Everton
Rooney Backs Everton to Threaten Liverpool at Anfield
Rooney believes Everton’s new stadium, Moyes’ return and signings make them dangerous going forward.
Wayne Rooney has predicted Everton can produce a positive result in Saturday’s Merseyside derby at Anfield, suggesting the club’s recent changes have altered the dynamic ahead of the fixture. Not since 1999 have Everton managed to beat Liverpool at Anfield, but Rooney said he would not be surprised to see that run end.
“I think obviously the new stadium has helped with [confidence] and I think the big thing is David Moyes coming back,” the former Everton striker told The Wayne Rooney Show . “He’s come back. He knows the club. He knows the culture of the football club and then I think the signings have been really good. They look dangerous now, Everton, going forward with [Jack] Grealish and [Charly] Alcaraz, they look really dangerous going forward, Everton, and solid as well at the back.
“So yeah, I think Everton can go there and get something. They have to be at their best and defend as a unit and be hard to beat. But Moyes’s teams normally do do that. Hopefully we can get the three points. [I would] take a draw, [I would] take a draw.”
Rooney stressed the importance of defensive organisation and collective effort if Everton are to upset Liverpool, repeating that Moyes’s previous teams typically show those traits. The former striker pointed to the new stadium, Moyes’s return and recent recruitment as central reasons for his belief that Everton are now a threat going forward and stable at the back.
Reflecting on his own experience in the fixture, Rooney acknowledged the personal pressure that surrounds Merseyside derbies. He failed to win any of his seven derbies across his two spells with Everton and spoke candidly about the build-up and its effect on players and staff.
“I hated it,” he confessed. “We didn’t win many, so when you do win them, you’ve got to make sure you enjoy it.
“The build-up to the game, the whole week was horrible. Being around the training ground and, as an Evertonian, getting ready and preparing for the game and all the staff around the training ground who are Evertonians. You feel sick because if you lose the game Liverpool rub it in your face.
“When I went back the second time to Everton, I had to make sure I had all the TVs turned off and there was nothing on the TVs about the game, the build-up to the game, just to try and forget about it that week. Go into the game not worrying too much about it.
“It’s a massive game, and if you win there’s no better feeling.”
Everton
Grealish’s Everton situation remains unresolved as Moyes keeps door open
Moyes says Grealish has a future, but Everton’s winger remains unavailable and under scrutiny.
David Moyes says Jack Grealish still has a future at Everton, but the winger remains out of action and his situation is still unclear.
Grealish, who is on loan from Manchester City, first missed the defeat to Arsenal because of illness. Everton then made the reason for his absence against Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup on Oct. 29 public, describing it as a “breach of club discipline.” There was no formal explanation beyond that, although reports pointed to an unauthorized training absence.
He was also absent when Everton faced Newcastle again in the Premier League on Monday. In the build-up, The Athletic reported that the England international was “not fit” after spending the previous two weeks on the sidelines.
After the final whistle at St James’ Park, Moyes declined to offer any further detail. “He’s unavailable at the moment and we will make a decision with the club when we think that availability comes back,” the Scot told BBC Sport.
“All I’m giving out is that he is unavailable at the moment.”
When pressed on whether disciplinary action was still in place, Moyes added: “No, I can’t comment on that.”
Everton return to action on Friday night against Coventry City at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, but Grealish’s involvement is still unknown. Moyes insists there is still a route back for him during the final six months of the season, although his influence has been notably smaller than in his earlier loan spell.
Grealish had already drifted from his Manchester City role after being part of the 2022–23 treble campaign, but he began the 2025–26 season strongly with Everton. He won August 2025’s Premier League Player of the Month award before a mid-season injury halted his progress and also ended any chance of an England recall ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
His return to Everton at the end of the summer transfer window has been far less productive. He had to wait for a start, and by his sixth and most recent outing he had still not scored or assisted for the club.
