Everton secured an impressive 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace in a thrilling encounter that saw both sides demonstrating their attacking prowess.
It was Idrissa Gueye who scored the decisive goal for Everton in the 86th minute, combining with Abdoulaye Doucoure to put the Toffees ahead for the third time in the match. Palace was unable to find a way back into the game after that, despite having twice equalized earlier on.
The match got off to an electrifying start, with Vitalii Mykolenko scoring his second goal in two games just 54 seconds into the match. Mykolenko headed in Jack Harrison’s cross from close range to put Everton ahead.
However, Palace responded swiftly to level the scoreline, with Eberechi Eze converting from the penalty spot after winning a foul. Eze’s goal was a remarkable one, as he had just signed a new long-term contract with Palace.
Eze could have earned another penalty midway through the first half, but the referee booked him for simulation instead. A VAR check confirmed the decision, as there was potential contact from Jarrod Branthwaite, who had given away the first penalty.
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Everton’s players felt Eze should have been given a second yellow card for clipping James Garner just before half-time.
The second half started brightly for Everton, with Doucoure scoring in the 48th minute after Mykolenko’s volley hit the post. Palace, however, continued to pile on the pressure and eventually found the equalizer through Odsonne Edouard after Jefferson Lerma’s header into the box.
As the match progressed, momentum seemed to be with Palace as Michael Olise was subbed on in the second half for his first appearance of the season.
Eze was also electric, causing trouble for the Everton defence with his pace and dribbling skills. However, in a rare forward move, Gueye played a one-two to get into the area and scored a clinical finish to clinch the victory for Everton.
The win lifted Everton to 14th in the table, just a point off the top half, and provided hope for a positive campaign this season.
Everton has an impressive record over Palace, having lost just one of their last 18 meetings. Palace missed out on a chance to go into the top 10 and currently sits 12th, just a point ahead of Everton.
