Yet as the Toffees prepare to travel to the City of Manchester Stadium on Monday night, the Scot has lost none of the conviction that his team are as good as Roberto Mancini's expensively-assembled, title-chasing side.
Everton are labouring in the bottom half of the Barclays Premier League after seven games without a win but the Merseysiders have proved their quality in the past and Moyes expects them to again.
"I think City are a stronger side, they have had a year more of development," Moyes said. "They have spent again to get themselves up there and they look as if they are a bit more established.
"They are a good side with good players and they have got themselves in a healthy position. You won't know until the end but I would still put them as outsiders to win the Premier League.
"I hoped we would have been in a similar position but our start and the way we are at the moment makes that look very impossible, but we are a good team as well - that gives us a chance of going there and showing what we can do."
Source: PA
Source: PA