That leaves Grealish at a clear turning point. He turned 31 in September and is now effectively fighting for his next contract, with City’s loan decision this season pointing towards a likely exit into free agency next summer.
Arsenal
Gameweek 9 verdicts: Chelsea edge United, Arsenal stun Liverpool
A full set of Gameweek 9 predictions, including Chelsea vs Man Utd and Liverpool vs Arsenal.
Gameweek 9 brings a stacked Premier League schedule, with several meetings that carry clear weight in the early-season picture. The most eye-catching fixtures are Chelsea against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge and Liverpool’s home clash with Arsenal, while there are also plenty of tight contests elsewhere across the division.
At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea are tipped to come through 2-1 against a Manchester United side under pressure after back-to-back three-goal defeats to Como and Bournemouth. Michael Carrick remains in charge for the trip to west London after talks with Bruno Fernandes and the rest of the squad, but this feels like a critical test. Chelsea have their own issues, yet home advantage and the absence of João Pedro could still matter in a narrow contest.
Bournemouth’s strong run is expected to continue with a 2-1 win over Leeds United. The Cherries have produced a striking sequence of results across multiple competitions, and with Rayan, Marcus Tavernier and Evanilson supported by Eli Junior Kroupi’s return, they look well placed to extend that momentum.
Other calls point to draws for Brentford against Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United against Everton, while Coventry and Sunderland are forecast to cancel each other out. Hull are backed to edge Ipswich 1-0, and Manchester City are favoured to beat Brighton 3-2 in what could be the weekend’s most open game.
Tottenham are projected to keep improving with a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace, while Aston Villa are expected to defeat Fulham 3-0 after their recent uptick in form. The standout result, though, is at Anfield, where Arsenal are predicted to win 2-1 after Liverpool’s recent consistency meets a team looking to respond after a cup setback. The final matchup, Newcastle versus Everton, is also forecast to finish level.
Aston Villa
Matchday 8: A Weekend of Rain, Errors and Narrow Margins Across the Premier League
Stormy conditions, missed chances and decisive errors shaped a Matchday 8 full of fine margins.
There was little sunshine to be found on Matchday 8, as Storm Boelo lashed English grounds with rain and wind. For all the bad weather, only one fixture finished goalless, and the round still produced a sharp series of swings in tone, quality and consequence.
Manchester United’s latest setback stood out for all the wrong reasons. Without Bruno Fernandes, they looked short of attacking life again, while Bournemouth made the most of what they created in a 3-0 win. Elsewhere, Tottenham Hotspur earned a notable victory at Stamford Bridge after Mike Penders handed them the opening goal, with Cole Palmer adding to Chelsea’s problems by picking up two unnecessary yellow cards.
Several matches were defined more by frustration than fluency. Fulham struggled to trouble Coventry, managing just two shots on target, while Crystal Palace surrendered control against Newcastle after leading the shot count at the break. Everton were pushed back by Arsenal and rarely threatened after falling behind early. Ipswich and Nottingham Forest finished level after a match in which neither side found much rhythm, even if the visitors were able to make more of the contest than their hosts.
Brentford’s draw away to newly promoted opposition drew a blunt response from Keith Andrews and Michael Kayode, who both said, “We have to be better.” Sunderland also shared the points in a contest shaped by the conditions, with Régis Le Bris pleased enough to say, “We were Sunderland today.” At the Stadium of Light, the wind played a major role in a game where both teams completed only 73% of their passes.
There were also decisive moments at Anfield and Villa Park. Liverpool saw Brighton’s recent momentum halted as early goals changed the shape of the match, while Villa took control through Nicolas Jackson’s sharp finishing and a commanding display from Zion Suzuki, who produced six saves and 12 line-breaking passes. In another tight contest, Hull and their opponents could not be separated, and Sergej Jakirović called it “a fair result.”
The weekend’s final judgement was not about one storyline alone, but about a league round where weather, missed chances and single moments repeatedly decided the outcome.
