David Moyes offers his reaction after his Everton side were pegged back twice in drawing 2-2 with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 10: David Moyes, Manager of Everton, applauds the fans following 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)
David Moyes applauds the travelling Everton fans following the Premier League draw at Crystal Palace (Image: Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
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David Moyes conceded Everton’s dreams of European football next season were “drifting away” after the 2-2 draw at Crystal Palace.
His side led twice in a game they needed to win to maintain serious hopes of finishing in the top eight but were pegged back first by Ismaila Sarr and later by Jean-Philippe Mateta.
It was a frustrating afternoon in south London given it had promised so much as James Tarkowski and Beto each put the Blues ahead amid a glut of chances in both halves.
The draw means Everton will end the weekend 10th, two points off eighth-placed Brentford with two games to go but with a host of clubs battling with them for a spot in the Europa Conference League.
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Moyes has made Europe a target since he returned to the club in January 2025 - though his words were largely part of an effort to raise expectations and boost morale after years of relegation fights.
Had this season led to midweek football on the continent - and it still could - it would come as a surprise to most people but it had started to feel tantalisingly close before an international break that destroyed the Blues' momentum at a critical period.
Asked what he thought this latest result meant for a tilt at Europe next season, a disappointed Moyes said: “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 was clearly frustrated with the way in which the Blues dropped points from a good position for a fourth consecutive game.
He said: “I'm using the word disappointing again - that we couldn't hang on. Certainly, when we went 2-1 up, I felt as if we probably had a chance to get another goal. But hey, I thought the game in general could have been 3-3, 4-4. I thought both teams had several opportunities.
“But 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].
"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.”