A fantastic road win again for the Dyche-ball demons

Crystal Palace 2 - 3 Everton

Everton scored early but kept ceding possession to a hugely competitive Crystal Palace. However, go-ahead goals from Doucoure then Gana, who finally scored an excellent goal, sealed a tremendous end-to-end victory for the travelling Blues.

Both Amadou Onana and Jarrad Branthwaite were considered fit to play in the starting XI for today's game at Selhurst Park, with Seamus Coleman, Andre Gomes and Dele Alli still out injured. 

Young is preferred to Patterson, but Gana is on the bench. 

James Garner got the game under way with Everton in their silver grey change kit. And Everton were ahead with the home side hardly touching the ball, Harrisson crossing and a superb leaping header from Mykolenko bulging the Palace net after he had just had a shot blocked!

Tarkowski had to be careful with a late tackle on Schlupp. But Eze skipped into the Everton area and Branthwaite's trailing leg appeared to trip him, hardly any contact, but the referee was adamant and the VAR did not go against him. Eze himself rolled the ball in after fooling Pickford with his protracted stutter-step. 1-1 inside 5 minutes!

Ayew and Doucoure ran into each other and needed treatment. Everton then got a corner that Johnstone punched clear.  The game settled down a little, both defences having been breached very early on.

Palace tried to release Ayew down the Everton left but Mykolenko got in front of him and stole the ball well. However, the home side were starting to dominate possession with Everton concentrating on the low block, while Palace players swarmed the Everton penalty area, forcing some great blocks, and a great defensive header behind by Tarkowski. 

Everton eventually got forward, Young crossing deep to McNeil at the far post but he sidefooted the ball straight to Johnstone. Mykolenko and McNeil had to double up on Ayew and it led to a swift move and cross in to Calvert-Lewin who was on the wrong side of defender Ward. Another teasing cross from Harrison flew over everyone, and McNeil then crossed in low but Calvert-Lewin was behind the defenders again. 

Ayew was given too much space again and got the ball to Eze who jinked in along the byeline and tumbled when Branthhwaite challenged him again, clearly catching his right foot.  But the ref was convinced Eze had dived, showing him a yellow card, and incredibly the VAR didn't reverse this clear and obvious error, backing the referee's decision that there had been no foul.  Everton and especially Branthwaite escape – he needs to be a lot more careful in his tackles!

Everton tried to build another attack but couldn't get any clean movement, Garner eventually firing wide. Eze bamboozled Branthwaite again but failed to shoot and instead crossed too far in front of Edouard and Everton escaped again. 

Tarkowski dispossessed Edouard who went down for a third penalty claim to Palace, also not given. Edouard got behind the Everton backline and advanced on goal. Tarkowski came in brilliantly to dispossess him again before he could shoot. The VAR would have called him offside if Edouard had scored. 

Everton got a wide free-kick that reached Tarkowski at the far post but he could do little with the ball. Young then played in Harrison down the right who crossed too close to Johnstone yet again. 

Everton were building play well around the Palace area but the ball in from McNeil was eschewed by Calvert-Lewin who just did not attack it. McNeil tried to drive through two defenders and lost the ball. 

Palace then had a spell in attack as the pendulum of this one swung back and forth, but Everton's defence seemed to be better organised. However, their passing when in possession left a little to be desired.

Edouard got forward again and Pickford had to get out of his area quickly to clear without handling as the linesman's flag finally went up for offside. 

Garner and Eze competed for a ball as they ran into the Palace area, Garner feeling a touch and going down but the touch was in the dee and the referee was in any case unmoved. Doucoure saw yellow for a silly gesture to deny Palace the ball at a free kick. 

Edouard finally was onside and shot low at Pickford, Tarkowski giving away the corner. Branthwaite then had to head behind for another Palace corner, caught by Pickford as the referee blew for wrestling in the area. 

A really open, lively and entertaining half with surprisingly few direct chances on goal after the crazy start. All to play for in the second half.

