David Moyes has said the current gap between Liverpool and Everton is the biggest it has been for a number of years, ahead of his first Merseyside derby in over a decade.

The Scotsman returned to Everton as manager last month, nearly 12 years after his departure from the club to replace Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. And his appointment has coincided with the final derby at Goodison Park being rearranged from December, when Sean Dyche was in charge, to this Wednesday night under the lights.

Moyes is hoping his 23rd derby can be a memorable occasion for Everton while simultaneously inflicting a significant blow to his rival’s title aims. The Toffees, in contrast, need points to secure their Premier League status. It’s a far cry from when Moyes departed Everton in 2013 when it finished sixth and above Liverpool in the table.

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“Going back that far, it was a different time and we were probably just getting ourselves back into being more competitive as a Premier League club and I think the gap between the clubs is probably as big as it has been for a long time,” said Moyes, reflecting on his history in this particular fixture.

“So, it’s something I have to do and bring the gap and bring my club closer to their club. But at the time I think the derbies were more competitive and Liverpool were a difficult team to overcome. It was only in the last few years where we did finish above them in the Premier League and it’s something we need to do again.

“We’ve always been chasing Liverpool, probably no more so than now,” he added. “It was always great to get a result because it was always difficult to do it. But I always go back to my last two years where we finally finished above Liverpool in the league.

“It took us years to get us ready to be good enough to compete against Liverpool more regularly. At this moment we have years to go before we can compete against Liverpool again.”

He’ll also face a new man in the opposition dugout with Arne Slot playing his part in widening the chasm between the Merseyside clubs in recent years. Moyes jokingly said he was ‘glad to see the back’ of Jurgen Klopp when in charge of West Ham United last season and clearly didn’t expect his replacement to take to life so quickly in the Premier League.

"They had a fantastic coach in Jurgen Klopp who made Liverpool so good over many years. You saw how often they were competing with Man City for many years,” Moyes said.

“But I think most people would be amazed how well Arne Slot has done if I’m being honest. Coming in after Jurgen, he has done a great job, hasn’t he? It’s hard to say when you’re in this seat but he has got the team playing very smoothly and very well.”