Moyes' side face West Ham at Goodison Park this evening in a crucial match in their race with Liverpool for Champions League qualification.

And having beaten West Ham twice already this season in the Carling Cup and December's league clash at Upton Park, Toffees fans would be forgiven thinking their side should beat the Hammers in this one.

But Moyes claimed that what happened to West Ham in the thrashings against Chelsea, Liverpool and Spurs could have happened to anybody.

Moyes said: "I am not under-estimating West Ham, because of those three 4-0 defeats. They walked into three very hard games inside a week with Chelsea, Liverpool and then Spurs.

"It could have happened to anybody. West Ham hit one or two in-form teams at the wrong time, so we will not be taking anything for granted, we know it will be a hard game.

"We had to play really well down at West Ham earlier in the season for those two victories. They have been improving, considering they almost went down last season.

"Now they are in the top half of the table, so that is good progress for Alan Curbishley."

Everton could well be without Tim Cahill and Andrew Johnson with hip and groin injuries respectively, but should have Victor Anichebe and Manuel Fernandes back in contention.

And Moyes knows Everton must win to keep the pressure on Liverpool in the race for fourth, with the Anfield men not playing until tomorrow's tough trip to Manchester United.

Moyes added: "We have given the lads a few days off this week, they have deserved it after their efforts so far this season.

"We had lost only one of nine league games until last weekend at Fulham. We did not quite reach the right standards at Craven Cottage, that was all.

"It is all mentally draining. Physically we have been able to pick ourselves up when we have had a lot of games, but sometimes it is tough mentally."

And Moyes agrees with many managers who view next week's international break as pointless.

He said: "For the international boys, this next week is very difficult. Deep down the players feel maybe it is daft to be going to play these games because they are all right in the thick of Premier League issues.

"The games the players are involved in at the moment really mean something, these international friendlies don't."