Jordan Pickford was Everton's best player in a 2-2 draw that owed more to individual performances than any grand pattern. His 8.5 came with 6 saves in 96 minutes, while Jean-Philippe Mateta changed the game from the bench, James Tarkowski produced a goal and an assist, and Ismaïla Sarr kept Crystal Palace in the contest with the equaliser.
Pickford kept Everton alive, Mateta changed the tone
The numbers at the top of the ratings sheet tell the story. Pickford's 8.5 was the best individual mark in the game, and it matched a performance built on 6 saves, including a 26-second burst in which he denied Maxence Lacroix before Dean Henderson stopped Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall on the counter.
Daniel Muñoz was Palace's top-rated player on 8.3. He added 4 key passes and 6 tackles in 96 minutes, which says plenty about how much of the right side ran through him.
Mateta's impact was more direct. He came off the bench, played 31 minutes and scored in the 77th minute, an intervention that helped Palace rescue a point. The brief notes a 76th-minute version in one source, but the verified rating data and match events point to 77.
What the ratings say about the 2-2 draw
Tarkowski was Everton's most influential outfield player. He scored the opener in the 6th minute, finished with a goal and an assist in 96 minutes, and earned an 8.0 that reflected how heavily he influenced both boxes.
Sarr's equaliser in the 34th minute mattered too. He finished on 7.3 after scoring from 3 shots on target, which gave Palace the response they needed after going behind early.
Everton remain 10th on 48 points, and David Moyes will be disappointed that his side let another lead slip after Monday's draw with Manchester City. Palace sit 15th on 43 points, and Oliver Glasner's side at least avoided letting the mood sour after falling behind twice.
The draw keeps Everton's European push hanging by a thread rather than ending it, but the bigger takeaway here is simpler. Pickford was outstanding, Muñoz drove Palace's right side, and Mateta's bench cameo changed the shape of the match before the final whistle.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →




