Everton player ratings from the 2-2 Premier League draw with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 10: James Tarkowski of Everton celebrates scoring his team's first goal with teammate Beto during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Everton at Selhurst Park on May 10, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
Goalscorers James Tarkowski and Beto celebrate after the former opened the scoring for Everton in their 2-2 draw at Crystal Palace(Image: Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
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Everton were left frustrated in their attempts to push for a European place as they twice squandered a lead against Crystal Palace to draw 2-2 at Selhurst Park.
Captain James Tarkowski fired the visitors in front after six minutes with a cool back-post finish from a corner but Ismaila Sarr brought the hosts level on 34 minutes.
David Moyes’ men were back in front just two minutes into the second half as Beto latched on to a through-ball from Tarkowski to outmuscle Maxence Lacroix and shoot through Dean Henderson’s legs but ultimately the Blues were pinned back again.
Tyrique Mitchell escaped the attentions of Merlin Rohl to find Jean-Philippe Mateta and the substitute restored parity on 77 minutes, leaving Everton desperately disappointed.
And here is how we rated the players...
Jordan Pickford 6
Smart saves either side of the break to deny Lacroix and claw away a close-range effort after Keane tussled with substitute Mateta but will be disappointed he couldn’t keep out Sarr’s wickedly struck shot for the first equaliser although there was little he could for Mateta’s emphatic finish to restore parity a second time.
Jake O’Brien 6
Returning to the club where he failed to make a senior appearance, he found himself mostly having to defend with few opportunities to join in the visitors’ forays forward and Everton could have done with his physicality when Mitchell was left one-on-one with Rohl to put in the cross from Mateta’s goal.
Vitalii Mykolenko 6
Ventured forwards a couple of times early on to supplement the attack but subsequently spent prolonged periods pinned back with plenty of Palace’s threat coming down his flank and he was booked just before the break for pulling down Daichi Kamada.
James Tarkowski 7
A hero in both penalty areas, the Everton captain was the calmest man in Selhurst Park as he coolly took his back post opportunity with the ease of a prolific striker rather than centre-back to fire his side in front before deflecting a Chris Richards header over the bar to safety and then playing the through-ball to Beto to restore the visitors’ advantage.
Michael Keane 5
Fairly solid overall but was outdone twice in the build-up to Palace’s first equaliser as first Jorgen Strand Larsen beat him in the air and then he could only clear into Sarr’s path while neither he nor Tarkowski could get close enough to Mateta for the second.
Tim Iroegbunam 6
Another encouraging display in the engine room deputising for Idrissa Gueye as he broke up opposition play but squandered an inviting opportunity that came his way with shot that ended up closer to the corner flag like Beto’s first half effort in the Merseyside derby.
James Garner 7
Action-packed display from the midfielder, he showed silk with his deliveries and steel with his challenges, including one on Brennan Johnson that earned him a yellow card after earlier clattering Sarr.
Merlin Rohl 6
Another fleet-footed performance down the right flank from the German, he offered Everton a different kind of dimension from wide areas but is still learning his new position as demonstrated by his failure to cut out Mitchell’s cross to Mateta for Palace to equalise a second time.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall 6
Delivered the corner-kick that was flicked on for the early goal, he produced a lively display, getting at Palace’s players but he should have done better with a first half chance that fell on his weaker right foot and then couldn’t get the ball to fall kindly for him when bowled out by Pickford while his blushes were spared by an offside flag when hitting the post when one-on-one in the final stages.
Iliman Ndiaye 5
He was something of a nearly man as carrying on from a strong second half display against Manchester City when only his finishing let him down, there were a few promising but tantalising combinations with Dewsbury-Hall plus a close-range header being deflected and cleared off the line then having his stoppage time shot tipped over the bar by Henderson.
Beto 7
Displayed brains as well as brawn to fire Everton back in front, latching onto a through-ball from Tarkowski and outmuscling Lacroix before having the composure to fire his shot through Henderson’s legs, he kept Palace’s defenders occupied throughout.
SUBS
Thierno Barry (on 70 for Beto) 5
Unable to replicate the super sub performance he showed against Man City as Palace’s defenders were able to ease up from the physical battle once Beto made way.
Tyrique George (on 80 for Rohl)
Lively cameo, he set up Ndiaye for his late chance.
Charly Alcaraz (on 93 for Dewsbury-Hall)
Stoppage time outing.
Christopher Beesley
Christopher Beesley