Everton secured a crucial 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace, lifting them out of the Premier League relegation zone.
The match unfolded under the watchful eyes of Crystal Palace’s newly appointed manager, Oliver Glasner. The evening saw a second-half lead for Palace, courtesy of Jordan Ayew, following the departure of manager Roy Hodgson earlier in the day.
Amadou Onana emerged as Everton’s saviour, rising highest during a corner to head in the equaliser. The Premier League game, admittedly low on quality, propelled Sean Dyche’s side out of the bottom three, now residing in 17th place, displacing Luton Town.
Everton and Luton share 20 points from 25 games, with Everton having played an additional match, while Palace holds the 15th spot, maintaining a comfortable five-point cushion above the relegation zone.
Reflecting on the match, Palace defender Joachim Andersen acknowledged the anticipated difficulty of the encounter, saying, “We knew it was going to be difficult up here, but we fought hard to get what we could.”
Meanwhile, Everton’s frustration at conceding a late goal was evident, with Dyche commenting, “We can play better, but we did everything we could tonight, just a bit frustrating to lose a goal in the final 10 minutes.”
Palace’s assistant manager, Paddy McCarthy, took charge in the absence of Glasner in the dugout, orchestrating an impressive performance marked by a relentless press that made Everton uncomfortable throughout the game. Despite the point gained by Palace, Everton’s winless streak extends to eight Premier League games.
Dyche praised Palace’s sharpness, recognising their edge with the new manager watching.
He added, “They scored a goal out of nothing, but I thought we reacted well to that.” Everton’s struggle to create clear-cut chances was evident, relying mainly on set-pieces, from which they scored their solitary goal.
Palace’s rare corner threat almost bore fruit when Jean-Philippe Mateta’s header was cleared off the line by Ashley Young. The visitors took the lead on the 66th minute as Ayew found the net with a well-placed shot.
Everton’s response was relentless, and their persistence paid off when Onana headed in from a corner, marking his third goal of the season and Everton’s 10th from set-pieces in this campaign.