DAVID MOYES has warned Everton's rivals his in-form team are ready to pounce on any slip-ups as the scrap for European qualification enters the final stretch.

Moyes's men extended their impressive Premier League form to just two defeats in 17 games with an outstanding 2-0 win at Manchester City on Wednesday night.

The Goodison outfit can move level on points – albeit temporarily – with both Liverpool and Aston Villa with victory at Wolverhampton Wanderers this afternoon.

Sixth-placed neighbours Liverpool currently occupy the final Europa League berth, although seventh may be enough to qualify should Tottenham Hotspur beat Fulham in their FA Cup semi-final later this month.

Moyes remains cautious about Everton's top-six prospects. But with the teams immediately above them all having faltered in recent weeks, the Everton manager acknowledges his players are in the mood to capitalise.

“I feel we’ve had our bad spell and that’s gone,” said Moyes. “Those other teams have been in the top spots all year and it’s like the Grand National: can you stay out in front or are you going to get pegged back in the long race around the course?

“We could come up on the blind side, but we need teams above us to falter, to really come apart. But my players are trying their hardest to achieve something despite the poor start we had to the campaign that really did for us.

“Everybody would rather have the points in the bag, though, because it’s another game off and another one less that you have to win. We know we’ve got a long way to come from behind.”

Despite taking just 15 points from their first 14 games, Everton are only three points off their total for the same stage as last season, when they ultimately finished fifth.