The atmosphere around Everton hasn’t felt this electric in years.
David Moyes has turned things around for the Toffees, with the Scot enjoying a full preseason alongside a squad bolstered by the excitement of their move to the new Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Indeed, for the first time since Carlo Ancelotti’s departure, optimism is pulsing through the blue half of Merseyside.
Everton have enjoyed wins from their opening three matches, including a thrilling 3-2 victory away at Wolves, which has set the tone: this is an Everton side willing to play, willing to attack, but still learning how to lock the back door.
If that Wolves game was a microcosm — goals flowing at one end, vulnerabilities exposed at the other — it also offered a glimpse of what might define the season, their midfield.
Not since the days of Mikel Arteta and Tim Cahill have Everton boasted such variety, depth, and ingenuity in the centre of the pitch from what we’ve seen so far.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if the top UK betting sites soon took note of the goal contributions that have come from the midfield in these early encounters.
With a new stadium to fill and a fanbase desperate for something to believe in, Moyes has masterfully combined youthful exuberance with industry, creativity, and experience to build one of the most exciting Everton sides in recent memory.
Fifth in the Premier League and with big fixtures against Aston Villa and the Merseyside derby on the horizon, fans were genuinely gutted by the international break, a sure sign that the good times might just be rolling again.
Jack Grealish’s arrival has been a statement.
The Manchester City loanee provided two assists to power Everton to victory at Molineux and looks a man reborn.
Everton fans have always formed a special bond with their star players, and that connection has carried with them to the Hill Dickinson.
Leaving Goodison Park was an emotional break, but it hasn’t dulled their appetite for heroes; if anything, it’s sharpened it.
In Grealish, they’ve found a player who embodies that spirit.
This is what he was always supposed to be: a cult hero at a community-driven club, a maverick with the manager’s complete trust and confidence to create those special moments that define seasons.
He’s a dying archetype of a footballer, and Everton are reaping the rewards of his liberation.
You can make the same argument for Kiernan Kieran Dewsbury-Hall that you can for Grealish.
This is a player reborn.
He followed Enzo Maresca to Chelsea after their Championship triumph together at Leicester, but found Premier League minutes hard to come by at Stamford Bridge.
Now he finally gets to play regularly, and he’s rewarding the manager’s faith with goals and tireless box-to-box performances.
He scored the winning goal at Molineux and kept Everton ticking over nicely throughout the game.
Then there’s Iliman Ndiaye. Perhaps the most remarkable story of the trio belongs to the Senegal international.
The 25-year-old was playing Sunday league football just six years ago, but now finds himself as one of Everton’s most important players.
He stepped up significantly after leaving a relegated Sheffield United side, and his integration into this attacking midfield has been seamless.
Dewsbury-Hall could feature in a left-sided central midfield berth, completing a triangle with Grealish and Ndiaye that looks especially strong.
Watching these three players weave intricate triangles around Wolves’ midfield was something Evertonians hadn’t witnessed in years – fluid, confident, and devastatingly effective.
Everton’s midfield depth doesn’t end with their first-choice options, though.
The acquisition of Tyler Dibling represents a stroke of genius from the recruitment team.
At just 19, he looks to be a clever long-term addition.
He glides past defenders, carries the ball with ease, and adds to Everton’s growing low socks, high flair contingent, though his final product still needs refining.
Then there is the more industrial pairing of Idrissa Gueye and James Garner.
They are the glue, the double pivot that gives the attacking midfield the platform to shine.
Gueye, remarkably fit for his age, still reads danger superbly, while Garner’s appetite for the ball and quick recycling make him the kind of midfielder every manager trusts.
There’s a palpable sense of fun about Everton at present, and while it would be unfair to attribute that solely to Grealish’s arrival, his influence has been transformative.
For the first time in a long while, Everton had superior firepower to their Premier League opponents and were able to make that count.
This midfield depth represents a statement of intent from a club preparing for life in a new stadium.
After years of mediocrity and false dawns, Everton fans finally have a genuine reason to believe.
The international break has paused the early momentum, but it has also given Moyes valuable time to refine what is shaping up to be his most balanced squad in years.
When the action resumes, the blue half of Merseyside will be eager to see where this renewed sense of optimism can lead.
