Costly Palace draw — Calvert-Lewin red card, McNeil seriously injured

Crystal Palace 0 - 0 Everton

Everton could not force a win against Crystal Palace before it descended into farce with VAR forcing a red card on Calvert-Lewin, McNeil suffering a serious injury, and the Blues having to do it all again with an unwanted replay at Goodison Park during their winter break. 

Idrissa Gana Gueye and Abdoulaye Doucoure were both still absent, along with Ashley Young. Pickford sits this one out with Jaoa Virginia selected in goal to start his first match for more than 1½ years, with Seamus Coleman and Arnaut Danjuma also in the starting line-up.

For the home side, Michael Olise has a hamstring issue, while Jordan Ayew is off to the Africa Cup of Nations with Ghana. Matheus França and Jeffrey Schlupp take their places.

Everton kicked off and looked to move the ball around well until Danjuma's through-ball was overhit. Palace got the first shot of sorts, the ball hit into the ground by Sclupp and going wide, fielded well by Virginia. Danjuma overlapped well but his cross was played in behind Calvert-Lewin.

Palace were trying to be direct but Tarkowski was covering well. Mateta beat Tarjkowski with shocking ease out on the wing but others were covering for him. Eze could not get past Onana and fouled him. Danjuma again showed excellent pace but his cross was blocked away. 

Andersen had the measure of Calvert-Lewin, timing his header properly to take the ball away from him. Eze made a dreadful dive over Onana's leg after drawing the contact, and was rightly yellow-carded. Danjuma again got the byeline but his cross did not come off. Still, Everton were showing better and looking to get forward. 

Another Danjuma run and cross was defended away. Garner switched play beautifully to Coleman, and Danjuma forced his way in but his shot was defected into the side netting, the corner cleared away. Another incredible Garner pass taken perfectly by Coleman on the run but his cross was well off target. 

Again Everton thrust forward for the best chance so far, Danjuma's shot well parried behind. Matteta headed the corner behind. Henderson grabbed it at  the second chance. Everton had played the first 20 minutes really well but without taking advantage in the form of a goal their play deserved. 

Palace finally got forward and the challenge by Tarkowski was rather robust for a dangerous Palace free-kick in the dee. Eze skied it. Mykolenko tried to pick out McNeil, then Danjuma surged down the wing again and won the corner, Garner putting in a low one that forced a clever clearance from Henderson off his line.

It became a bit more even of a midfield battle, although still a pretty open game, with Palace getting more possession but Everton still looking to play it forward quickly. Garner advanced but gave the ball away. But Everton won the ball back, yet Coleman was offside this time when another good pass found him. 

Mateta again rolled Trakowski and thundered away from him, Branthwaite across at the expense of a corner that was cleared. But Palace recycled and a good cross over Virginia to the far pot had Mykolenko clearing with some desperation. 

More crosses were put in by Everton, the first a long way from Calvert-Lewin but the second was more of a chance for a glancing header that wasn't executed properly. Danhjumma tried to play in Calvert-Lewin but it was a difficult chance, easily picked up by Henderson. 

Palace had some more of the ball, Lerma set up to lash one 6 inches over the Everton bar. McNeil's cross missed Calvert-Lewin but came back out to Garner who really smacked it but Andersen was in the way and Henderson behind him. Everton lofted the ball up to Calvert-Lewin but it bounced off him and behind for a goal-kick. 

A loose midfield ball was nodded forward by Palace and needed clever covering by Coleman to keep it away from Mateta. Better play by Palace saw a difficult cross defended clear and the 1 minute of added time ended a half that Everton dominated without creating many clear chances. 

Eze restarted for the Eagles. Mateta eventually forced his way forward but it ended up as a goal kick for Everton. But Everton's play was loose and the play was scrappy.  From a throw-in the ball came to Garner who tried to curl one into the top corner but was 4 feet wide. 

At the other end, Eze got through and smashed at shot at Virginia that he fisted behind. The corner was headed goalward but caught by Virginia. Franca wanted a free-kick for his tussle with Mykolenko. Palace where playing a lot better and Everton needed to do more to regain control of the game.

Calvert-Lewin was worryingly jumping for lofted balls but either missing them completely or heading them nowhere, and Everton's attempts to build were being thwarted. McNeil crossed for Calvert-Lewin who had this time jumped too early. 

Everton got forward but Calvert-Lewin was displaced far to the right when a cross came in for him. Onana fouled on Everton's right, giving up a free-kick that needed Branthwaite to head it away as Vigina tried to punch clear, Palace crossing back in too deep. An hour gone, and little sign that either side would produce a goal.

Calvert-Lewin pounced on a loose ball and trotted forward unconvincingly with ball, rolling his shot feebly for an easy save by Henderson. Really poor attempt from the Everton striker. A couple of Everton corners threatened but nothing came of them. 

There was an interesting challenge by Branthwaite on Lma (no foul, said the ref) and Everton broke from it, winning another corner but it was a crapshoot with headers from Trakowski and Onana amongst the crowd. 

Harrison did well and crossed nicely but then Harrison could not head it goalwards. But it was a great spell of Everton dominance around the Palace area, McNeil tried a weighted cross to the far post that was cleared, so many Everton cross for zero end product, Harrison scooping his shot wide. 

Onana saw a chance to play it forward but Calvert-Lewin was blocked however, Danjuma's shot was too easily saved. Calvert-Lewin did well to rescue a lost ball but as Everton surged forward, the massed defence of Palace stalled them yet again, with time running out. 

Calvert-Lewin's challenge had gone over the ball and caught Clyne on his shin as he had won the challenge. VAR wanted a good long look and the referee, who had seen nothing wrong initially, took a look at it, deciding to show Calvert-Lewin a red card, his first ever, much to the chagrin of the Everton contingent. Danjuma was then sacrificed to get Beto on. 

Palace won a corner Ahmada firing across the Everton goal and well wide. Beto got forward and played a lovely cross to Garner that he spooned high over the bar!

At the other end, Eze spun and shot, with Tarkowski and Coleman blocking it behind for a corner that was cleared but McNeil went down behind the goal line, and Mateta wanted Everton to restart, getting himself a yellow card.

The game did restart with Everton down to 9 men. McNeil apparently seriously injured, falling over Branthwaite at the corner, needing the stretcher, with Gomes finally coming on for him. 

Then 9 minutes of added time were shown as a ball dropped nicely for Harrison but he volleyed it well over. Palace pushed forward but only gave Everton a goal-kick.

A Palace free-kick was cleared but they pushed forward for a corner off Garner. More Palace pressure until it was cleared but Beto could not force the counter.  Palace forward again and another corner from Eze, cleared by Onana.

Beto looked to be grabbed by Andersen, forcing Beto down inside the penalty area — why was that not a penalty? Palace forward again for another attempt. Eze fired in and Virginia dived at full stretch to give Palace yet another corner, and still it  came to nothing, 

 

Crystal Palace: Henderson, Clyne (85' Ozoh), Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell, Lerma (85' Edouard), Richards, Eze [Y:13'], Matheus França (71' Ahamada), Mateta [Y:86'], Schlupp (71' Hughes).

Subs not Used: Tomkins, Ebiowei,  Matthews, Riedewald, Adaramola.

Everton:  Virginia, Coleman, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Onana, Garner, McNeil (89' Gomes), Harrison, Danjuma (80' Beto), Calvert-Lewin [R:79'].

Subs not Used: Pickford, Patterson, Keane,Godfrey, Chermiti, Hunt, Dobbin.

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