Chris Beesley and Joe Thomas discuss which Everton player they think could have the biggest say in whether the club qualifies for Europe
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - AUGUST 27: Beto of Everton celebrates scoring his team's second goal with teammate Iliman Ndiaye during the Carabao Cup Second Round match between Everton and Mansfield Town at Hill Dickinson Stadium on August 27, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
Beto celebrates scoring Everton's second goal with team-mate Iliman Ndiaye during the Carabao Cup match against Mansfield Town at Hill Dickinson Stadium on August 27, 2025(Image: Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
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Everton are in contention for a return to Europe with just nine games left to go.
To get there, they will have to overcome serious challenges - the Premier League returns this weekend with a trip to Arsenal while Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool are all still to visit Hill Dickinson Stadium before the campaign ends.
As it stands, every match of the run-in could be against a team with something to play for.
David Moyes has vowed to push hard over the final two months of the season. If he is to take the Blues back into midweek football on the continent he will need plenty of his squad to step up.
Here, Everton writers Chris Beesley and Joe Thomas consider which player could have the biggest say on how the rest of the campaign unfolds.
Chris Beesley
In my eyes, the player who can have the biggest say in Everton potentially securing a European place is Iliman Ndiaye. Having finished his first season on Merseyside as the Blues’ top scorer and following up netting their last two goals at Goodison Park with their inaugural strike in a competitive match at Hill Dickinson Stadium, Ndiaye remains the team’s magic man.
His incredible solo strike against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on November 3 was a piece of football genius, but over four months on, it remains his most recent goal from open play.
Everton’s malaise by the banks of the Mersey began while Ndiaye was away winning the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal as they embarked on the first four fixtures of their seven-game winless streak on home turf.
Like Idrissa Gueye, the winger, who turned 26 last week, initially looked leggy when returning from their triumph in Morocco, but during the back-to-back victories over Newcastle United and Burnley, the pair appeared to have got their mojo back.
Not only have the party pieces returned in Ndiaye’s game, but he’s producing tangible contributions like his assist for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's clinching second goal against the Clarets.
David Moyes’ men are going to have to pull off some big results in the final quarter of the season if they are to make it into continental competition and to do that, they need some stellar displays from their most talented individuals.
Ndiaye very much falls into that category and Everton will be hoping he gets back among the goals himself in some of these high-profile clashes on the horizon.
Joe Thomas
If Everton are to pull off what would have been the unthinkable at the start of the season and qualify for Europe then they will need most of the squad to play a role.
As Chris argues above, Iliman Ndiaye is clearly crucial, particularly given he is one of few players in the squad who can create something from nothing.
I do, as a side note, think one of Tyrique George or Tyler Dibling will therefore need to enter the fray with a bit of magic to take the pressure from Ndiaye's shoulders.
But a player who could be a real differential in the final weeks is, for me, Beto. That might seem an unusual pick given his challenges this season and that he is not a guaranteed starter - there is a healthy debate to be had around whether it should be the Guinea Bissau international or Thierno Barry who leads the line for the rest of the campaign.
And one of the reasons the debate is so tough is because both have missed good chances at key moments.
I do think one potential positive for Everton's run-in is that they are so well positioned and yet it feels like there is more to come from so many players. Unlocking that potential is key.
When Beto was at his best last season he was unplayable. Yes, it came in a short run of games - from the end of January through to March - but during that period he scored the goals that took the BLues clear of any trouble.
He also scored in big games - against Manchester United and Liverpool - and bullied backlines in doing so. Brentford majority shareholder Matthew Benham highlighted his ability to be in positions to get good chances as he discussed what to look for in a striker at a conference in the USA last week and while his finishing can be wayward, he does tend to cause problems.
Beto has picked up two important goals in recent weeks and the way he brushed off Malick Thiaw on the sideline to then burst through at St James' Park hinted that he might be on the cusp of one of those surges in form and confidence.
That he smashed the chance against the bar was frustrating but, given it did not prove a costly miss, hopefully he can build on recent weeks and add some real menace to the Blues' attack.
Had they had that already this season then they would be in the conversation for the Champions League positions.