According to a report by FootballTransfers on Friday, October 23, 2026, Everton manager David Moyes has disclosed that former Arsenal midfielder Christian Norgaard apologised to him after experiencing a difficult Premier League debut against Chelsea.

The Danish midfielder made his first appearance for Everton during their 2-0 defeat to Chelsea last weekend, but his brief involvement highlighted his lack of match fitness following an injury-disrupted pre-season.

Norgaard joined Arsenal from Brentford in 2025 for €12 million but struggled to establish himself as a regular member of Mikel Arteta’s squad.

During his only season in North London, the 32-year-old managed just 101 minutes across seven Premier League appearances, with most of his opportunities coming in domestic cup competitions.

Although he collected a Premier League winners’ medal, Norgaard decided to leave Arsenal during the summer in search of more regular football, completing an €8.2 million move to Everton.

However, a groin problem affected his preparations for the new campaign and prevented him from building the fitness required to compete regularly.

He eventually made his Everton debut against Chelsea, coming on as an 85th-minute substitute. Unfortunately, the midfielder struggled to influence proceedings, received a yellow card and surrendered possession on several occasions as his new team suffered a 2-0 loss.

Speaking about the situation, Moyes admitted that Norgaard was not as close to full fitness as the club had initially anticipated.

The Everton manager explained that although the midfielder had shown encouraging signs during training, his lack of pre-season preparation became evident when he entered the match.

“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.”

Moyes’ comments indicate that the Danish international still has work to do before reaching the physical condition required to become an important member of Everton’s midfield.

His fitness situation is particularly interesting ahead of Saturday’s Premier League encounter against Arsenal, where he could come up against his former teammates.

However, considering Moyes’ latest assessment, Norgaard’s involvement in the meeting remains uncertain as Everton continue to manage his recovery and gradual return to competitive football.