September 28 2024

Daichi Kamada tussles for the ball

Crystal Palace let an early lead slip as Dwight McNeil’s second-half brace earned Everton their first Premier League win of the season.

Crystal Palace’s search for their first Premier League win of the season continues after a disappointing 2-1 loss to Everton at Goodison Park.

The Eagles looked in control early on but were undone by two second-half strikes from Dwight McNeil, leaving the South Londoners empty-handed yet again.

Palace got off to a dream start, taking the lead inside 10 minutes. Marc Guehi, one of the standout performers this season, capitalized on some poor Everton defending from a corner, reacting quickest to Maxence Lacroix’s knockdown and poking the ball past Jordan Pickford. It was a much-needed lift for Oliver Glasner’s side, who have been struggling to find form in the early part of the campaign.

The first half saw Palace dominate set-pieces, with Daniel Munoz almost doubling the advantage, only to see his powerful header cleared off the line by Iliman Ndiaye. However, despite some bright moments, Palace failed to take full advantage of their dominance. Everton, for all their struggles, managed to keep the game within reach as the Eagles’ attack faded as the half wore on.

The second half saw a revitalized Everton, with Palace unable to cope with their intensity. Just minutes after the restart, Dwight McNeil unleashed a curling effort from range that beat Dean Henderson and brought the home crowd to life. It was a hammer blow for Palace, who had been in control for much of the first half but were now on the back foot.

Things went from bad to worse when McNeil struck again, this time controlling a cross from Jack Harrison and volleying home from a tight angle. The Eagles never looked like recovering, struggling to mount any serious response as Everton shut down the game.

Palace, now winless in six, will need to regroup quickly as they look to turn around their fortunes. A promising start in this match gave way to another frustrating evening, as the team continues to search for answers.

Letting Everton get their 1st win of the season is so unbelievably Palace ???? FFS #cpfc

— Holmesdale Online (@Holmesdale) September 28, 2024

Palace: Henderson, Lerma, Guéhi, Lacroix, Mitchell, Kamada (Sarr, 62), Wharton (Hughes, 89), Muñoz, Eze, Mateta, Nketiah (Schlupp, 73)

Everton: Pickford, Mykolenko, Branthwaite, Tarkowski, Young, Mangala (Garner, 83), Doucouré, Ndiaye, McNeil (Gueye, 83), Lindstrøm (Harrison, 46), Calvert-Lewin

2024/25 match reports

2024/25 squad stats

Premier League table

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