Gana replaced Onana, who had been invisible in the first half, after the break. The open play continued with Mykolenko eventually doing well to force a corner. Gana thankfully mishit his cross/shot and Mykolenko volleyed a tremendous shot onto the post, with Docucoure there to follow up with a tap-in, not offside. 

Eze got through and lashed a shot goalward but Pickford saved well and Everton scrambled the ball clear eventually as the Everton contingent in the crowd heartily bellowed out Spirit of the Blues. Palace recycled their attack, Branthwaite putting the ball behind for a corner before Tarowski got a boot in the face. 

It was Everton's turn to build some attacks but they broke down with a rather harshly called Calvert-Lewin foul. Everton were getting better at anticipating the line-breaking Palace run, but greater danger came from Gana and Mykolenko competing with eachother to beat Pickford for an own goal! Dreadful miscommunication at the far post!

But yet again, Edouard got through and it needed a brilliant tackle from Branthwaite without bringing him down. But Palace continued to work their attacks around a resolute Everton defence now under increasing pressure, a real test again of the Dyche-ball philosophy that was breached last week. 

Edouard was again thwarted by Branthwaite but was able to tee up Lerma who sidefooted wide as Olise came on for the home side. Everton had to again maintain the low block as Palace circled, Olise lashing his deflected shot over, with Pickford then gathering the corner.

With rare Everton possession, Young was again wasteful with his aimless balls down the right wing and possession ended with a foul by Gana. Palace kept probing and Branthwaite headed clear but Mitchell headed it back in Edourad who danced in behind Trakowski to score. Que the VAR forensic analysis of a possible offside, which did not look likely and the goal was finally confirmed. 

Palace now had the momentum and Mykolenko was soon forced to give up another corner that bobbled around before Pickford could claim it. But Everton were now repeatedly giving the ball away to Palace and inviting yet more pressure, Olise skipping around Mykolenko. 

Young gave away another corner, cleared by Tarkowski.  Everton finally countered and Beto was fouled by Geuhi for a deep free-kick from the right that McNeil looped in but nothing came of it and Palace swarmed forward, causing havoc and panic in the Everton area, cleared by Gana. 

With time ticking away in the last 10 minutes, Everton's unsubtle hoof-ball was easily countered. But they forced a turnover and Beto almost controlled the ball.

Then it came back in with a tremendous throughball from Doucoure found Gana who stretched to power the ball in at the corner, a superb strike for the normally hopeless non-goalscorer. Onana apparently got booked for running on the field to join the celebrations. 

Harrison was this time released by Young and then fouled but not according to the referee. Garner, probably annoyed by this body-checked Ayew and saw yellow. Patterson replaced Young as 8 minutes were added. 

A Palace free-kick was cleared, then Tarkowski headed away the cross. But the ball kept coming back into the Everton area, and Branthwaite forced to clear a powerful cross behind.  A brief respite followed the cleared corner but Everton did not want to get stretched and the ball was again and again played back to a Palace player. 

A deep free kick was battled for by Harrison who fed Beto but he took an extra touch and the angle was too fine for his shot past the far post. More attacking play from Palace, more solid defence from Everton with the ball just booted upfield back to Palace. 

Mykolenko had to rugby-tackle Olise, earning Everton's fourth yellow card, for yet another dangerous free-kick, Olise lashing Palace's final chance over everyone and everything. Poor Roy Hodgson has not beaten Everton in 14 attempts since 2011. 

Crystal Palace: Johnstone, Ward, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell, Hughes (89' Ahamada), Lerma, Ayew, Eze [Y:24'], Schlupp (67' Olise), Edouard (83' Mateta).

Subs not Used: Holding, Matheus Franca, Clyne, Richards, Doucoure, Matthews.

Everton: Pickford, Young (90' Patterson), Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko [Y:90+7'], Onana [Y:86'] (46' Gana), Garner [Y:89'],  Doucouré [Y:45+2'], Harrison, McNeil, Calvert-Lewin (77' Beto).

Subs not Used:  Virginia, Keane, Godfrey, Chermiti, Danjuma, Dobbin.

 

 

 

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