Moyes insists Everton ‘not out of it yet’ in race for Europe despite latest setback

(Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

David Moyes has insisted that Everton are ‘not out’ of the race for European football despite more dropped points at Crystal Palace.

The Toffees twice led at Selhurst Park but were unable to hold on for the points, in what has frustratingly been a recurring theme in recent weeks. The result extends the club’s winless Premier League run to five games and leaves Everton 10th in the table, four points adrift of the European places.

An end-to-end game featured four goals and no shortage of incidents, with James Tarkowski opening the scoring early on, before some slack defending allowed Ismaila Sarr to level before the break.

Beto’s super solo effort restored the lead, only for Jean-Philippe Mateta’s equaliser to dent dreams of a European place.

For most watching on, it was a case of déjà vu and a script that was painfully predictable. Shortcomings in both boxes again reared their ugly head, adding to a recent run that looks likely to leave the season’s review as a case of what might have been.

Moyes’s post-match chat featured frustration and a bemoaning his side’s lack of killer instinct.

"We did okay. We gave up some chances — the game could have been 4-4 or 5-5 at one point. We are trying to win at the moment, but we missed some big chances to make it 2-0,” he reflected to Match of the Day.

“They did as well - but we had a chance to go 2-0, and we didn't take it. Maybe if we had got that after midweek, it might have been a different game. Credit to Crystal Palace, they stuck in."

Everton now need to win the remaining fixtures against Sunderland and Tottenham to have any chance of a place in Europe next season. Despite that, Moyes insists their ambitions are not over.

"It's amazing that we are actually talking about Everton possibly being in Europe with two games to go — and we're not out of it yet. It's getting tougher every game we're not winning.”

Reader Comments (18)

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Jimmy Salt 2 Posted 10/05/2026 at 18:20:55

Sod ioff Moyes it's the poorest league in years and it's there for the taking for those with the balls to want it.

Liam Mogan 4 Posted 10/05/2026 at 18:22:59

Jaded, Jaded Moyes, Jaded, Jaded Moyes!

Mark Ryan 5 Posted 10/05/2026 at 18:45:02

And so the Hammers of London Town were eventually relegated and the grey haired one did go and sign the Czech one who they called Soucek and to the Hill he took him and the boring one did take the Team of Toffees to 8th the following season we the Moyesuah thought was progress. Here endeth the lesson zzzzzzzzz

John Collins 6 Posted 10/05/2026 at 18:47:17

"It's amazing that we are actually talking about Everton possibly being in Europe"

Blagger

Liam Mogan 7 Posted 10/05/2026 at 18:48:19

Totes Amazeballs

Billy Shears 8 Posted 10/05/2026 at 18:54:25

Can you believe it... with this chancer YES!

Sack him...now. put Bainsey in charge for the last two games!!

0-0 at Burnley away is a sacking offence in itself!

Liam Mogan 9 Posted 10/05/2026 at 18:57:44

That was a good point at Burnley that, Billy. Not conceding away from home is the stability all clubs aspire to. You cant always get what you want, but sometimes you get what you need. If its good enough for Jagger & Richards, who are we to complain?

Billy Shears 10 Posted 10/05/2026 at 19:02:55

Any Gaffer from... Bournemouth Brighton Palace Brentford & even Newcastle... would've got us higher in the league even with that fucking VAR system in place & given more minutes to the new players...& given us a really good go in both Cups too!

Time to get gone. Moyes!!!

Billy Shears 11 Posted 10/05/2026 at 19:05:47

Nice one,Liam 😂

Paul Hewitt 12 Posted 10/05/2026 at 19:14:39

Ireola is reported to be interested in the palace job. Surely we can out do palace for a very very good manager?

Jim Bennings 13 Posted 10/05/2026 at 19:22:52

Moyes has done a good job for 18 months, nobody can argue he has improved the whole demeanor that was in the absolute cesspit after Dyche's depressing final year here.

But you do wonder now this summer whether the opportunity can arise to try and go all out for Bournemouth's Iraola.

It will be a test for TFG to see if they really have ambition here to build a club that can seriously go places again and challenge for Cups, play in Europe or are they just content to sit there and make an easy excuse every year that we are taking baby steps, which for me, is an excuse because it does not take 3 years anymore, clubs build very quickly nowadays.

Only time will tell but we obviously need to vastly improve this entire squad.

Moyes has his own weaknesses which can't be overlooked however, the stupid rigidity of playing O'Brien right back when you have a young Scotland international sitting on the bench and has actually looked ok, no worse than O'Brien's performances anyway, when he has sporadically been given chances.

The Keane and Tarkowski partnership isn't working which is all the more reason why Jake O'Brien should have been in the middle the moment of Branthwaite's injury.

The refusal to give Aznou any serious game time when you have a very very limited and now exposed Mykolenko playing left back is also baffling.

The lack of game time for Tyrique George, a player who offers a rare commodity in our team, pace and directness.

The pointless signing and gross misuse of Tyler Dibling.

The bizarre bordering on insane hooking of Beto even when he's looking sharp and not tiring for Barry every week at the same time of the game, feels almost like a factory setting.

Neil Cremin 15 Posted 10/05/2026 at 19:29:40

Jim 13 I agree with most of your post but have seen no evidence that Aznou would be a better defender than Myko.

John Keating 16 Posted 10/05/2026 at 19:38:08

Unfortunately we have shot ourselves in the foot. We had a chance of European football, whether we had the team or squad is debatable, however the recent results against West Ham, the RS, City and Palace have done for us

Ian Horan 17 Posted 10/05/2026 at 19:52:29

Moyes is becoming delussional if he thinks we are getting into europe !! The only way is for are holidays

Tony Abrahams 18 Posted 10/05/2026 at 20:00:11

John@6, I’d have thought the same thing years ago believing that a man who used such words to help describe the job he was doing, was nothing but a condescending c**t.

I like to think I have mellowed and also use a little bit more common sense nowadays, so my conclusion is that David, isn’t being patronising, but he actually believes he his doing an incredible job.

For the first time in years we started the season without any of the pressure, the club, has been under since the Covid season finished, and although I can understand people being happy that we have been nowhere near the relegation places this season, I still think that the way it has panned out, then if we don’t qualify for Europe, then I believe we have underachieved this season.

It’s not just down to the manager because he should have been backed in January, but I keep saying I don’t believe he likes having a big squad of players, and when I see certain players, who are not playing as well as they can, or others who are tiring, staying on the pitch, this is enough confirmation of this, for people like myself who don’t quite believe in this manager.