Crystal Palace’s Michy Batshuayi scored a late equaliser to dent Everton’s Champions League qualification hopes.
The substitute latched on to Jeffrey Schlupp’s pass and placed the ball beyond Robin Olsen into the bottom corner after 86 minutes.
Returning from injury, Everton’s James Rodriguez had given the Toffees a deserved lead with a superb right-footed strike in the 56th minute.
The result all but guarantees safety for Palace, who are 12 points clear of the bottom three with eight games remaining.
Everton are four points off fourth-placed Chelsea, having played one game fewer.
Everton stumble in top-four race
After top-four rivals Chelsea, Leicester and Tottenham all dropped points over the weekend, the door was open for Everton to continue their push for Champions League qualification.
But Carlo Ancelotti’s side have struggled at Goodison Park this season with only the bottom five having a worse home record than the Merseysiders.
Palace keeper Vicente Guaita made a flurry of fine stops, standing tall to keep out Dominic Calvert-Lewin and denying Richarlison with fine first-half saves.
Rodriguez, who had been sidelined with a calf injury for the past six weeks, showed a calmness in front of goal, squeezing in the game’s opener at the near post.
Victory would have taken Everton to within two points of fourth place, but a lapse in concentration allowed Batshuayi to race through and net the leveller.
Richarlison forced Guaita into another fine save as the Toffees pushed for a winner in the closing stages, but Palace held on to frustrate the hosts.
More to follow.
Line-ups
Everton
Formation 3-4-1-2
- 33Olsen
- 5Keane
- 13MinaBooked at 15mins
- 4Holgate
- 23ColemanSubstituted forGodfreyat 76′minutes
- 26Davies
- 21André GomesSubstituted forG Sigurdssonat 31′minutes
- 12DigneBooked at 33mins
- 19RodrÃguezSubstituted forGbaminat 79′minutes
- 9Calvert-Lewin
- 7Richarlison
Substitutes
- 10G Sigurdsson
- 11King
- 18Nkounkou
- 22Godfrey
- 25Gbamin
- 31Neves VirgÃnia
- 34Broadhead
- 48John
- 53Tyrer
Crystal Palace
Formation 4-4-2
- 31Guaita
- 2Ward
- 8Kouyaté
- 24Cahill
- 3van Aanholt
- 9J AyewSubstituted forBatshuayiat 84′minutes
- 4Milivojevic
- 44RiedewaldSubstituted forSchluppat 68′minutes
- 25Eze
- 20BentekeSubstituted forMatetaat 77′minutes
- 11Zaha
Substitutes
- 1Butland
- 6Dann
- 10Townsend
- 14Mateta
- 15Schlupp
- 23Batshuayi
- 27Mitchell
- 34Kelly
- 38Hannam
Live Text
Match ends, Everton 1, Crystal Palace 1.
Second Half ends, Everton 1, Crystal Palace 1.
Foul by Jeffrey Schlupp (Crystal Palace).
Lucas Digne (Everton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt saved. Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Wilfried Zaha.
Foul by Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace).
Tom Davies (Everton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Michael Keane (Everton) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Lucas Digne with a cross following a corner.
Corner, Everton. Conceded by Luka Milivojevic.
Attempt saved. Richarlison (Everton) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Goal! Everton 1, Crystal Palace 1. Michy Batshuayi (Crystal Palace) left footed shot from the left side of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Jeffrey Schlupp.
Substitution, Crystal Palace. Michy Batshuayi replaces Jordan Ayew.
Attempt missed. Jeffrey Schlupp (Crystal Palace) left footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Wilfried Zaha.
Corner, Everton. Conceded by Vicente Guaita.
Attempt saved. Richarlison (Everton) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Lucas Digne.
Substitution, Everton. Jean-Philippe Gbamin replaces James RodrÃguez.
Foul by Gary Cahill (Crystal Palace).
Tom Davies (Everton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Crystal Palace. Jean-Philippe Mateta replaces Christian Benteke.
Substitution, Everton. Ben Godfrey replaces Séamus Coleman.
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