Coventry City’s next Premier League challenge is a trip to face an Everton side whose identity has been reshaped by a dramatic youth revolution. The Sky Blues, sitting 16th with nine points from nine games, travel to Goodison Park on 6 November to meet a team that has thrived despite Jack Grealish’s absence.
Everton’s average starting XI age has dropped to 26 years and 216 days this season. Seven of the ten players signed permanently since January 2025 are aged 24 or under, a shift accelerated by financial constraints and the departure of senior figures like Idrissa Gueye. Teenager Harrison Armstrong, 19, has started every league match, while players aged 21 or under have already logged 1,206 minutes, surpassing last season’s total.
Key young contributors
Several young signings have delivered immediate impact. Hayden Hackney, a 24-year-old bought from Middlesbrough for £16.5 million, assisted James Garner and scored himself in the recent EFL Cup win over Newcastle. Thierno Barry, another 24-year-old signed from Villarreal, has started every match, playing 918 minutes and scoring seven goals. He has been involved in 62.5 percent of Everton’s 24 big chances this season.
Merlin Rohl, also 24, has been trusted at right-back after making his loan move permanent. Tyler Dibling, a £35 million arrival from Southampton, scored his first goal in a draw with Manchester United. Tyrique George, 20, found the net in September after his permanent switch from Chelsea. Manager David Moyes has integrated these players while maintaining a demanding standard.
Grealish's absence and Moyes' stance
Jack Grealish was dropped from the squad for an unauthorised training absence. Moyes refused to confirm the forward’s availability for Monday’s league match against Newcastle, or for the visit of Coventry. He did praise aspects of the team’s performance in the cup win, noting the value of bringing in players with Championship experience to adapt to the Premier League.
The EFL Cup victory represented Everton’s best chance of a first trophy in 31 years, with a quarter-final against League Two Fleetwood ahead. Senior players like James Tarkowski, 33, and Jordan Pickford, 32, remain key, but the squad’s complexion has changed. Everton used 22 players in the Premier League last season and has already matched that number this term.
For Coventry, the fixture is a chance to climb the standings. Mark Robins’s side ended October with a 3-1 home win over Sunderland, with goals from Tatsuhiro Sakamoto, Taiwo Awoniyi and Jack Rudoni. That result made it three wins from their last five, a sequence of WLLWW. They have scored nine league goals but conceded 16, leaving them with a minus-seven goal difference and 15 points behind leaders Arsenal.
Preparations for the Everton match will focus on containing Everton’s vibrant young attack. The game at Goodison Park kicks off on Friday 6 November.
