Premier League Preview: Everton vs Crystal Palace – Stats & Prediction

Everton had hoped to bid the iconic Goodison Park a proper farewell, but those ambitions look far-fetched only five rounds into the new Premier League season.

One upset after another has brought manager Sean Dyche on the precipice of dismissal ahead of Crystal Palace's visit to Merseyside on Saturday afternoon.

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However, with new ownership expected soon, it’s likely that Everton fans will see some change at the helm of their team. According to the Mirror, merciless Dan Friedkin, the front-running candidate to purchase the club from Farhad Moshiri, could commence his tenure with Dyche's sacking when his takeover claim goes through.

On the other hand, pundit Jamie Carragher backed the former Burnley boss on The Overlap, hailing his 'really good job' at Goodison, which led to Everton's survival last season.  

However, football has become a ruthless business.

Fans must appreciate Dyche's effort in 2023/24, considering he helped the Toffees avoid relegation despite back-to-back point deductions midway through the campaign.

It's hard to stay loyal, though, now that another season-long tussle in the lower reaches looks like a near-certainty.

Winless after five Premier League outings (D1, L4), the Merseyside strugglers head into this matchday deeply embedded in the relegation zone as one of only three sides to pick up just one point.

Given the circumstances, it's no wonder many have deemed this fixture 'make or break' for Dyche, whose Palace counterpart, Oliver Glasner, also seeks his first league win this term.

Unacceptable Lapses of Concentration Have Been Everton's Scourge

When Iliman Ndiaye broke the deadlock in the 12th minute of last Saturday's trip to the King Power Stadium, it seemed like Everton had Leicester City on the ropes.

But dropping points from winning positions has been a running theme for the Goodison outfit this season.

Everton supporters must have felt a sense of deja vu when Stephy Mavididi's second-half equaliser condemned the Toffees to a 1-1 draw in the East Midlands.

That gut-wrenching result means Dyche's charges have thrown away eight points after taking the lead - more than any other team in the division this season.

Speaking of wasted points, Everton set an unwanted feat in their last league outing on home soil, becoming the first side in Premier League history to lose despite boasting a two-goal cushion in the 87th minute.

Bournemouth performed a stunning late comeback to win 3-2, leaving the local crowd in tatters.

Therefore, first and foremost on Everton's mind would be delivering season ticket holders their first home top-flight win this season, and Palace's visit bodes well.

Can Everton Hoodoo Clip Eagles' Wings Again?

Palace's long-standing struggles in this fixture have seen them get into the win column just once across their last 19 league encounters against Everton (D9, L9).

That lone exception came in December 2021 at Selhurst Park, while their humiliating league form at Goodison runs much deeper.

You'd need to go back to September 2014 for the Eagles' last Premier League victory on Everton's home ground, with their subsequent nine visits yielding just four points (D4, L5).

Such a formidable head-to-head home record could be the ultimate confidence booster for the Toffees, yet Glasner's men are not to be taken lightly.

Regardless of their winless league start (D3, L2), the visitors are actually unbeaten in their last five competitive matches (W2, D3), including a hard-earned 0-0 home draw against Manchester United a week ago.

But not even Glasner's attacking-minded philosophy has found a cure for Palace's scoring sickness, with the Eagles averaging just 0.8 goals per league game thus far.

Prediction

Everton must take advantage of Palace's disjointed offensive performances to stem the bleeding and find a way out of this nightmare.

Dyche's lads have lacked composure in recent matches, and if they can address that issue, the Toffees could finally find some light at the end of the tunnel.

Palace will not go down without a fight, but if Dyche is to keep his job, this is a must-win clash for the hosts.