An overview of what the weekend's results mean for David Moyes' European hopes
David Moyes after Everton's defeat to West Ham (Photo by Rob Newell - CameraSport via Getty Images)
David Moyes after Everton's defeat to West Ham (Photo by Rob Newell - CameraSport via Getty Images)
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Everton’s second stoppage time defeat in six days could prove costly in the race for Europe but, for now, the damage is yet to have been done.
While the result was a missed opportunity for a team that looked comfortable in the first half but was undone by crosses into the box at either end of the second half, most of the other teams in the battle failed to capitalise over the course of the game week.
With the exception of Brighton, the only other team in the pack to win was Fulham. And while that success over Aston Villa pushed Everton into the bottom half of the Premier League table, Everton remain three points from sixth and just one from eighth, which may yet yield a place in Europe. Results also pushed Villa to fifth - if they were to remain there and win the Europa League then sixth would qualify for the Champions League.
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All is by no means lost, then. Brentford’s defeat at Manchester United on Monday night was a useful one and extended the Bees’ winless run to six games. Chelsea earned a big win over Leeds United in the FA Cup but their defeat to Brighton last week continued their wretched league form.
There is, then, still hope for Everton with four games to go. This weekend could be decisive, though. That is because the Blues face one of the most challenging games of the group of teams battling for sixth, seventh and, potentially, eighth.
Brentford host a West Ham side that is capable but also fighting for survival, while Brighton travel to Newcastle United in a tough game but St James’ Park has been repeatedly breached this season - including by Everton.
Sunderland travel to already relegated Wolves and Bournemouth host Crystal Palace. The Newcastle and Bournemouth games will see teams in the hunt take points from each other, but Everton could do without wins for Brighton and the Cherries as that would put daylight between the south coast clubs and the Blues before they host title-chasing Manchester City on Monday night.
Chelsea host a Nottingham Forest side that is still scrapping and picked up a vital win at Sunderland on Friday and Fulham travel to league leaders Arsenal, for what is a tough game.
Everton’s run-in opens up after City, with a trip to a Palace side that will be out of realistic contention for Europe via the league should they fail to beat Bournemouth. Palace will also be focused on their Europa Conference League semi-final. After that the Blues host a Sunderland team that could also be out of the European picture depending on how they fare at Wolves and then at home to Manchester United. Everton’s final game at Tottenham Hotspur still threatens to be a crucial one for both sides.
The defeats to Liverpool and West Ham mean Everton’s plight now involves watching how other sides fare but a big performance and result against City would likely put Everton into a strong position with three to go. City's FA Cup semi-final win over Southampton was useful for Everton as, should they win the competition, it would likely lead to eighth earning a place in the Conference League.
Over in Serie A, Roma’s win at Bologna coupled with Atalanta’s defeat to Cagliari has all-but guaranteed the fellow Friedkin Group side qualification for Europe. They sit sixth, currently a Conference League spot, but are level with fifth-placed Como (in the Europe League position) and are three points off Juventus in the final Champions League slot.
Should Everton and Roma qualify for the same competition then UEFA will probe whether there is sufficient distance between how the clubs are controlled to prevent a conflict of interest that could see one forced out. Everton would likely lose that battle through finishing lower in their league, though TFG and Everton believe they have acted to prevent one club from losing out at the expense of the other.