Bullish Moyes sets sights on title charge

Everton's Duncan Ferguson wins a header. Everton players were singing "we're gonna win the league" in the bath according to manager David Moyes after his side beat Norwich 3-2 at Carrow Road.

Everton players were singing "we're gonna win the league" in the bath according to manager David Moyes after his side beat Norwich 3-2 at Carrow Road.

Moyes admitted he was relieved to have emerged from an entertaining encounter with all three points after watching his side surrender a 2-0 half-time lead.

But the Scot has no intention of trying to dampen the enthusisam generated by his side's scorching start to the season, which has seen them defy predictions they would be battling relegation by winning seven of their ten matches to date.

"We are in a great position and hopefully we can keep it going but we have got to play better than that," Moyes said.

"This is great, we're doing so well when you consider the money some other teams have."

At the end of the game Everton's fans chanted "we're going to win the league" and Moyes refused to rule out that possibility.

"We were all singing it in the bath," he joked. "It's a manager's job to raise expectations. If we can keep this going a bit longer then who knows what can happen."

Captain Alan Stubbs said teamwork was the key to his side's impressive start despite losing star player Wayne Rooney to Manchester United in August.

"We are all about teamwork. We haven't got any stars as you call it. We have a squad of honest lads who go out and give 110 per cent and we're getting the rewards for that," the defender told Sky Sports.

"We weren't getting the results last year and it just shows the difference a bit of confidence makes."

An inspired subsitution by Moyes proved crucial after Norwich had forced their way back into the match with two goals at the start of the second half.

The Everton manager responded by sending on Duncan Ferguson and Steve Watson, who combined after 73 minutes to score the winner.

Watson picked up a loose ball from the right and crossed to Ferguson to head home at the back post, leaving a frustrated Norwich still waiting for their first Premiership win of the season.

Everton played a patient counter-attacking game in the first-half which reaped its rewards as Moyes' side went into the break two goals to the good.

On 10 minutes, Marcus Bent sent Australian midfielder Tim Cahill galloping into the box and his cut-back from the right found Kevin Kilbane unmarked at the far post.

His rifled drive into the roof of the net from 12 yards gave Norwich keeper Robert Green no chance.

Green was beaten again five minutes before half-time after a flowing Everton move that started on the edge of their own box.

The ball was swiftly transferred from Stubbs to Leon Osman and on to Thomas Gravesen running purposefully at a back-pedaling defence.

His slide-rule pass down the inside right channel released Bent striding into the box and he finished smartly across Green into the far corner of the net.

Nigel Worthington responded by sending on Mathias Svensson for Thomas Helveg after the interval and the switch paid dividends within three minutes of the re-start.

Svensson released the live-wire Leon McKenzie inside the Everton box with Stubbs struggling to keep up.

McKenzie did brilliantly to keep his feet despite Stubbs's scything challenge before slotting the ball between Nigel Martyn's legs from six yards.

Less than 10 minutes later it was 2-2 as the unmarked Damien Francis scored his first Premiership goal, tapping home from three yards after Mattias Janson headed Darren Huckerby's corner into the danger area.

The lunchtime win lifted Everton to second place in the table although Chelsea had the chance to reclaim that spot later in the day with victory over Blackburn at Stamford Bridge.