Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti insists his side are still in the hunt for European football but accepts their failure to finish off Crystal Palace has cost them as they drew 1-1.
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Palace substitute Michy Batshuayi scored an 86th-minute equaliser two minutes after coming off the bench to cancel out a goal from playmaker James Rodriguez on his return after a six-week absence.
Everton, with just one home league win in eight matches, paid the price from some wasteful finishing from Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin on Monday.
It means they missed a chance to move within touching distance of the Premier League's top four with a match in hand compared to all their rivals.
"We were not able to kill the game when we had the opportunity," Ancelotti said.
"We had a lot of chances and usually in the last games our strikers in those situations were really clinical. Tonight they need to do better."
Ancelotti said his side deserved to win and insisted they can still qualify for the Champions League.
"I think the position in Europe is still there because we are in the fight and we have one game in hand," he said.
"But we have to be more focused in this situation - when you deserve to win, you have to win."
Palace goalkeeper Vicente Guaita kept the visitors in touch before Batshuayi's equaliser with superb saves to deny Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison.
During the international break Batshuayi, while away with Belgium, had said he had the trust of his country but not his club.
Palace boss Roy Hodgson played down the significance of those comments and said the on-loan Chelsea striker's attitude since returning had been good.
"When players go on international duty and they've just scored a goal for their national team and they are asked how it is at Palace as they are not playing a lot, it would be a surprise to me if he didn't make the comments he did," Hodgson said.
"Since he came back he has been in good spirits and contributed well in training sessions, which has given me the faith to put him on tonight to see what he could do for us and luckily he has repaid that faith."
Australian Associated Press
