(Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
David Moyes has insisted that Everton are ‘not out’ of the race for European football despite more dropped points at Crystal Palace.
The Toffees twice led at Selhurst Park but were unable to hold on for the points, in what has frustratingly been a recurring theme in recent weeks. The result extends the club’s winless Premier League run to five games and leaves Everton 10th in the table, four points adrift of the European places.
An end-to-end game featured four goals and no shortage of incidents, with James Tarkowski opening the scoring early on, before some slack defending allowed Ismaila Sarr to level before the break.
Beto’s super solo effort restored the lead, only for Jean-Philippe Mateta’s equaliser to dent dreams of a European place.
For most watching on, it was a case of déjà vu and a script that was painfully predictable. Shortcomings in both boxes again reared their ugly head, adding to a recent run that looks likely to leave the season’s review as a case of what might have been.
Moyes’s post-match chat featured frustration and a bemoaning his side’s lack of killer instinct.
“We did okay. We gave up some chances — the game could have been 4-4 or 5-5 at one point. We are trying to win at the moment, but we missed some big chances to make it 2-0,” he reflected to Match of the Day.
“They did as well – but we had a chance to go 2-0, and we didn’t take it. Maybe if we had got that after midweek, it might have been a different game. Credit to Crystal Palace, they stuck in.”
Everton now need to win the remaining fixtures against Sunderland and Tottenham to have any chance of a place in Europe next season. Despite that, Moyes insists their ambitions are not over.
“It’s amazing that we are actually talking about Everton possibly being in Europe with two games to go — and we’re not out of it yet. It’s getting tougher every game we’re not winning.”