Everton squandered a lead for the second time in a week on Sunday as Jean-Philippe Mateta fired home for Crystal Palace to ensure the spoils were shared in south London.
Daily Mail Sport’s GETHIN HICKS was in position at Selhurst Park to analyse the action.
Moyes’s drifting dreams of Europe
It was a few miles north-west of Selhurst Park in February where David Moyes admitted European football was the target after a late Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall strike earned his side all three points at Fulham.
That winter’s evening, he also joked in the old-fashioned media room at Craven Cottage that reporters may ‘laugh’ at such a suggestion come the season’s end.
Yet, here we are a couple of weeks out from that point, and David Moyes’s dream is still alive and kicking. If perhaps only just.
The spoils were shared between Everton and Crystal Palace on Sunday in what was an end-to-end affair
James Tarkowski put the visitors in the lead early on with a tap-in after an inswinging Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall corner
Eventually Jean-Philippe Mateta earned the Eagles a draw with a left-footed strike on 77 minutes
James Tarkowski put the visitors one-up early on against Palace when he tapped home a Dewsbury-Hall in-swinging corner. In the period that followed, Everton should have made it two or three.
Dewsbury-Hall, who was at the centre of much of Everton’s good work, twice squandered good chances in front of goal. Later, Ndiaye saw a close-range header tipped around the post by Jordan Pickford.
Eventually Ismaila Sarr equalised for Palace, only for the endeavouring Beto to restore the visitors’ lead after the interval with a neat finish through the legs of Dean Henderson.
With the away end in raptures, it felt at that point as though Everton would be leaving the capital victorious against a tiresome Palace side in the wake of Thursday evening’s euphoria. Yet, boosted by the introduction of Mateta, the hosts found a new lease of life – and it was the Frenchman who equalised on 77 minutes.
Both sides had chances to clinch it – and good ones at that. Bearing down on goal, Mateta chipped over in injury time after Adam Wharton, still searching for his maiden Eagles goal, struck the post from distance.
However Everton’s biggest chance fell to Iliman Ndiaye, who was characteristically eye-catching throughout. Slotted in after a surging run from Tim Iroegbunam on 92 minutes, Ndiaye saw a side-footed effort tipped over by the ever-reliable Dean Henderson to ensure this entertaining clash ended level.
The draw leaves Everton tenth, two points adrift of a European spot. Moyes may come to rue the opportunities his side missed this week both here and against Man City. For now, the Toffees can keep dreaming.
Sarr steps into the spotlight
If there’s one trait which bygone stars Eberechi Eze, Michael Olise and Wilfried Zaha shared it was flair.
Picture Zaha leaving his full-back for dead with a sublime piece of skill, Olise bending one in from distance with that wand of a left foot, or Eze slicing open a back-four with a pass seemingly only he could see.
Those are however now distant and happy memories in this part of the capital, where Palace fans have come to love another forward.
Ismaila Sarr’s strike against the Toffees – a low, driven equaliser past Jordan Pickford on 34 minutes – marked his 20th goal of the season
Sarr may not boast Eze, Olise or Zaha’s obvious technical brilliance, but his relentless hard-work, pace and clinical finishing has helped him effortlessly fill the void left by Eze’s departure
Ismaila Sarr’s strike against the Toffees – a low, driven equaliser past Jordan Pickford on 34 minutes – marked his 20th goal of the season. Not one of the aforementioned trio reached such goalscoring heights in a single campaign during their time at Palace.
Sarr may not boast Eze, Olise or Zaha’s obvious technical brilliance, but his relentless hard-work, pace and clinical finishing has helped him effortlessly fill the void left by Eze’s departure.
The Senegalese had chances to win it too and was an almost constant threat, particularly after the introduction of Mateta, whose rapport with supporters seems to have been restored. ‘Boom, boom boom’, was the cry from the terraces after the big man’s goal. You could’ve been forgiven for mistaking those chants for boos.
This draw will ultimately pale into insignificance for Oliver Glasner and his players amid their quest for European glory.
17 sleeps remain until they face off with Rayo Vallecano for the Europa Conference League. A year ago it was Eze who stepped up at Wembley, now the onus could fall on Sarr to inspire in Leipzig.
