(Credit: Imago)

Jacob Raw

Fri 17 April 2026 19:10, UK

David Moyes has his doubters even in the year 2026, but Everton‘s success this season has them near the top of the Premier League for attacking play.

The Toffees are dreaming of the possibilities with just six Premier League games left to play, as a spot in Europe awaits.

Moyes has done well to get the Blues into the position that they’re in heading into a first-ever Hill Dickinson Merseyside derby clash this Sunday.

Some who haven’t watched Everton this season would probably say that they are only doing well because of Moyes’ anti-football tactics.

However, Everton fans have been treated to some great goals and overall performances, which seem to have taken a leaf out of Barcelona’s playbook.

Everton look like Barcelona with passing sequence reveal

Everton have used various ways of scoring goals this season, whether that be from going direct, fluid build-up play, or set-piece goals.

However, this campaign seems to have been a fresh turning point for the Blues, who have shown their ability to look like a good footballing outfit.

As seen in the table above, the Blues score 66.7 per cent of their goals from open play, in comparison to last season, which was 59.5 per cent.

According to a new study done by The Athletic, Everton rank third among Premier League teams for having scored the most goals from sequences that contain nine or more passes.

At the top is Manchester City with 14, second is Chelsea with six, and Everton are joint third with Manchester United on five.

They are not quite the five-time Champions League-winning Barcelona yet, but they have certainly taken influence from the Culers’ tiki-taka style, with more to come to Hill Dickinson soon.

What’s been the main difference for Everton’s new-look style?

As mentioned earlier, the Toffees are not restricted to one style of play which may have been the case under Moyes once upon a time.

The Everton boss has adapted, but he has had help from the likes of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, James Garner, and Jack Grealish.

Coming to the Toffees with the experience of being managed by former Barcelona head coach, Pep Guardiola, Grealish may have affected the rest of his teammates.

But it’s not down to just one player, and while things only look to be improving under Moyes, more additions will be needed this summer.

It feels like Everton are showing glimpses of what they are capable of, but aren’t quite there just yet.

Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from the heart of Goodison Park.