Even though Everton is harming itself, there is yet hope.

Even though Everton is harming itself, there is yet hope.

For the second time in a row, an Everton team that is unable to purchase victory views a draw as a loss.

They could not have asked for a better way to begin a match on Monday when they took on a struggling Crystal Palace team without a manager in the dugout and with several injured players.

They had the perfect opportunity to win the game on Saturday, leading a frustrated Brighton & Hove Albion squad that was reduced to 10 men as stoppage time approached.

The Blues won neither, and that is a problem. In so many ways it has felt as though the world has been against Everton for some time.

On the occasions it is not, they simply have to take advantage. But, and it is hard

but important to add that ‘but’ right now – there is some reason for hope they may eventually start to do that.

It looked like the Blues would finally take advantage of their good fortune as the rain continued to fall and the clock approached five o’clock at the Amex Stadium.

When the halftime whistle rang and the score remained goalless, there would have

been relief in the away dressing room as Brighton had been the better team for the majority of the first half.

Simon Adingra and Danny Welbeck were a threat both down the right of the opposition and through the middle. Welbeck twice threatened in the Everton box, and only

James Tarkowski and Ben Godfrey’s valiant efforts kept him at bay.

Adingra, wearing his Africa Cup of Nations winners’ gold around his neck as he led the teams out, launched a daring run that went inches beyond the angle.

The Blues struggled to assert any authority during this period and chances were rare. Some did come though and Lewis Dunk did what his Everton counterparts did – save his side just in time as he beat Dominic Calvert-Lewin to a devilish Vitalii Mykolenko cross and slid in when Abdoulaye Doucoure prepared to shoot from close range.

The Blues were lucky to reach the break level after 45 minutes in which they had conceded eight corners. The warning sign for what was to come later was sounded as the final three of those led to attacking headers on target.

After surviving that assault, Everton took control of the game in the second half,

and as it went on, the annoyance in the home stands increased.

Although it would be easy to argue that Jarrad Branthwaite’s incredible curling finish

after a free kick found him in the box was against the flow of play,

Doucoure had forced Tariq Lamptey into a spectacular goal-line clearance moments before when he met a cross from Dwight McNeil with a volley that beat Bart Verbruggen. The home crowd was aware of the mounting threat posed by the Blues.

After Branthwaite sent the away end wild with his goal, the hosts threw everything at Everton.

Billy Gilmour went too far and it is lucky the lunge on Amadou Onana

that brought him a red card with 10 minutes to go did not appear to injure the

Belgian international, who had been brought on when Idrissa Gueye suffered a groin problem just after the break.

Despite having one less player, Brighton surged forward, forcing the Blues to retreat. The pressure paid off in the final nine minutes, and Dyche will not be pleased with how Dunk’s

equalizer transpired. After a corner was half cleared, it was recycled to Pascal Gross, who ducked under Beto and delivered a ball that needed stronger defense. Both Jack Harrison and Beto

had excellent opportunities before to that injury-time equalizer.

It was a heartbreaking blow to an Everton team that needs to turn things around in order to escape the 10-point deduction has plunged this mid-table team into. Amid the desolation of this result,

and frustration at the lengthening search for a first league win since December 16,

there are positive signs, however.

Everton are creating chances. Most of them are from set-pieces but both Doucoure opportunities came from passages of play that have been notably absent during his two months sidelined.

The return of Dyche’s most important player offers hope.

This is a side that is still fighting too – just look at Onana’s late equaliser against Palace,

or Branthwaite’s stoppage-time leveller against Tottenham Hotspur.

McNeil chased down a lost cause to create the Doucoure volley and this team contains

a resilience that has been missing at this stage of the past two campaigns.

Branthwaite’s influence is only growing, as demonstrated once more on the south coast.

Instead of retreating inside himself following his unlucky tumble as Erling Haaland raced through on goal earlier this month, a young player is starting to show leadership qualities.

Not only was it crucial that he scored his second goal in as many weeks, but it was also crucial that he made an excellent challenge on Adingra in the second half, a tackle that

resulted in an equally forceful fist celebration as his goal.

The headline “stats and facts”, to use a Dyche phrase, are two

months and nine games without a Premier League win.

For reasons far outside Dyche and his players’ control, the league table, for now at least, shows 21 points. Both results this week contain frustration.

But this team is stronger than the ones at this stage in both of the past two horrendous seasons.

The points tally may not show it but the eight wins and sevens draws show progress is being made.

The result against Brighton, in particular, might feel like two points lost. But it is still a good point.

The result against Palace might have felt like two points lost.

But it was one point more than previous versions of this side would have won.

It might be nine league games without a win. But five of those were drawn.

This is no time for celebration or complacency. But it is also not a time of lost hope.