This was all supposed to be about the return of Crystal Palace’s dynamic duo but Everton clearly hadn’t read the script. Sean Dyche’s side had been pegged back twice after taking the lead thanks to goals from Vitaliy Mykolenko and Abdoulaye Doucouré, with Eberechi Eze capping a virtuoso performance with Palace’s first before Odsonne Édouard finally took one of several chances that fell his way.
Yet even with Michael Olise making his first appearance of the season off the bench and the hosts sensing blood, it was Everton who maintained their superiority against these opponents thanks to substitute Idrissa Gueye’s late winner four minutes from time.
Palace’s dismal record against Everton stretches back to September 2014, having now managed just one victory in 18 Premier League meetings since a second successive 3-2 victory at Goodison Park. Eze’s first start since the end of September in the week that the England midfielder committed his future until 2027 – not to mention Olise’s presence in the matchday squad for the first time this season – provided home supporters with optimism that there could be a different outcome this time. But having avoided relegation last season and endured a sticky start to this campaign, things have been coming together for Everton of late and Dyche has now made it four matches unbeaten in all competitions.
It took Mykolenko just 60 seconds to give them the lead after his shot had been blocked initially and the Palace defence made a hash of clearing the ball. That allowed Jack Harrison to pick out the unmarked left-back for a simple header.
Selhurst Park seemed stunned. Yet Eze, who was left out of the England squad this week as he continues his return from a hamstring injury, had other ideas and within three minutes Palace were level. His mesmerising dribble left several Everton defenders for dead and was ended by a clumsy challenge from Jarrad Branthwaite. Referee Sam Barrott – a 30-year-old taking charge of only his fourth Premier League match – had no hesitation in pointing to the spot, with Eze calmly stroking the penalty past Jordan Pickford.
The frenetic start showed no signs of slowing down as Palace piled on the pressure, and Everton almost regained the lead when Dwight McNeil volleyed straight at Sam Johnstone. Eze was then shown a yellow card for diving inside the area when he went down after a challenge from Branthwaite that, much to the Palace midfielder’s disappointment, VAR ruled there was not enough conclusive evidence to overturn.
James Tarkowski appeared more comfortable marking Odsonne Édouard and came to Everton’s rescue when the French striker dithered after being played through by Eze. Having been caught offside on numerous occasions, Edouard finally managed to test Pickford just before half-time but was unable to find a way past the England goalkeeper.
Dyche brought on Gueye at the break to replace Amadou Onana and the Senegal midfielder was involved in the move that restored Everton’s lead four minutes into the second half. Mykolenko’s volley from the edge of the box came back off the post and Doucouré reacted quickest to stab the ball past Johnstone, with Jeffrey Schlupp guilty of playing him onside.
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Once more it was Eze who led the riposte, combining with Joel Ward before bursting into the box and forcing Pickford into a save at his near post. Pickford then had to claw the ball off his own line after Gueye got in a tangle with Branthwaite and almost gifted Palace an equaliser. Jefferson Lerma should have done better after being set up by Édouard but dragged his effort wide.
The introduction of Olise was greeted by one of the loudest cheers of the afternoon, and he wasted no time in announcing himself with a shot from distance that was deflected over the crossbar. Hodgson was just about to put Édouard out of his misery by bringing on Jean-Philippe Mateta when Everton failed to clear and Lerma’s header caught Tarkowski napping, with the Palace striker gratefully gobbling up his fifth Premier League goal of the season.
Yet Palace’s hopes of snatching the win were dashed when Gueye played a one-two with Doucouré four minutes from time and poked home past a despairing Johnstone to send the travelling supporters into raptures.
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