they’ve felt as a club. The reason why I’m saying it to them is that we had to fight unbelievably hard for 11 years to get into a situation where we were more competitive against Liverpool.
“Year-on-year we were getting more competitive. It took a long time to build that up. Now the gulf has come back. There was a gulf there when I first took over but I think at the moment it is back to that level again, if not further. I feel it was a big achievement to finish above Liverpool because they were always challenging for trophies, or around it, so it meant we had done something right.”
Moyes did it without spending, or wasting, the money that his successors at Everton had in the early years of Farhad Moshiri’s ownership. Profitability and sustainability rules again constrained the club in the January transfer window but, with those restrictions expected to ease in the summer, the Everton manager hopes to start anew.
“This football club spent lots and lots of money to try and get there and it didn’t necessarily work. We have tried to be that club that challenges the big boys by our spending but, looking back, there probably would have been a slightly better way to do it. I am hoping that we can start building again.”
