Match Report

Everton and Crystal Palace must do it all again in the FA Cup Third Round after this evening’s tie at Selhurst Park ended goalless but was also beset by controversy following the staggering decision to send off Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

The Blues had carried the greater threat all evening but had struggled to turn their superiority into a crucial goal before referee Chris Kavanagh, at the prompting of Video Assistant Referee, Craig Pawson, opted to show Calvert-Lewin a straight red card for a fair-looking tackle on Nathaniel Clyne in the 79th minute.

Sean Dyche’s men held off their hosts for the remaining 20 minutes of play to earn a replay at Goodison Park but not without the potential cost of a three-game ban for Calvert-Lewin and a significant injury to Dwight McNeil, who was stretchered down the tunnel in the closing stages.

Despite the clear toll that a gruelling December campaign had had on his squad, Dyche went with a strong line-up to face the Eagles, with all but three of his regulars named in the starting XI.

Seamus Coleman came in for his first start since the Newcastle home game a month ago, Arnaut Danjuma was deployed wide on the left and Joao Virginia made only his third start for Everton in goal in place of Jordan Pickford who was rested.

The Portuguese was called upon early to find his feet when Jeffrey Schlupp bounced a shot his way in the third minute but it was the visitors who began to assume control of the contest as the first half wore on.

Coleman eschewed the chance to shoot and worked it to Calvert-Lewin instead, the latter feeding Danjuma whose drilled shot took a crucial deflection off a defender that sent it crashing into the side-netting with 16 minutes gone.

Three minutes later, Jack Harrison slipped the Dutchman in in a similar position but this time he produced an excellent save from Dean Henderson who readjusted his body in time to palm the effort over his crossbar.

The former Manchester United goalkeeper had to be alert six minutes later when James Garner’s scuffed corner was sneaking in but Henderson kicked it clear off his goal line and Garner’s goal-bound shot five minutes before the break was cut out by Joachim Andersen.

At the other end, Eberechi Eze was handed a direct free-kick opportunity when James Tarkowski was adjudged to have fouled Matheus França on the edge of the Blues’ penalty area but, thankfully he blazed his shot over.

Schlupp’s deflected cross a few minutes later was hacked away from danger by Vitalii Mykolenko and the hosts’ best move of the half saw Eze move Jean-Philippe Mateta’s dummy on to Jefferson Lerma but he blasted high into the stand behind the goal.

Neither side made any changes at the halfway stage but Palace finally gave Virginia a genuine test five minutes into the second half after Garner’s attempted curler had drifted wide for Everton.

Eze lined up a strong drive that the Toffees’ keeper parried behind smartly and from the resulting corner, Virginia caught Lerma’s header under his crossbar.

Just past the hour mark, Calvert-Lewin was played in for his best chance of the game but he shot weakly from an angle and Henderson smothered it comfortably and Danjuma had a snapshot saved as well when he drove it straight at the keeper.

In between, from one of Everton’s seven corners on the night, McNeil’s deep cross had found Tarkowski at the back post and his header back across goal presented Amadou Onana with a presentable opportunity to hit the target but he powered his header too high.

The game changed with 11 minutes left of the 90, though, when McNeil lofted a ball forward towards Calvert-Lewin and when the second ball dropped away from his aerial challenge with Andersen, the striker slid in to successfully win the ball and control it between his legs before laying it off to McNeil who had made the ground in the interim.

Calvert-Lewin’s boot had caught Clyne’s shin in passing, however, leaving the full-back writhing in the turf, but Kavanagh had deemed it accidental and legal before Pawson intervened. The trip to the monitor signalled that an on-the-pitch decision was about to be reversed and the Everton No 9 was sent off to the amazement of the 4,000 Blues in the away end.

Naouirou Ahamada came off the bench for Roy Hodgson’s team and shot wide, before Eze brought the ball down adeptly and saw his shot blocked behind by Tarkowski but from the resulting corner, McNeil went down in a heap behind the byline in obvious distress.

The game went on with Everton down to nine men and the winger’s leg was strapped to a brace but, either side of that sequence, the visitors will feel they had excellent chances to win it.

First, substitute Beto, who had a shout for a penalty ignored when Andersen held him back, centred for Garner but the midfielder somehow skied the ball high over the bar from near the penalty spot. Then, in stoppage time, the ball arrived at a tempting height in the box for Harrison but he couldn’t keep his volley down either.

The final action of the game saw Eze drive a low shot towards the far post that Virginia finger-tipped behind at full stretch before Kavanagh blew for full-time.

Lyndon Lloyd

Matchday Updates

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.

Michael Kenrick

Match Preview

Following four successive defeats in all competitions and a real back-down-to-earth feeling after their comprehensive loss to Wolves, Everton begin their FA Cup campaign away to Crystal Palace in front of the ITV cameras on Thursday evening.

With the painful elimination from the Carabao Cup at the quarter-final stage last month, the Toffees' only path to silverware this season is now the FA Cup but with injuries affecting  Sean Dyche's small squad, there is a feeling among money that the manager should prioritise the Premier League and rest key players at Selhurst Park.

Idrissa Gueye and Abdoulaye Doucouré have been significant losses in midfield in recent games and, based on Dyche's comments in his pre-match press conference, it doesn't seem likely that either will be involved against Palace, at least from the start.

Gueye is still undergoing treatment in a calf problem and Doucouré was once again described by the gaffer as "touch-and-go" in terms of readiness with his hamstring now recovered as he returned to full training this week.

Dyche indicated that he hoped to have "one or two back in", which perhaps hints that Ashley Young might be fit again having missed the last month or so with his own hamstring issue.

Should he decide to make changes to the core side that was called upon to play eight games in December, the likes of Arnaut Danjuma, Beto, Youssef Chermiti, Ben Godfrey and André Gomes would, no doubt, be hoping for more chances to impress while Seamus Coleman, a second-half substitute at Molineux last Saturday, would also benefit from more minutes.

There may even be scope for Jordan Pickford to be given a rest to give Joao Virginia a rare outing but that may be further than Dyche would be prepared to go in destabilising the team and risking a cup exit at the first hurdle.

Palace, who arrested a two-month winless streak when they beat Brentford last weekend, will be without key winger Michael Olise after he was ruled out this week with a thigh injury. Goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, defenders Rob Holding and Joel Ward, and midfielder Cheick Doucouré are also unavailable.

For Everton, they will be hoping for a result closer to their last visit to this ground in November when they came away with a 3-2 win rather than the 4-0 hammering they suffered under Frank Lampard in the last eight of this competition in 2022.

Kick-off: 8pm, Thursday 4 January, 2024
Last Time: Crystal Palace 4 - 0 Everton 

Lyndon Lloyd

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