David Moyes has admitted Everton’s push for European football is beginning to slip away after Crystal Palace twice battled back to claim a dramatic 2-2 draw at Selhurst Park.
The Toffees looked on course for a crucial victory after taking the lead on two separate occasions in South London, only for Jean-Philippe Mateta’s late strike to deny them all three points and leave their top-seven ambitions hanging by a thread.
Everton started brightly and grabbed an early breakthrough when James Tarkowski reacted quickest from a corner to stab home inside the opening stages.
But Palace responded with intensity, and Ismaila Sarr punished a defensive mix-up after Michael Keane failed to properly clear his lines, smashing home the equaliser in an entertaining first half.
Moyes’ side regained control shortly after the restart thanks to a stunning solo effort from Beto.
The striker powered forward from midfield, weaving past defenders before calmly finishing beyond Dean Henderson in what looked destined to become the winning goal.
Instead, Everton suffered familiar late frustration.As Palace pushed forward in the closing stages, Tyrick Mitchell’s dangerous cutback found Mateta, who rifled his finish into the roof of the net with 14 minutes remaining to rescue a deserved point for the Eagles.
The result leaves Everton still chasing European qualification, but Moyes admitted momentum is beginning to fade at the worst possible time of the season.
“I’ve enjoyed talking about Europe because it’s making Everton supporters dream again,” Moyes said.
“This time last year, most of the conversations around Everton were completely different. People were talking about relegation fears, players leaving, and uncertainty around the club.
“The truth is we’ve moved forward from that situation, and that’s important. But right now, Europe is drifting away from us.”
The Everton boss cut a frustrated figure after watching his team fail to protect another lead, just days after a similar collapse against Manchester City.
“I’m disappointed again that we couldn’t hang on after going 2-1 up,” he admitted. “We probably had chances to score another one and finish the game off.
“To be fair, it was open football. It could easily have ended 3-3 or 4-4 because both teams created a lot.”
Moyes also pointed to the recent struggles of some of Everton’s attacking players, insisting the squad has lacked composure in decisive moments.
“Our key finishers haven’t quite been at their sharpest lately,” he explained. “Thankfully Beto and Thierno Barry have stepped up, but today we probably needed a bit more quality in the final third to get the winner.”
Despite the disappointment, Everton’s progress under Moyes remains clear.
The club has moved away from the relegation battles that defined recent campaigns and re-established itself as a competitive Premier League side.
However, with crucial fixtures running out, the Toffees may now need near-perfect results in the closing weeks if they are to keep their European dream alive.
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