Toffees in the mix

Everton charge into European contention with Palace win

EVERTON should be targeting Europa League football next season, said manager Carlo Ancelotti after the Toffees renaissance continued with a 3-1 win over Crystal Palace yesterday.

Goals from Bernard, Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin at Goodison lifted Everton up to seventh and within five points of the top four.

Everton have now won five and drawn two of eight League games since Ancelotti took charge in December.

“Since I arrived the team did a fantastic job,” Ancelotti told

“Now we have a possibility to think about Europa League.

“The best thing today is the result as the performance was not good. It was a difficult game with a lot of interruptions, so we were not able to keep the intensity.

“(If it has to be one or the other) I prefer to win than have a good performance. But we believe in what we are doing. We seem to be to worried when we have the ball – and we have to improve that.”

By contrast, Palace are looking over their shoulders at the relegation zone.

Roy Hodgson’s men still have a sixpoint lead over the bottom three, but have not won in eight games and just once in the league since early December.

“We didn’t start as well as we would have liked, but when we equalised it was the result of quite a lot of pressure.

“I can’t fault the players’ effort, but it’s another defeat and another we go home without points,” said Hodgson.

Bernard gave the hosts a deserved first half lead with a thumping finish from Theo Walcott’s cross to the back post.

However, Palace were gifted a route back into the game six minutes into the second half thanks to another error from Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

The England No. 1’s place at Euro 2020 is under debate and he let Christian Benteke’s shot slip underneath his body as the Belgian striker scored his first goal of the season.

“Disgusting. I was disappointed with myself,” said Pickford, who later made amends with a fine save to preserve Everton’s 2-1 lead.

“I hold my hands up for that. I reset and I never let anything affect me.”

Just as Everton were wobbling,