Match Report

Everton cruised to a rare routine victory as they over-powered Crystal Palace with three second-half goals.

Having dominated without finding the breakthrough, the Toffees broke the deadlock in the first minute of the second half through Gylfi Sigurdsson and were quickly 2-0 up through Oumar Niasse.

Tom Davies was rewarded with his first goal of the season with 15 minutes to go and while Sam Allardyce's side were unable to preserve the clean sheet following Luka Milivojevic's late penalty, they were good value for the victory.

Allardyce had responded to last weekend's horror show against Arsenal by restoring almost the same starting XI that had beaten Leicester. Eliaquim Mangala was handed his debut in place of Phil Jagielka but the line-up was otherwise the same as 10 days ago.

That meant returns for Seamus Coleman, Wayne Rooney and Gylfi Sigurdsson and it was the Icelandic midfielder who had the first real sight of goal when he flashed a shot a foot or so past the goal inside 10 minutes.

Milivojevic threatened briefly for the visitors when he drove a deflected shot wide before Idrissa Gueye was foiled by Hennessey who palmed his excellent 25-yard effort behind.

Sigurdsson and Rooney struck the defensive wall with free kicks from identical positions as Everton tried to press home their superiority but Palace forced a save from the opposition goalkeeper of their own when Yohan Cabaye's bouncing shot was blocked awkwardly by Jordan Pickford.

Christian Benteke then reminded the Blues of his aerial threat after Mangala had been forced off with a knee injury when Alexander Sorloth capitalised on a rare mistake by Coleman and crossed for the Belgian but he missed with his header.

Coleman failed to reappear for the second half, a muscle complaint necessitating a second change from Allardyce that saw Jonjoe Kenny introduced, but any disruption was short-lived as Everton scored less than 60 seconds after the restart.

Niasse quickly latched onto a wayward header by James Tomkins, knocking it back to Sigurdsson who took one smart touch to set himself before firing a slightly deflected shot past Hennessey to make it 1-0.

Sigurdsson was involved again five minutes later with good hold-up play on the touchline that ended with him playing Davies in. A fortunate bounce fell to Cuco Martina who took time to size up a clipped cross for Niasse who steered a header inside the near post to double the lead.

Palace briefly rallied, Benteke going close with an almost identical chance to the one he buried in this fixture last season when his towering header dropped inches wide before his strike partner Sorloth missed with a headed chance of his own.

But Everton weathered the storm and extended their lead through Davies. The impressive Theo Walcott's cross was diverted into the path of Kenny by an errant touch from Tim Fosu-Mensah and the young defender's low cross was turned goalwards by Niasse.

Hennessey clawed his bobbling shot away by his right-hand post where Sigurdsson had followed up to cut the ball back into the six-yard box and Davies converted from close range to make it 3-0.

Allardyce then withdrew Gueye due to a slight know, his choice of Morgan Schneiderlin as a replace greeted with boos from some among the home crowd, befere Palace grabbed what proved to be little more than a consolation seven minutes from time.

Benteke's attempted hook shot struck Ashley Williams's raised arm leaving referee Jonathan Moss little alternative but to award a penalty that Milivojevic scored despite Pickford getting two gloves on his shot.

The win, their second of 2018, moves Everton to within two points of seventh-placed Burnley ahead of a warm-weather training trip to the Middle East that will take advantage of a fortnight's break in the Premier League schedule to accommodate the FA Cup 5th Round.

Matchday Updates

With a goal and an assist against Crystal Palace this afternoon, Oumar Niasse extracts retribution for that gross injustice back at Selhurst Park where he became the first Premier League player to be punished for unfairly winning a penalty supposedly fooling the referee.

Eliaquim Mangala got his Goodison Debut, with Cenk Tosun still on the subs bench.Seamus Coleman is back in the team after being rested against Arsenal. Rooney and Sigurdsson (who "can't play together")... play together. Bolasie and Schneiderlin were on the bench.

Niasse tried to burst through in Everton's first attack, winning a corner that was defended away. Rooney set Walcott free down the right with a brilliant ball but the Everton layer was wrongly ruled offside.

A horrible back-pass from Mangala sucked Pickford well out of his area, and Cabaye spurned the chance, looping his distant drive across the goal. At the other end, a fine lay-back from Walcott off a great ball from Rooney saw Sigurdsson fire a decent shot just beyond the far post.

