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SoccerRecap
Evertonâs European hopes hit after Matetaâs equaliser for Crystal Palace
TL;DR
Everton's hopes for European qualification dimmed after a draw with Crystal Palace, where Mateta's equalizer denied them victory. They now depend on other teams' results to keep their European dreams alive.
Key points
- Everton's European hopes are now uncertain.
- Mateta's equalizer denied Everton a crucial victory.
- Everton must rely on other teams to drop points.
- Crystal Palace is not yet safe from relegation.
- Everton's unbeaten run against Palace extends to 11 matches.
EvertonCrystal Palace
David Moyesâs European dream is now hanging by a slender thread. Against a Crystal Palace side who have been otherwise distracted by their Conference League exploits, Everton were unable to take their opportunity to close the gap on their rivals as Jean-Philippe Mateta came off the bench to deny them victory.
It could have been even worse for Moyes had the referee, Tom Bramall, awarded a penalty when James Garner hauled down JĂžrgen Strand Larsen just before half-time or Adam Whartonâs shot not struck the outside of the post in the 90th minute.
A frantic finish that saw Dean Henderson deny Iliman Ndiaye in stoppage time before Mateta missed a great chance to win it for Oliver Glasnerâs side meant Everton stretched their unbeaten run against Palace to 11 matches.
But it means they must now rely on other teams dropping points if they are to have a chance of qualifying for Europe next season, while Palace are still not quite mathematically safe from relegation just yet.
Their last Premier League win against Everton came in December 2021 when Rafael Benitez was in charge of the visitors and the smart money seemed to be on that run continuing given their opponentsâ European exertions. Four of Palaceâs players have already played more than 4,000 minutes this season, with Maxence Lacroix starting his 52nd game of a marathon season that could end with him being called up for Franceâs World Cup squad despite being culpable for Betoâs goal.
But in a move that suggested he will rotate more when they travel to Manchester City on Wednesday, Glasner decided to select virtually a full-strength side with his record signings Brennan Johnson and Strand Larsen the only two changes from the win over Shakhtar Donetsk.
Beto kept his head to beat Maxence Lacroix and then nutmeg Dean Henderson to make it 2-1 to Everton. Photograph: Paul Childs/Action Images/Reuters
Everton fielded the same team from their thrilling draw against City that saw them set an unwanted record of becoming the first team in the Premier League to concede injury-time goals in three successive matches. Moyes had lamented those missed opportunities but knew their chances of qualifying for Europe next season would be greatly improved with a victory here.
Q&A
How did Mateta's equalizer affect Everton's European hopes?
Mateta's equalizer left Everton needing other teams to drop points to maintain their chances of qualifying for Europe next season.
What were the key moments in the Everton vs Crystal Palace match?
Key moments included a potential penalty not awarded to Palace and a missed chance by Mateta in stoppage time, alongside a shot by Wharton hitting the post.
When was Crystal Palace's last Premier League win against Everton?
Crystal Palace's last Premier League win against Everton was in December 2021.
Are Crystal Palace safe from relegation after the match?
No, Crystal Palace is still not mathematically safe from relegation despite the draw.
