Crystal Palace 2–3 Everton
by Gene Sylvester
at Selhurst Park

VERY few would have expected Selhurst Park to be the setting for the game of the day when this round of fixtures was produced, but Crystal Palace and Everton both played their part in a pulsating end-to-end encounter on Saturday afternoon in south London that saw the Toffees nick three points following a 3-2 victory.

“The game was a bit topsy turvy,” stated Everton boss Dyche following his team’s hard earned victory.

The Toffees boss continued: “Neither team really had a grip on the game in the first half and in the second half they [Crystal Palace] did. They were very good. We had to work very hard.”

It was Everton who opened the scoring in the first minute of the game when Jack Harrison was found in space down the right hand side of the Palace box. The Leeds loanee’s first time cross into a crowded penalty area was met by Everton left-back Vitaliy Mykolenko, who rose highest to head home from five yards out.

A couple of minutes later, Eberechi Eze, making his first start for the Eagles in six weeks following an injury lay-off, saw his mazy run into the Everton box end prematurely by a dangled leg from Jarrad Branthwaite, bringing the Palace forward down.

Referee Sam Barrott immediately pointed to the penalty spot, and following a brief VAR check, Eze himself stepped up to slot the resulting penalty home calmly past veteran England and Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

Midway through the first half, the Palace number 10 was at it again, turning Amadou Onana on the edge of the Everton box close to the byline, and driving towards goal before his attempted jink in between Onana and Branthwaite saw Eze seemingly pulled down once again.

This time however, the referee gave the free-kick to Everton and promptly booked the Palace forward. VAR checked the incident, and despite there seeming to be slight contact between Onana and Eze’s boot, the referee’s decision was upheld.

When Roy Hodgson was asked post match about Eze being booked for simulation, the Palace manager was not convinced it was the right decision.

“Eberechi doesn’t simulate. Whether it was a penalty or not I don’t know, but it wasn’t simulation. We don’t seem to like grey, it’s either a penalty or it’s simulation. But it could actually be neither.”

Five minutes into the second half, the away side were back in front following a fearsome Mykolenko volleyed strike from the edge of the box, which beat the dive of Sam Johnstone but cannoned back off the frame of the goal and straight to Abdoulaye Doucoure’s feet, handing him the simple task of tapping home into an empty net.

The home side drew themselves level for the second time in the game following a sustained period of possession, when a cleared ball from the Everton back line was headed back into the area by Jefferson Lerma.

James Tarkowski uncharacteristically allowed the ball to drop behind him onto the six yard line instead of heading clear, and Odsonne Edouard capitalised on the Everton skipper’s misjudgement, poking the ball past an exposed Pickford.

But it was half-time substitute Idrissa Gueye who spared his captain’s blushes, sliding the ball past Johnstone following a slick exchange with Doucoure, that picked out the Senegalese’s run into the Palace penalty area.

Eagles boss Hodgson expressed his disappointment after the game.

“I’m sad, I’m frustrated. Had to work very hard to come from behind twice so it’s hard to take that we then concede a third goal and lose the game.”

Dyche was delighted with his team’s performance and was happy that work on the training ground is starting to pay dividends.

“We have to find different ways of winning in the Premier League. It can’t always be beautiful football, and we did that today.”