As Everton prepares to face Manchester City this Saturday, the team is riding high on the momentum from their thrilling last-minute victory over Crystal Palace, a team that had yet to taste defeat this season.

In the previous match, Jack Grealish celebrated his first goal for Everton. However, in a twist of fate, he will miss the chance to continue his scoring streak at the Etihad Stadium due to ineligibility against his former club.

Following the clash with City, Everton is set to host Tottenham at Hill Dickinson Stadium. This will be followed by a potentially challenging Monday night encounter with Sunderland, who have been showing impressive form.

Off the field, Everton fans received uplifting news this week as Jordan Pickford committed his future to the club by signing a new long-term contract, confirming what was anticipated by Daily Mail Sport earlier in September.

With plenty of buzz surrounding the Blues, our Everton correspondent, Dominic King, is here to address your burning questions about the team’s progress and prospects.

Jack Grealish’s euphoric last-gasp winner against Crystal Palace sealed a much-needed victory for Everton heading into the international break

Everton have struggled at the Etihad in recent years (who hasn’t!) – last winning there in December 2010, when Leighton Baines (right) scored in a 2-1 win

What are the club’s plans for the January transfer window?

Planning is well underway to strengthen again in the winter. The summer was a challenging window, with so much upheaval, but Everton came out of it well, albeit everyone behind the scenes knows there is still so much work to be done.

There are targets and areas they want to address – right back being one, having struggled to find a consistent solution there.

And the task will be made easier as key people have been appointed into important roles, not least James Smith, a long-term ally of Moyes, who is now free to start work after leaving City. His eye for a player is impeccable.

Smith was Everton head of technical scouting from 2003-13 in Moyes’ first spell and followed him to Manchester United. He became director of scouting and recruitment at City Football Group in November 2023.

How do you rate our chances of signing Jack Grealish permanently next summer?

Great question. For starters, it won’t be for a £50million fee, as was mooted in some places earlier this summer.

That is what Grealish is valued at on Manchester City’s asset sheet at present but in 12 months’ time there will be a depreciation in that price.

Everton have given Grealish a platform to enjoy his football again and he has been bowled over by the welcome he has received on and off the pitch.

If the team makes progress and Grealish continues to be happy, why wouldn’t Everton be favourites to keep him?

Everton have given Grealish a platform to enjoy his football again and he has been bowled over by the welcome he has received on and off the pitch

It’s great news that Jordan Pickford and James Tarkowski have signed new contracts. Will James Garner and Vitalii Mykolenko pen new deals soon?

It is great news, Pickford in particular. Whatever the finances are, you would need to double them to find a replacement with comparable quality in goal.

Everton wanted to send out a message this summer: getting Jarrad Branthwaite’s contract sorted was imperative to show stability and intent.

The ambition is to keep the good players who can make a difference and Garner is one of them. Moyes loves his attitude, his coaching staff cannot fault his willingness to play in a variety of positions and he will be kept, no question.

Mykolenko, similarly, is a player who they believe can improve.

We haven’t seen much of summer signing Adam Aznou despite defensive injuries – why is that, and how is he looking in training?

Morocco left back Aznou, 19, has talent but he is very raw. The £8m summer signing from Bayern Munich wouldn’t be ready as yet to play consistently in the Premier League and a couple of displays in pre-season suggested how many edges needed polishing, particularly when Roma visited Hill Dickinson Stadium. 

Moyes, though, is up for the challenge.

‘I want him to be with us and I want him to train and get used to it,’ he explained. ‘He’s a really good footballer, a nice footballer.

‘He’s just got a bit of building up to do, a bit of physicality to get, so we’ll do that and we’ll see how he develops. But his footballing ability? He’s a good player.’

Adam Aznou (left) is a huge talent but a couple of displays in pre-season suggested how many edges needed polishing

When can we expect Branthwaite and Merlin Rohl to be back fit?

Soon, very soon. They have both been working on the grass and the international break was crucial to their rehabilitation.

Moyes is desperate to get Rohl involved. He wanted to sign him in January and was thrilled to get the deal done on deadline day in September.

Midfield was an area of the squad the Scot knew he had to strengthen this season – Everton got close to signing Joao Palhinha in the summer but he went cold on the move at the last moment and the Portuguese ended up signing for Spurs instead.

Moyes believes Germany Under 21s international Rohl will add physicality and power to the midfield, as well as intelligence, and give Everton something different.

His injury, a muscular issue, has been frustrating for all and taken longer to clear up than was first envisaged. He’s a player to watch when fully fit.

Moyes believes Germany Under 21s international Merlin Rohl will add physicality and power to the midfield, as well as intelligence, and give Everton something different

Thierno Barry, Beto, or someone completely different – who should Moyes be starting up front?

This correspondent can remember when Moyes, in an attempt to find a solution to a striking conundrum, played Tim Cahill up front with Marouane Fellaini in behind in a game against Manchester City in December 2008 – and conjured a 1-0 win.

Let’s see if they can produce something similar in east Manchester on Saturday.

Personally speaking, I would be going with Beto. I can’t help but feel, however, Liam Delap missed a trick in the summer. Everton really wanted him but, as we know, he opted for Chelsea. It’s a shame because he’d have brilliant for Everton.

Tim Cahill scores the injury-time winner for Everton at the Etihad Stadium in 2008

How does Hill Dickinson Stadium compare to Goodison Park?

The best analogy I can make is this: it’s like someone telling you that you need a new suit.

You don’t listen to them, because the suit you wear is comfortable and is the one you love, but then you see yourself in the mirror and realise the new suit, actually, was something you needed for years.

Goodison Park was irreplaceable, a quite magnificent venue to watch football with so many memories.

But Hill Dickinson Stadium is breathtaking and while there is still some adjustments needed to be done, the opportunity it has provided for a club – and a city – is limitless.

Hill Dickinson Stadium is breathtaking and while there is still some adjustments needed to be done, the opportunity it has provided for a club – and a city – is limitless

Did Liverpool target Branthwaite in the summer?

Yes, a conversation happened at one stage but it never got any further down the road of potential valuations or fees or anything like that.

Chelsea were also interested in the England international but Everton had no intention of selling.

As I explained earlier, Branthwaite is seen as a key building block. How, for instance, could Everton have held talks with Jack Grealish if they were about to sell one of their best talents?

Liverpool might have looked, but to stress, it didn’t enter the realm where a deal was going to happen.

There was a conversation between Liverpool and Everton on Jarrad Branthwaite but it went no further

Will the Friedkins attend a game anytime soon? What is Moyes’ relationship like with them?

Moyes doesn’t have a relationship with the Friedkins like he did with the late former chairman Bill Kenwright but that is nothing to be concerned by.

Football has changed and the manager has different key relationships now, such as with CEO Angus Kinnear.

There is a presence from the Friedkin family at every Hill Dickinson game but it is unclear which member will be there for the next game, against Tottenham, at this early stage.

They are committed to driving Everton forward – and have big ambitions.