Davies was released down the right but rather lashed at his cross, well overhit.> Another mistake from Mangala let Sorloth through and the follow-up saw Milivojevic drive a thunderous shot a foot or two wide.

An Everton attack down the middle saw Gueye fouled and Sigurdsson deliberated with Rooney before firing the set-piece chance off the wall for a corner, Benteke heading it away. Everton were attacking brightly with Niasse released but he was well wide of the goal and could not convert.

Everton had dominated the early play but things went a bit flat around the 20-minute mark with too many errors coming back in and Everton's forward intent became unnecessarily hesitant, Palace winning corner.

Gueye played a difficult crossfield to Walcott who could only cross it to Hennessey at the near post. Walcott did better with a cross that Sigurdsson threatened, winning an Everton corner but once again Benteke was the first man, however, Geuye put in a decent shot, forcing a good save from Hennessey.

Walcott drove through four players and won another dangerous set-piece, this time Rooney hitting the wall for a corner but again nothing came of it.

Better ball retention from Everton came at the cost of slow and too deliberate build-up passing until Davies passed to a defender. But a move down the right came so close, Coleman feeding Walcott and the loose ball came to Davies but his shot was blocked.

Great play form Sigurdsson saw a fine low cross that somehow Walcott could not control and a glorious chance was gone. Cabaye fired in a dropping shot that Pickford shovelled behind for a corner. Benteke bundled it in off Pickford but was called offside.

Everton won anther corner, this one getting beyond Benteke and causing some danger but Mangala went down in pain on the Palace goal-line trying to reach an unorthodox cross from Niasse, falling awkwardly, the play eventually being stopped. Mangala needed more treatment off the pitch and went down again after resuming, Ashley Williams eventually replacing him just before half-time with 2 added minutes.

Sorloth came so close to setting up Benteke for a goal as the big Palace nemesis mis-directed his header between McArthur and the goal, a very dangerous chance.

Coleman was withdrawn at the break, replaced by Jonjoe Kenny. From a nothing hoofball, Niasse cleverly played in Sigurdsson who fired home from near the dee with possibly a slight deflection inside the first minute of the second half.

Some ugly sloppiness at the back had Evertonians sweating as they seemed determined to set up Palace with an equalizer. But at the other end, Martina in space picked out Niasse whose very accomplished header was directed nicely inside Henessey's post.

A great run through the middle by Walcott and exchange with Niasse almost paid off as Everton looked suddenly a lot more comfortable thanks to two quick goals. Van Aanholt was booked for very little. Cabaye delivered a fine cross onto Benteke's head and he overpowered Kenny to direct it just an inch outside of the post with Pickford stranded.

Rooney once again showed his brilliant vision and execution picking out Walcott with a fantastic diagonal cross-field pass but the exchange with Kenny was defended away and Palace set up their nbest move, Van Aanholt whipping in a fine cross for Sorloth to power goalaward forcing a good stretching save from Pickdore to keep it out.

Palace attacked with determination, winning a corner that caused panic, Walcott committing the foul in the midfield and getting a yellow card from John Moss. Fosu-Mensah gifted Everton a corner with a poor clearance, delivered a little better by Sigurdsson but still not ending in a decent chance.

Everton seasled the win with an attack down the right , Kenny playing a nice low ball for Oumar Niasse to scuff his a shot towards the corner of the goal and as Wayne Hennessey palmed it away, Gylfi Sigurdsson raced in to turn the ball back into the 6-yard box where Tom Davies was on hand to slot home the third goal in front of the Gwladys Street.

Gana, who had played well, was clapped off only for Schneiderlin to be loudly booed onto the field as the third and final substitute with 10 minutes left.

Van Aanholt fired in a wicked shot Pickford had to push behind for a corner that caussed havoc, Kenny raising his arms and handling it amidst the goalmouth mayhem, and Moss giving the penalty that Milivojevic drove hard past Pickford, despite him getting a touch.

Sigurdsson delivered a great curling free-kick to the far post where Keane was denied by Tomkins. Palace pushed hard for another goal but smart intervention by Rooney pushed them back up field and let Davies run time down in the corner.

Another above-average crowd went home happy after witnessing an above-average performance by Everton that only served to underline how poor the effort had been last weekend against Arsenal at The Emirates.

Scorers: Sigurdsson (46'), Niasse (51'), Davies (75')

Everton: Pickford, Coleman (46' Kenny), Keane, Mangala (44' Williams), Martina, Davies, Gueye (81' Schneiderlin), Rooney, Walcott [Y:68'], Sigurdsson, Niasse.
Subs not Used: Robles, Bolasie, Tosun, Calvert-Lewin.

