Everton

Liverpool are looking to sign 26-year-old forward Iliman Ndiaye from their city rivals Everton. (Teamtalk), external

Everton's 25-year-old midfielder James Garner and Ndiaye are targets for Manchester United in a £100m double deal. (Fichajes - in Spanish), external

Sunderland could face a battle to keep on-loan RB Leipzig utility player Lutsharel Geertruida at the club next term, with Everton, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Tottenham and Crystal Palace all interested in the 25-year-old Netherlands international. (Teamtalk), external

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With seven matches remaining, Everton are eighth in the Premier League table and only three points behind fifth-placed neighbours Liverpool, so Toffees supporters could be forgiven for dreaming of potentially qualifying for next season's Champions League.

"If you're three points behind a team at this point of the season, you have to believe that you can overtake that team, whoever you are," Everton fan Natalie Bargery told BBC Radio Merseyside.

"There are teams three or four points behind us who will be thinking the same thing about us, so I am fully aware that that is going on behind us as well at the moment.

"I think if we're three points behind a team whoever they may be, we are bound to be focusing on that opportunity.

"It is dream world but if there is an opportunity for Champions League football then we've got to enjoy that opportunity and try to get it."

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Dale Johnson
Football issues correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

The Premier League's Key Match Incidents (KMI) Panel has unanimously voted that Arsenal's Kai Havertz should have been awarded a penalty on-field against Everton.

But it was also ruled that the video assistant referee (VAR) was correct not to intervene.

The Germany international went down under a challenge from Michael Keane in the 24th minute of the Gunners' 2-0 win at the Emirates on 14 March.

Referee Andy Madley allowed play to continue with the VAR, Stuart Attwell, deciding that contact was "minimal".

Replays shows that the Everton defender had inadvertently stepped on Havertz's foot.

The five members of the KMI Panel all felt Madley should have pointed to the spot, but there was a split 3:2 vote that it "was not a clear and obvious error requiring VAR intervention".

Arsenal have had no VAR errors recorded against them this season.

But two missed spot-kicks for the opposition have been logged in their favour, in away games at Everton and Brighton.

Rangers could bank a record fee for Emmanuel Fernandez this summer with the 24-year-old attracting interest from Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton, West Ham United, Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen. (TeamTalk), external

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Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

Image source, Getty Images

As the disgruntled Chelsea faithful trudged out of Hill Dickinson Stadium with 20 minutes left, the Everton fans serenaded their players for 20 minutes post-match. The Toffees were excellent against Arsenal last week at Emirates Stadium, but this was even better.

The temptation is to pick out a few players, but that would miss the point. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is a Chelsea reject, Beto and Thierno Barry would have been considered far too low grade to be viable by their opponents.

All the way through the squad, with just a few notable exceptions, on paper and certainly on the balance sheet, Chelsea should be streets ahead of Everton. But they were not on the day and with only seven games left there are only two points separating them.

At the match, it was hard not to put this down to the effect of an experienced manager who knows how to get the best out of his charges. He also knows how to build a team spirit and is clearly liked and respected by those working for him.

Europe is now a real possibility for Everton and for once they are even looking forward to Liverpool visiting in a few weeks' time.

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Manchester United are looking at 19-year-old RB Leipzig and Ivory Coast winger Yan Diomande, Newcastle United and England defender Lewis Hall, 21, and Everton and Senegal forward Iliman Ndiaye, 26, as they prepare for a likely return to European competition. (Sky Sports), external

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Mike Richards
Fan writer

Image source, PA Media

There was something incredibly poetic about our hammering of Chelsea.

At the end of a week in which the aforementioned club received what was arguably an arm round the shoulder from the Premier League, it fell to us to hand them an on-field sanction and it felt incredibly satisfying.

All the talk pre-match seemed to go back to how harshly we felt we were treated in 2023-24, when we got a heavy points deduction for our minimal and explainable financial misdemeanour.

We felt ignored. We felt scapegoated. We felt hung out to dry in a battle of football and independent regulation.

Chelsea's sanction simply opened up old wounds.

