Blessing in disguise: Why Sunderland defeat will actually help Everton's bid to catch Chelsea and Spurs 
And so it happened at the Stadium of Light on Saturday when Moyes suffered his first-ever loss to Sunderland as a manager.
I think it's a relief that Everton can finally forget all this Champions League talk and focus on their real goal this season - qualifying for Europe.
I know the Europa League is very much the poor relation to the Champions League, but the Blues were never going to clinch a top-four spot when they were up against the superior resources of Tottenham, Arsenal and Chelsea.
The fact that Everton lasted until April 20 is an achievement in itself and their big-spending neighbours across Stanley Park were never even in contention.
Fifth place is more attainable for Everton, even if it looks like they will have to battle Tottenham and Chelsea for it.
They still have to go to Stamford Bridge, where Moyes has never won a league game, during their run-in.
Moyes and his assistant Steve Round were in the directors box at Anfield yesterday and they will have been heartened by what they saw.
Chelsea were poor against Liverpool and only came within seconds of earning a first league win over the Reds in three years because Brendan Rodgers' side twice shot themselves in the foot.
Moyes and Round saw nothing to scare them and it was a subdued performance by a side supposedly fighting tooth and nail for a Champions League place.
It's hard to escape the feeling that for all Rafa Benitez's talk about prioritising fourth place, he would prefer to win the Europa League to add to his CV.
Triumphing in Europe would allow him to say he has won trophies at all four of his last clubs.
Missing out on the Champions League... well, that won't be his problem come June.
Moyes and Rounds will also have left Anfield upbeat about their chances in the forthcoming Merseyside derby.
The Scot has never won at Anfield and he may never have a better chance against a Liverpool side, which will undoubtedly lack bite without Luis Suarez.
He will have seen how Liverpool are fragile at the back and Chelsea exerted the most minimal of pressure to get their two goals.
Of course, all this presumes that Everton can put Chelsea and Liverpool under pressure and their goals have dried up when they need them most.
If they can solve this problem, then fifth place can be theirs.
Source: Mirror
