- Everton thwarts Crystal Palace’s plans.
- Odsonne Édouard scores for Palace.
- Everton secures late victory.
Everything was supposed to revolve around the return of the dynamic duo of Crystal Palace, but Everton had other plans.
They were pegged back twice as Vitaliy Mykolenko and the excellent Abdoulaye Doucouré scored. Prior to that, Odsonne Édouard converted one of several opportunities presented to him. Eberechi Eze’s virtuoso performance included Palace’s first.
Frenetic First Half and VAR Controversy
Notwithstanding the hosts sensing blood and Michael Olise making his season-opening appearance off the bench, Everton maintained their recent superiority over Palace with a late victor from substitute Idrissa Gueye.
Since their second consecutive 3-2 victory at Goodison Park in September 2014, Palace has managed just one victory in their last eighteen Premier League encounters with Everton.
Eze played his first game since September in the week the England midfielder signed till 2027. Olise, for the first time this season, was also included in the match-day squad. These developments gave home supporters hope that a different result might be achieved on this occasion. Everton, on the other hand, have been bringing things together recently after avoiding relegation last season and enduring a shaky start to this campaign; they are four matches unbeaten in all competitions and have taken six victories in their last nine matches.
“It is extremely satisfying that we are demonstrating confidence in our ability to win these types of games,” said Sean Dyche. “While this only marks the start, we are already altering the narrative of Everton.
“The evaluations of our work, as well as the feedback and contributions of our team members, have a distinct quality. While it cannot ensure victory, adopting the same mindset that we are currently exhibiting significantly improves our prospects.
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Action-Packed First Half and VAR Drama
Mykolenko scored after his initial attempt was blocked and the Palace defence struggled to clear the ball within 60 seconds. This enabled Jack Harrison to locate the unchallenged left-back and execute a straightforward header.
Park Selhurst appeared astounded. Eze, who was omitted from the England squad this week while continuing his recovery from a hamstring injury, had another idea, and Palace levelled the score within three minutes. His mesmerising dribble was terminated by Jarrad Branthwaite’s inept challenge after it had nearly felled several defenders. Sam Barrott, a 30-year-old captain presiding over his fourth Premier League match, immediately identified the penalty area. And Eze calmly converted it past Jordan Pickford, the custodian for Everton.
As Palace applied increasing pressure, the frenetic start showed no signs of abating. Everton came close to regaining the lead with a direct volley from Dwight McNeil that was saved by Sam Johnstone. Eze received a yellow card for diving inside the penalty area when he fell down following a challenge from Branthwaite. However, VAR deemed there was insufficient conclusive evidence to overturn the decision, much to the Palace midfielder’s dismay.
Tarkowski, who tracked Édouard better, saved Everton when the French forward hesitated after Eze played him through. Édouard, who had been flagged offside several times, tried to challenge Pickford before halftime but failed.
Second Half Drama and Gueye’s Late Winner
Dyche substituted Amadou Onana for Gueye at halftime, and the Senegalese midfielder contributed to the four-minute second-half play that restored Everton’s lead. Mykolenko attempted a volley from the periphery that was deflected off the post. Doucouré was the one who responded most quickly, slapping the ball past Johnstone while Jeffrey Schlupp assisted him onside.
Eze once again spearheaded the retaliatory effort, forming a partnership with Joel Ward prior to storming into the penalty area and compelling Pickford to make a near-post save. One of the afternoon’s loudest applauses welcomed Olise’s introduction, and he wasted no time in making his presence known with a distance shot that deflected over the crossbar.
Roy Hodgson was on the verge of substituting Jean-Philippe Mateta for Édouard when Everton failed to clear and Tarkowski was caught unaware on Lerma’s header; the Palace forward eagerly consumed his fifth Premier League goal of the season.
Hodgson remarked, “I thought we performed exceptionally well to recover from two cold showers at the beginning of each half.”
Four minutes from time, Palace’s prospects of securing the victory were dashed when Gueye and Doucouré completed a one-two and Gueye pierced a despairing Johnstone to ignite elation among the travelling supporters.
