15 February 2025
Crystal Palace 1 Everton 2
The Eagles welcomed Everton to Selhurst Park, a fixture that The Toffees’ had dominated in the Premier League era. They came to the capital full of confidence after their last-gasp equaliser against league leaders Liverpool in midweek. Victory for David Moyes’s side would see them level on points with Crystal Palace in the table.
Everton have had a real change of fortunes since their old manager’s return. They are winning games and are one of the form teams in the league over the last six games. Like a lot of teams at the moment, they have injuries to a lot of their attackers, leaving them a little threadbare. Fortunately, Beto has been seizing his chance and scoring some important goals.
With Toffees’ fans excited about moving to their new stadium in the summer, it is all about winning as many games as possible for the remainder of the season. Early in the game Tarkowski gifted the ball to the hosts. It was worked to Mateta who fired off a shot towards the bottom corner from the edge of the box. A superb one-handed save from Pickford was to deny him.
Crystal Palace look such a different proposition when Eze and Mateta are both in the side. The Eagles were piling on the pressure, with Everton struggling to keep them out. A cross into the box saw Guehi meet it with a solid header, but it was too close to Pickford, who was able to beat it away. Fine margins for Oliver Glasner’s side.
From the resulting corner, Lerma rose to head it into the top corner. Their celebrations were short-lived as the linesman raised his flag to notify that the corner had gone out of play as it came in. With all the technology available nowadays, we should be able to check these things as comprehensively as we do with goal-line incidents. There are no cameras really covering the area well at all.
Richards then went on a run, bundling his way through the Everton challenges. It broke to Mateta, who threaded it into the path of Sarr. With the goal at his mercy and only Pickford to beat, he smashed his shot against the underside of the bar as it came back out into play. It was a dreadful miss from The Eagles’ winger.
The hosts had a number of chances to take the lead in this game. Suddenly a poor Palace throw in evaded Lerma, who stood statue-like. Alcarez ran onto it and burst forward. As he got into the box, he unselfishly squared it Beto. The striker poked it past Henderson and the sliding defender to give The Toffees a lead against the run of play.
After the interval, The Eagles’ tried to find a way back into the game. They forced an early corner and as the ball came into the box, Richards rose to head narrowly over the bar. It was adjudged to have struck an Everton player last, to give the hosts another opportunity. Everton were coping in the air but failing to completely clear their lines often.
As Crystal Palace recycled the ball, Guehi headed it over the defence towards Mateta. The French forward struck it on the volley into the bottom corner to draw Glasner’s side level. It was no more than they had deserved, they had squandered plenty of chances in this game and realistically should have been leading comfortably.
Moyes’ side continued to ask questions at the other end. Alcaraz did well out wide on the left before crossing to pick out Lindstrom. He fired a shot towards goal but Henderson got down well to beat it away. It needed to be more in the corner if he was to restore The Toffees’ lead in this game. It was end-to-end stuff in the capital.
Palace came forward as Wharton sent a long pass into space down the left. It was a footrace between the Everton defender and Chilwell, who had come on as a sub for his Eagles’ debut. He hit a first-time shot, which seemed to be heading for the far corner, but somehow Pickford got a touch on it to send it wide of the target.
Alcaraz picked the ball up deep in the Palace half and was bundled over by Hughes. The free kick was lofted into the box but came to nothing. As The Toffees recycled it, a deep cross was headed back into the middle from the byline and seemed to strike a defender’s arm. Play continued and the ball dropped to the Argentine, who slotted home to put the visitors ahead once again.
To take the lead so late in the game, Moyes’ side had the chance to see this game out and take a very big three points. Crystal Palace should have won this game convincingly but this is what happens if you do not take your chances at this level. The Sarr miss before the Everton goal was the big one, had that gone in, The Toffees’ heads could have dropped.
Everton are now thirteen points from the bottom three. It is an amazing turnaround from where they were when Sean Dyche was sacked. The Toffees’ fans are in a happy place right now, even if it seems inevitable their local rivals are going to win the Premier League. Crystal Palace just about stay above them, on goal difference.
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