Match Review: Everton win again in London after beating Palace

Everton continued their perfect start to the 2020-21 season as the Blues won again in London downing Crystal Palace 2-1 at Selhurst Park.

This is a significant victory, not because of the style or even the quality of the performance overall, but because it shows this Everton team can go and win a potentially awkward game against a defensively solid, well-organised and difficult team.

Although having said all that, the away team won through a Richarlison penalty awarded for a debatable handball, after the ball hit Palace player Joel Ward’s hand.

Things are going so well at the moment, that Everton are even getting the luck with official’s decisions, which makes a change from the tradition of almost comical misfortune that tends to haunt this club.

Leaving aside that sort of thing, which you can’t really control, in past seasons the Toffees have been too soft to go and win these sorts of games, particularly away from home.

Unless the Blues were in top form and playing at their very best, they would lack the ability and most of all, the mental strength to break down and find a way to beat obstinate sides like Palace, with any consistency.

Everton’s away form has been dreadful the past few recent seasons, it was one of the key things that ultimately undid previous manager Marco Silva’s tenure.

And the Blues have had a pretty awful record in London for a long while, especially away to Tottenham, Arsenal and Chelsea. Well the Toffees have won at Spurs already this season and now in south London too.

Returning to this match, unsurprisingly Carlo Ancelotti again stuck to the team he has picked for all three Premier League games.

As has been the case in the previous two Premier League games, the Blues got out of the block pretty well and they settled into their rhythm and soon began to dominate possession. This control of the ball is something the Toffees are becoming very good at.

Once more James Rodriguez was at the heart of everything good for Everton initially, directing the team’s attacking play with aplomb.

He has begun to build a good understanding with Seamus Coleman on the right hand side. That understanding was on display as Rodriguez played in Coleman and the rejuvenated full-back pulled a ball back for Dominic Calvert-Lewin to slot home for his fifth goal of the campaign.

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Then came Palace’s equaliser. The Eagles had a set-piece from a corner and Cheikou Kouyate got up well and unmarked he headed it into the goal.

Depsite the huge progress that the team is making, there are still too many little mistakes and lapses defensively. The Blues need to cut these out as much as possible.

Again though, unlike past Blues sides, they didn’t fold and responded well before getting the controversial penalty, which Richarlison took well.

Everton could and probably should, have added to the lead but despite a better second half from the home team, they held on comfortably enough to claim the three points.

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So all in all, not a vintage performance at all, but the kind of win where you grind out three points as successful teams have to do if they are going to achieve anything significant in a season. Roll on West Ham in the Carabao Cup next week..!