Everton FC reporters Joe Thomas and Chris Beesley look ahead to the final four games of a season that could still end with a valuable prize
David Moyes looks on during warm ups prior to the Premier League match between West Ham United and Everton at London Stadium. Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images
David Moyes looks on during warm ups prior to the Premier League match between West Ham United and Everton at London Stadium. Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images
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Everton go into the final month of the 2025/26 season with four Premier League fixtures left to play. What do the Blues need to do to secure European football, how many points will it take and will they ultimately clinch that prize?
ECHO Everton reporters Joe Thomas and Chris Beesley both have their say...
Joe Thomas
There was always a danger the most recent international break would halt Everton’s momentum and that has been the case. The reality is the Blues just haven’t really got going since the return and, as a result, have moved from the frontrunners for Europe into the chasing pack.
Despite their struggles, they have still managed to stay within games and have shown a degree of resilience in each of the three matches since the break. They came from behind against Brentford, Liverpool and West Ham United and had it not been for two stoppage time goals could have drawn all three. That may still have been underwhelming but if you were to add two points to Everton’s current tally then they would be in a much stronger position.
On the one hand, I want to find a positive from the recent run and that would be that, despite only playing well for that first 30 minutes against Liverpool (and they did play very well in that period), they have stayed in games and kept on fighting. I have to use that as a source of inspiration - that they have been competitive while underperforming and therefore could be dangerous again if they can get things to click.
To have a chance, they need to cut out the issues at set pieces - the loss of Jarrad Branthwaite and Beto late against Liverpool and then for West Ham was a significant blow that had repercussions in both games. The hope is Beto will be back for Manchester City after his concussion.
They also need some players from the wider squad to step up. This team has been heavily reliant on Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Iliman Ndiaye, James Garner and Jordan Pickford this season. They have repeatedly produced moments of magic that have made a difference and may well do so again - Dewsbury-Hall has not stopped, in fairness to him.
But there are other players, particularly going forward, who need to chip in. Beto has been doing that and Tyrique George has shown promise from the bench. Finding some gold from Dwight McNeil, Tyler Dibling, Carlos Alcaraz and Thierno Barry would be very useful right now.
In order for the likes of Dibling and Alcaraz and, to an extent, George, to find a big moment, they need to be on the pitch. I do think David Moyes could have done more to freshen his sides in the second half of the past two matches - he was proactive at Brentford. Now may be the time to be bolder when games are in the balance. That also means looking to the likes of Merlin Rohl, Tim Iroegbunam and Harrison Armstrong in the middle and maybe Adam Aznou and Nathan Patterson at full back. Everton have not had a long, gruelling campaign. They have a small squad but they have plenty of players who could help them change things around later on in games against the likes of Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur, who have had long European campaigns.
This weekend is vital for me. I do think Everton can make up ground against Palace, Sunderland and Spurs - there is a chance all three have nothing to play for when they meet the Blues and Palace will have an eye on their Europa Conference League semi-final. But with Everton (with Fulham) having the toughest games of the pack this weekend, it would be really handy not to get cut adrift. If Newcastle United and Palace could take points off Brighton and Bournemouth respectively, that would take some of the pressure off a hard game against City.
Everton should not fear that game, though - they played well at the Etihad earlier in the season and the visitors may go into the game six points adrift of Arsenal in the title race and knowing they need a win to keep up their hopes of winning the league.
City could be the game that kickstarts Everton for the run-in, but even if it is not there will still be a chance of Europe - particularly if eighth spot allows for that. Everton can ill-afford to miss more chances to keep their destiny in their own hands, though. I think eight points would get them into the top eight, maybe even seven, which can only be achieved with a strong finish.
Chris Beesley
What must Everton do to get into Europe from these last four games? I think they need to avoid defeat against Manchester City and then target back-to-back wins over Crystal Palace and Sunderland.
It’s easier said than done given that Pep Guardiola’s side are now eyeing the Premier League title again after coming up on the rails against Arsenal. The Blues might have enjoy an opportune moment with a trip to Selhurst Park coming after the Eagles’ Conference League semi-final second leg against Shakhtar Donetsk but David Moyes’ men have made a meal of their two matches against the Black Cats so far this term, albeit with the squad down to the bare bones for their FA Cup third round exit in January.
Only then, can they assess if they’re still in the mix going to Tottenham Hotspur on the final day, who look like they could still be fighting for their Premier League lives. It’s certainly looks like a tough ask.
I thought that Everton looked to be in a decent position after the 3-0 win over Chelsea, but they’ve struggled to rekindle that form after returning from their three-week break. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s stoppage time equaliser at the Gtech Community Stadium looked like securing a precious point against Brentford, but that was only the case if the Blues could follow up that draw with their European rivals with positive results against Liverpool and West Ham United.
That’s not been the case though and while Everton have not been cut adrift, with their next game against Manchester City not until next Monday, they potentially could be by the time they return to the field. Either way, they appear to be outsiders in the race.
Along with the obvious factor of cutting out conceding soft goals from corner kicks and speculative crosses into the box that have caused that brace of stoppage time defeats to the Reds and the Hammers, the Blues also need their creative forces to start firing on all cylinders again, namely magic man Iliman Ndiaye and James Garner who has been the team’s shining light for most of the campaign.
When I interviewed Moyes in the team’s hotel in Chicago while covering the Premier League Summer Series, he told me that getting Everton back into European competition was his first goal. Personally, I tipped the Blues to finish 10th before a ball was kicked this season, and if they do that then they’ll fall just short of Europe.
Whatever happens, this historic first season at Hill Dickinson Stadium has increased the levels on the final campaign of Goodison Park, so we must hope the team can improve on their 13th position in 2025. Just doing that would represent relative success but given what the run-in tantalisingly promised going into April, missing out on continental competition this time around would still bring a certain sense of regret and disappointment.