Saturday felt like a chance to show how we have recovered, how we simply refused to lie down and accept what was a daunting fate.

Our new home has so often felt like a leveller for away sides. Saturday was when that feeling was put to bed.

Hill Dickinson Stadium was boisterous, electric, vicious and blue. A cauldron of noise, from Z Cars to the walk back up Regent Road long after the full-time whistle.

It was the night that Everton Football Club truly came home.

Everton were simply sensational. The desire, commitment, cohesiveness and bottle on show epitomised what it means to play for our club.

Money may buy you individual brilliance but it does not automatically create a team.

The international break has come at the wrong time for us. However, it is a great opportunity to rest and get ready for the seven remaining cup finals of the season.

European football is there for the taking. I never thought I would be saying that this season.

Find more from Mike Richards at Unholy Trinity, external

Ben White may be back in the England squad but could leave Arsenal this summer, with Everton keen on the 28-year-old defender. (FourFourTwo), external

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Image source, Everton FC

Manager David Moyes and members of Everton's first-team squad spent an afternoon at the Everton in the Community Showcase at Finch Farm last week, discovering more about the work of the club's official charity.

Everton In The Community helps 36,000 people every year across Merseyside, from babies to pensioners, with more than 60 life-changing programmes.

The team were involved with games like backgammon, wheelbarrow races and wellbeing obstacle courses with those who benefit from the charity.

Club captain Seamus Coleman told BBC Radio Merseyside: "I'm very proud of it and being part of Everton for so long. It started off quite small and it's got bigger and bigger every year.

"I'm not just saying it, it's humbling to be involved in these things and see the impact you can have on these people as a player.

"The volunteers are incredible and it has been proven that Everton In The Community has saved lives. I've heard people come to me and tell me and it's powerful.

"It's something we are and should be very proud of."

Hear more from what happened on the day on BBC Sounds

Everton could return to European competition with a strong end to the season. Looking ahead, what will this season's progress mean for David Moyes and his squad?

"Everton fans will want to kick-on, so that will require investment from the Friedkin Group and at some point it will require them possibly to play a more front-footed style of football more consistently," said journalist Rory Smith on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club.

"That will be a challenge for Moyes as it has been for a lot of managers.

"I don't think he is a defensive manager, but fans want to be entertained.

"Sometimes being entertained is a matter of perception. I think they will have to dominate games more and be more assertive.

"Their history makes the standards very high at Everton and Moyes has been amazing this season - you could even make the case for him being manager of the year - but the challenge for Everton is always to make that next step and that is always complicated."

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Image source, Getty Images

Former Everton and England striker Wayne Rooney, speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show about James Garner being called up to the England squad: "He fully deserves to be in there, he's been brilliant all season. His attitude when playing right-back and in midfield, his quality, his tackling, his passing - everything about his performances this season has been top-class.

"I think he'll be on the plane [to the World Cup].

"People say this and you might not understand it - he's a player you look at and you know he's come through Manchester United's academy.

"They do everything right - their attitude, how they're tackling, how they're running. It's really evident when you see it. He's a player who does everything well.

"There were concerns when he was younger about his mobility and getting around the pitch, but he's put all of that to bed. He looks like one of the fittest on the pitch and he's a big lad as well.

"He's got everything going for him. He's just signed a deal [until 2030] - that's great business for Everton because he'll be such an important player over the next few years."

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Goalscorer Beto spoke to BBC Radio Merseyside after Everton's victory against Chelsea: "It feels amazing to help the team to win a must-win game and to keep a clean sheet so we are all happy."

On his more regular game time: "It's good for me. I am getting to my level of confidence and playing the all-round game. It is getting really good for me.

"As a striker for Everton, I need to put a great shift in for hold-up play, running behind and trying to score goals. If I do this well the team can be more confident and create more chances.

"In the international [break] some of us will rest and some will put in the work - but we needed this break. When we come back, we will put in 120%."

Image source, PA Media

Former Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast about Everton's improvement this season: "They're winning off the pitch with that stadium and they're backing it up on the pitch.

"They've got some top players in that squad; Iliman Ndiaye, who I love watching, James Garner performing in midfield, Jordan Pickford saving some amazing shots, James Tarkowski being that leader.