Crystal Palace: Hennessey, Ward, Fosu-Mensah, , Van Aanholt [Y:54'], Townsend, Cabaye, Milivojevic, McArthur, Sorloth, Benteke.
Subs: Henry, Souare, Riedewald, Delaney, Lee, Wan-Bissaka, Rakip.

Referee: Jonathan Moss

Attendance: 39,139

Michael Kenrick

Match Preview

Everton return to the relative comforts of home this weekend looking to put last Saturday's nightmare at the Emirates behind them when they face Crystal Palace.

The run of fixtures between now and the end of the season, which features just two more games against top-six opposition — both at Goodison Park, means that Everton have a large degree of control over how this campaign plays out for them.

They may have slipped to 10th after last weekend's results and the relegation zone might be just seven points below them but home games against Palace Brighton, Newcastle and Southampton provide ample opportunity to get past the 40-point mark without fretting over how poor the Blues have been on their travels over the past year.

Everton sit closer to seventh place than the drop zone coming into this weekend and, almost comically, have a real opportunity with that favourable run-in to finish in the same position they did last year. That seemed almost unthinkable in the depths of October when the club sat in 18th place and it still doesn't seem to make sense given that Sam Allardyce has presided over a run of just one win in eight games.

It represents a target for Everton and if the humiliation suffered at Arsenalwas hugely instructive on how the manager should not be setting up his team, the win over Leicester that preceded it clearly points the way in terms of the line-up and formation he should employ going forward.

Seamus Coleman, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Wayne Rooney were all conspicuous by their omission at the Emirates and are almost guaranteed starters for the visit of Palace. Tom Davies, meanwhile, will hopefully have earned his recall to the starting XI after his energetic display off the bench last weekend.

A midfield trio of Davies, Rooney and Idrissa Gueye sitting behind Sigurdsson would seem to offer the right blend of directness, distribution and tenacity and establish the link between defence and attack that has been sorely lacking at times this season.

In central defence, it would not be surprising to see Phil Jagielka return, probably alongside Michael Keane who had, arguably, his best game for the Blues so far against the Foxes. There are question marks over his marking and positional sense at set-pieces that might make him a risk, however, particularly against a robust side like the Eagles.

Up front, Oumar Niasse has looked more effective as an impact substitute while Dominic Calvert-Lewin made a strong case for another start against Arsenal but Allardyce's apparent preference for the Senegalese striker will likely see him start, with Cenk Tosun having to remain patient for his chance.

Along with Coleman, Theo Walcott will be the one to whom Everton will turn for inspiration, the former Gunner proving to have been a savvy addition to the front line already with an assist and two goals to his name already. He was unfortunate not to score against his old club last Saturday and his pace and eye for goal will be an important weapon for the Blues this weekend.

You can actually get slightly more favourable odds when you bet online using 888 Sport on Walcott to score than Tosun who probably won't even start while Rooney is also backed strongly to find the net at some stage. Cuco Martina is 33/1…

Palace, meanwhile, will be looking to Christian Benteke who scored in this fixture last season, particularly given the fact that their biggest attacking threat, Wilfried Zaha is ruled out through injury. He suffered a knee injury in the Eagles' 1-1 draw with Newcastle United and looks set to be sidelined for the next month.

Roy Hodgson also has Bakary Sako who has six goals to his name this season, four more than Benteke, level with penalty specialist Luka Milivojevic and James McArthur who has five, one of them also against Everton the reverse fixture between these two sides in November. The former England boss can also call upon the unknown quantity of January signing Alexander Sorloth.

Since losing to Arsenal at home on 28th December, Palace have been on a decent run of form, a far cry from their horrendous start which cost Frank de Boer his job before it had really even begun. They've only lost two of their last 12 in the Premier League and have won as many games away from home in that time as Everton have in over a year.

If Allardyce can draw the same kind of performance out of his charges as they produced against Leicester 10 days ago, however, the Blues should have enough to win this one and allow themselves to breathe a little easier again.

Kick-off: 3pm, Saturday, 10 February, 2018
Referee: Jonathan Moss
Last Time: Everton 1 - 1 Crystal Palace

Predicted Line-up: Pickford, Coleman, Jagielka, Keane, Martina, Gueye, Rooney, Davies, Sigurdsson, Walcott, Niasse

Lyndon Lloyd

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