Everton manager David Moyes has revealed that former Arsenal midfielder Christian Norgaard apologized after struggling during his Premier League debut against Chelsea.

According to a report by FootballTransfers on Friday, 23 October 2026, the Denmark international endured a difficult introduction to life at Everton after coming off the bench in the 2-0 defeat to Chelsea last weekend.

Norgaard joined Arsenal from Brentford for €12 million in 2025 but struggled to establish himself during his only season in North London.

The midfielder managed just 101 minutes across seven Premier League appearances, with most of his playing time coming in domestic cup competitions.

Despite receiving a Premier League winners' medal, the 32-year-old left Arsenal in the summer to join Everton in a deal worth €8.2 million, hoping to revive his career.

However, a groin injury disrupted his preparations, leaving him short of match fitness before his debut against Chelsea.

Introduced in the 85th minute, Norgaard struggled to make an impact, received a yellow card and lost possession several times as Everton eventually suffered a 2-0 defeat.

Moyes admitted that the midfielder was not as ready as the club had initially expected, having missed much of pre-season.

"There was actually part of me last week that was half considering starting him - and I’m glad I didn’t," Moyes said. "I saw bits in training which made me think he was getting ready, but maybe also things just went wrong.

"When we brought him on, we realised he was a bit further away than we hoped, but we weren’t expecting him to be fully fit until the next international break, if we are being honest, as he’s had no real pre-season.

"Christian was the first one to come to me and say he was sorry about it, and he’s realised he’s a bit further away than we all thought."

The comments suggest Norgaard still needs time to regain full fitness and adapt to his new surroundings before becoming a regular option for Everton.

His situation comes into focus ahead of Saturday's Premier League meeting with Arsenal, his former club.

However, following his manager's assessment of his fitness, the midfielder faces uncertainty over whether he will feature in the fixture.