"They have a nice mix of top players and a manager who has been there and done it at multiple clubs.

"The signs are looking really positive."

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We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League between Everton and Chelsea.

Here are some of your comments:

Everton fans

Jack: An excellent team performance, from Jordan Pickford to Beto. Jordan looked unbeatable, the back four were solid, James Garner and Idrissa Gueye were outstanding and always looked in control. I was really pleased for Beto - he always works hard and got his reward this time, ably assisted by our wide players. A good day to be an Evertonian.

Harry: It might be a single result to other teams, but this means so much more to Evertonians. This performance showed the power of our supporters, and the realisation that Hill Dickinson Stadium will soon be a powerhouse. We have had years of discontent but it's had more to do with the ownership than the fans. The real turnaround starts next season.

James: Best performance of the season - thoroughly deserved. Every player at least 9/10 and some were 9.5. We have some momentum now, so who knows.

Greg: Everton looked like the only side that wanted to win. Fantastic all-round performance that really gave the fans something to sing about. The stadium was rocking. Well done to all the players.

Chelsea fans

John: Players who aren't good enough are getting exposed. Wesley Fofana is shocking and Enzo Fernandez is carrying on like he is Mr Chelsea but can't back it up with a performance. Club is rotten from the top down, and I don't see silverware in our future for quite a while. One bright point is Estevao Willian, but can he thrive in such an obviously toxic dressing room?

James: Woeful just about sums it up. It looks like Liam Rosenior is out of his depth and the goalkeeper situation needs urgent attention. I would play Teddy Sharman-Lowe against Port Vale and see what he can do.

Rod: With the present owners and manager, Chelsea will struggle. The owners just do not understand Premier League football and the manager is not up to the job. Too inexperienced - end of story.

Gordon: How long before the owners admit they have got it completely wrong? Recruitment, training, coaching, tactics. Outsmarted by every other manager and outrun by every other team. A complete embarrassment. The "project" is a failure and Chelsea fans are fed up with it.

Image source, Getty Images

The fight for Champions League football appears to be turning into the race that no-one wants to win.

For the second year in a row, it is all but certain that the top five teams in the Premier League will qualify for next season's Champions League.

But shock defeats and inconsistency means the form of the so-called top sides is falling off a cliff.

Defeats for Liverpool and Chelsea have opened the door for a team to come out of left-field and clinch a coveted Champions League place.

Could it be Everton? Brentford? Even Fulham, 10th-placed Brighton and teams below remain in touch.

Everton have competed sporadically in Europe throughout the 21st century, most recently in 2017-18 when they featured in the Europa League.

They have not featured in the Champions League proper since 1970-71, when it was known as the European Cup.

But eighth in the Premier League, just three points off the top five with seven league games to go, the Toffees are in serious contention to not only compete in Europe but perhaps even reach the continent's top competition.

Manager David Moyes was keen not to get carried away with the idea of Champions League football at Hill Dickinson Stadium, but did not shy away from what being in Europe would mean to the club.

"I'd love to say it was [a possibility] as I'm trying to be more positive than I would normally be, but for Everton to even be in the mix for Europe is unbelievable, whether it is Conference League or Champions League," Moyes said.

"We were sitting here last year just beginning to edge ourselves away from relegation and still had lots of money to pay off, new ownership and 10 or 12 players out of contract - so for us to be in the position we are now is just great.

"I can imagine, if we could possibly do it, what it would do for the crowds here as Evertonians are desperate to get back amongst it."

Champions League football might have seemed like a far-away dream for a club who have spent more time trying to avoid relegation in recent seasons, but under Moyes they have enjoyed a resurgence that has almost made that dream a reality.

Speaking to BBC Sport the Scot said a top-10 finish would be a "really good year" and that they will "try and give ourselves a chance of getting in the European competitions".

Read more on the race for top five

Pundits Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney join host Mark Chapman to bring you the action and talking points from Friday and Saturday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Everton 3-0 Chelsea

• Fulham 3-1 Burnley

Everton boss David Moyes, speaking to BBC Match of the Day after their 3-0 win over Chelsea: "Chelsea are a quality team, the players they've got are excellent so it was always going to be difficult but we have done it today."

