- David Moyes hasn’t ruled out Everton from Europe
- Everton extended its winless run to five Premier League games now
- David Moyes has two games remaining to salvage any European dream for Everton
Everton’s winless run extended to five Premier League games after a 2-2 draw at Crystal Palace on Sunday. It is the club’s longest streak without success since a run of six between February and April 2025.
David Moyes’ side twice took the lead through James Tarkowski and Beto, but were pegged back on both occasions. Speaking after the match, a disappointed Moyes admitted the European dream is fading but refused to write it off completely.
David Moyes: ‘We missed some big chances’
The Everton manager was frustrated by his team’s inability to capitalise on key moments. “We did OK. 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. They did as well – but we had a chance to go 2-0, and we didn’t take it. Credit to Crystal Palace, they stuck in.”
He highlighted the form of his usual goal scorers. “Our key finishers for all the season have been the likes of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Iliman Ndiaye. They have slightly gone off the boil as far as their finishing goes. Thankfully, Beto and [Thierno] Barry have stepped up in recent games, but I thought today we needed their craft just to get us [a win].”
Moyes pointed to specific moments that could have changed the game. “Ili’s chance to make it 3-2, Kiernan got through, he could have put us 2-0 in front, but he didn’t quite, and that might have just started taking the steam out of Palace because I thought in the main Palace played well. I thought that we never played at our best level, certainly not with the ball. Today it was a bit of a scrap from that point of view.”
David Moyes believes European chances are drifting away
When asked what the result meant for European qualification, Moyes acknowledged the growing difficulty.
“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,” he said. “It’s getting tougher every game we’re not winning.”
He added: “I’ve got to the stage now where I’m saying: ‘Isn’t it great that, imagine talking about ever being in Europe after the years we’ve had recently’. This time last year I think most of the questions were that we were going to lose 12 players and were about to leave Goodison and moving to a new stadium – how do you think this is going to be?
“In truth, we’ve not had the word relegation too close to us most of the year. I don’t necessarily see that as success, but I see it from where Everton have come from. I see that it’s been certainly a step up.
“And I’ve enjoyed talking about Europe, because it’s making the supporters dream again and me hopeful that maybe it can happen again. As you know, I’ve done it at West Ham, so I was hoping that I could get to a level where we could try and be competitive again at the European level. It has not gone yet, but it’s certainly drifting a wee bit away from us at the moment.”
Moyes summed up the game’s chaotic nature. “I thought the game in general could have been 3-3, 4-4. I thought both teams had several opportunities.” With two games remaining, at home to Sunderland and away to Tottenham, Everton’s European hopes are hanging by a thread. But as Moyes said, they are not out of it yet. The dream is still alive, just about.
