A look at where Everton stand in the hunt for European qualification after the agonising defeat to Liverpool
David Moyes looks on prior to the Premier League match between Everton and Liverpool at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
David Moyes looks on prior to the Premier League match between Everton and Liverpool at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
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Everton’s Merseyside derby disappointment was a setback to their European ambitions but the damage was limited by results elsewhere.
While Liverpool’s late winner took them eight clear of the Blues, putting fifth place and the current final Champions League spot beyond realistic reach, most of Everton’s rivals failed to seize control of the fight for sixth and seventh.
How far down the table the European spots will go is yet to be decided and there are still so many permutations it is impossible to provide a definitive overview of the Blues' present position.
But given which sides are still competing for European and domestic glory, there is a reasonable chance that eighth could end up yielding a place in the Europa Conference League - something that would happen if Manchester City were to win the FA Cup.
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Everton’s primary focus will be on the top seven and, while they dropped down 10th as a result of Virgil van Dijk’s stoppage-time header, they did not lose serious ground on any of the teams around them.
With Chelsea having lost to Manchester United, the Blues remain a solitary point behind the London club, who currently sit in sixth.
That is a position that would confirm a place in the Europa League but which could still become a Champions League spot if, for instance, Aston Villa were to finish fifth and win the Europa League.
Bournemouth were the big winners of the weekend, leapfrogging Everton and others courtesy of Adrien Truffert’s late winner at Newcastle United.
But the upside of that result was that Newcastle are now five points behind David Moyes' with five games to play and six points off the top eight.
Crystal Palace’s draw at home to West Ham United also represented a missed opportunity to push them into serious contention and they also now have a lot of work to do now they are four points behind Everton, five off the top eight and with a host of clubs above them. They could still qualify for the Europa League if they win the Europa Conference League, however.
With Brighton, Brentford and Fulham drawing and Sunderland losing, little changed over a weekend that provided a devastating result for the Blues but one that did not seriously impact their European hopes.
The coming days could change that with Brighton and Chelsea playing each other on Tuesday night before Bournemouth host Leeds and Nottingham Forest travel to Sunderland before the weekend - meaning Everton could find themselves playing catch-up when they travel to West Ham United on Saturday.
The other league that could impact Everton’s European ambitions is Serie A.
The Friedkin Group, which owns the Blues and Roma, has implied it is confident that work behind the scenes means that should both clubs qualify for the same competition, neither would lose out through rules created to manage sister clubs competing against each other.
That position is yet to be tested, however, and UEFA was rigorous in its scrutiny of this matter last season.
Roma drew with Atalanta on Saturday night meaning they maintained a healthy distance to the side best-placed to catch them and knock them out of the European spots in Serie A.
Como’s defeat to Sassuolo prevented Cesc Fabregas’ team from moving clear of Roma.
However, Juventus’ win over Bologna put them five points clear of Roma in the battle for the Champions League with five matches to play.
Put simply, both Everton and Roma’s Champions League hopes were dealt serious blows at the weekend, making it more likely that, if they were to both qualify for Europe, it would be in either the Europa League or the Europa Conference League.
If both were to get into the same tournament and UEFA ruled against the Friedkins’ belief there is sufficient distance in the management of the two clubs, the Blues would lose out as the rules favour the side that finishes highest in their respective league.
In most scenarios where they reach the same competition, Roma would finish in a better position than Everton.
One of Como and Inter, two teams currently above Roma, could still win the Coppa Italia, which provides a place in the Europa League. They meet in the second leg of their semi-final on Tuesday night.