Everton’s hopes of qualifying for Europe suffered another setback after Crystal Palace twice came from behind in a thrilling 2-2 draw.
Everton’s push for European football suffered another damaging setback after Crystal Palace fought back twice to earn a 2-2 draw at Selhurst Park on Sunday. David Moyes’ side led on two occasions but failed to hold onto their advantage in an open and entertaining contest.
The Toffees remain 10th in the Premier League table with 49 points and are now six points behind the top six with only two matches remaining. Palace, meanwhile, moved further clear of the relegation zone and continued building momentum ahead of their Conference League final later this month.
Everton made the perfect start and opened the scoring after just six minutes. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s corner caused confusion inside the Palace penalty area before the ball dropped kindly for James Tarkowski, who volleyed home unmarked at the far post.
The visitors continued to threaten during a frantic opening spell. Jordan Pickford produced an excellent save to deny Maxence Lacroix before Everton immediately countered, with Dean Henderson responding well to stop Dewsbury-Hall at the other end.
Crystal Palace gradually settled into the match and began creating chances of their own. Their equaliser arrived in the 34th minute after Michael Keane failed to clear effectively, allowing Ismaila Sarr to react quickest and smash a deflected rebound beyond Pickford from close range.
Everton regained the lead almost immediately after halftime through a moment of individual brilliance from Beto. Tarkowski’s long pass released the striker, who shrugged off Lacroix before calmly slotting his finish through Henderson’s legs in the 47th minute.
The visitors looked dangerous whenever they attacked and nearly extended their lead moments later. James Garner’s fierce free-kick forced Henderson into a strong save as Palace struggled to contain Everton’s direct approach.
Despite falling behind again, Palace continued to push forward with energy. Oliver Glasner introduced Jean-Philippe Mateta midway through the second half, and the substitute quickly made an impact as the hosts increased the pressure in the closing stages.
Palace finally found their equaliser in the 77th minute. Tyrick Mitchell’s low cross reached Mateta inside the area and the French striker powered a clinical finish into the roof of the net from close range. The closing minutes remained wide open as both teams chased a winner. Adam Wharton came closest for Palace when his powerful long-range effort crashed against the post in stoppage time. Mateta also missed a clear opportunity late on, while Iliman Ndiaye fired over at the opposite end.
Everton have now gone five Premier League matches without a victory and their hopes of securing European football are fading rapidly. Moyes’ side have dropped valuable points after leading in consecutive games following last week’s dramatic draw against Manchester City.
Crystal Palace edged the contest statistically and finished with an expected goals tally of 2.66 compared to Everton’s 1.55. Both teams registered seven shots on target during an entertaining afternoon at Selhurst Park. Palace also enjoyed more possession and created the stronger chances during the closing stages. Everton, however, remained dangerous in transition and threatened consistently through Beto’s movement and direct running.
Tarkowski delivered another influential display for Everton and contributed both a goal and an assist. The defender’s long pass for Beto’s strike highlighted his growing importance in Moyes’ attacking build-up. Beto also impressed with a powerful centre-forward performance and scored his second goal in three league matches. For Palace, Sarr continued his strong campaign by reaching 20 goals in all competitions this season.
Mateta once again proved decisive from the bench. The Frenchman’s late strike rescued an important point and maintained Palace’s positive momentum heading into the final weeks of the season.
Crystal Palace travel to Manchester City on Wednesday before returning to league action against Arsenal next weekend. Everton host Sunderland in their next Premier League fixture before finishing the campaign away to Tottenham Hotspur.