On Beto scoring twice: "It's difficult to explain, sometimes as a manager you come across so many good people who work really hard but this boy is incredibly humble, does his work every day, wants more, he can't get enough of it. Sometimes the harder you work the more luck you get as well. Whether it was luck today or not he certainly took his goals great."

On James Garner's performance and assist for the first goal: "I might be biased but, for me, he was the best player on the pitch and he's up against an awful lot of top players from other top countries. Argentina, some England internationals on the pitch. I thought he stood out and worked really, really hard. He's getting his rewards for the work he's putting in."

On whether it was the best day at the new stadium: "Absolutely the best. Even the arrival, as we know some things can play a part, the late kick-off, maybe had a couple of beers, but the crowd was definitely with it. From minute one I think we gave them something to believe in.

"The crowd was fantastic tonight. It was more reminiscent of Goodison then any game we've had here."

On European ambitions: "It's seven games to go to see if we can cling on to a position in Europe. I'd say if we can get a position in top 10 we'd see it as a really good season, not near the bottom of the table fighting relegation. But I think we're here now, I don't want to step away because you don't get many chances, so I think every game we have to see if we can get points and see if we can give ourselves a chance of getting into one of the European competitions."

You can listen to more from Moyes on BBC Sounds

Did you know?

• Everton have won consecutive Premier League games at the Hill Dickinson stadium for the first time.

Nizaar Kinsella
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

After the match, Everton's stadium announcer marked Jordan Pickford's 100th clean sheet for the club.

It was a day when the England international outshone his Chelsea counterpart Robert Sanchez, collecting a series of dangerous crosses with conviction and making two outstanding saves from midfielder Enzo Fernandez.

Everton fully deserved the win, but Pickford's assured performance made it feel more comfortable, while his potential new England team‑mate delivered the key breakthrough moment.

Having earned his first call‑up on Friday, James Garner lined up for his club on Saturday and threaded a through ball to Beto to carve open Chelsea's defence in the match's first genuine moment of quality.

The former Manchester United midfielder, who also often fills in at right‑back, is only now earning plaudits beyond Merseyside and produced another outstanding display.

Unlike Chelsea, this Everton side have grit, passion, energy and cohesion.

That cohesion stems from the limited number of line‑up changes made by manager David Moyes - just 51 so far this season, compared with Chelsea's 99 in the Premier League.

It is part of a strong core built under the new Friedkin ownership, who, through Moyes' leadership, guided the club away from relegation last season and can now look towards a more optimistic future.

There is real momentum behind the Toffees' push for Europe, and a party atmosphere followed as Everton finally secured back‑to‑back home league wins at their new stadium for the first time.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Everton's performance

What did you make of Chelsea's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Everton centre-back James Tarkowski returns despite having been listed as an injury doubt before kick-off.

His inclusion means James Garner moves back into his favoured midfield role, fresh from his first England call-up for the March international break.

David Moyes keeps the rest of his side unchanged from the 2-0 defeat at Arsenal last weekend.

Everton XI: Pickford, O'Brien, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko, Garner, Gueye, McNeil, Dewsbury-Hall, Ndiaye, Beto

Subs: Travers, Patterson, Barry, Dibling, Coleman, Branthwaite, Röhl, Iroegbunam, Armstrong.

Chelsea make three changes from the 3-0 defeat by PSG in midweek.

One is enforced, with Trevoh Chalobah ruled out for six weeks after injuring his ankle; he is replaced by Wesley Fofana.

In better news for Chelsea, Malo Gusto returns from illness to come in for Mamadou Sarr, while Romeo Lavia is preferred to Andrey Santos in midfield.

Chelsea XI: Sanchez, Gusto, Fofana, Hato, Cucurella, Caicedo, Lavia, Palmer, Fernandez, Neto, Joao Pedro

Subs: Sharman-Lowe, Acheampong, Adarabioyo, Sarr, Essugo, Santos, Estevao, Garnacho, Delap.