Credit: Manh Tung. -Breaking Media

James Barker

Tue 12 May 2026 9:37, UK Updated Tue 12 May 2026 9:55, UK

Everton have gotten into a bad habit for conceding late goals over the final weeks of the season, and it could cost them European football.

David Moyes‘ side have lost their way recently, with no Premier League wins from their last five games.

That’s seen the Toffees drop to 10th in the table, and are now looking from the outside in on the European spots.

Everton likely need to finish at least eighth to stand the best possible chance of playing continental football next term, but that spot is currently occupied by Brentford who hold a two-point advantage over Moyes’ men.

So, with just two games to go, Everton look set to rue a number of missed opportunities and points left on the pitch, and that’s largely been down to one key problem of late: conceding late goals.

How many late goals have Everton conceded recently?

Everton drew 2-2 with Crystal Palace last time out, in what proved to be the latest in a series of matches that has seen the Toffees throw away points.

Leading 2-1 with under 15 minutes to play at Selhurst Park, Jean-Philippe Mateta swept the ball home to equalise on 77 minutes after Palace’s ball into the box wasn’t stopped, and somehow the big striker found space to finish uncontested from seven yards.

That saw them leave two massive points on the Selhurst Park pitch last Sunday, but those are far from the only ones over the past few weeks.

Indeed, Everton were leading 3-1 against Man City at Hill Dickinson Stadium on 4 May, before Pep Guardiola’s side scored 83rd and 97-minute goals to draw 3-3.

Against West Ham on 25 April, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall looked to have salvaged a point in the 88th minute, only to see Callum Wilson score in stoppage time to hand the Hammers a 2-1 victory.

It was a similar story in the Merseyside derby on 19 April, with the scores again being 1-1 in added time at the end of the game, before Virgil van Dijk headed home from a corner in the 100th minute to win it.

The Toffees also conceded in the 76th minute in the 2-2 draw with Brentford on 11 April, as well as shipping 89th and 97th-minute goals in the 2-0 defeat to Arsenal on 14 March.

Everton just can’t get out of their own way in this regard, and the repetitive nature of seeing late goals go in and points dropped must be having a big psychological impact on the players as well.

Everton’s late goal record raises red flag on squad character

Conceding the odd late goal here and there is not a major problem, as it’s bound to happen at times.

However, when it becomes a consistent pattern, which it now is for Everton as it’s happening in pretty much every game they play at the moment, serious questions need to be asked of the character in this group.

Sure, there’s an element of opposition sides being lucky, but again, due to how often this is happening, much of it comes down to Everton not having enough defensive pride or minerals to put a stop to it.

It waves a red flag that this group needs some more leaders and players with more bite and steel about them adding this summer, and given the nature of the problem, that overhaul has to start in defence.

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