Prince Rupert's Tower
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Everton face Eagles in a potentially history defining fixture

By Matt Townsend

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 20: Anthony Gordon of Everton holds off the challenge from Conor Gallagher of Crystal Palace during the Emirates FA Cup Quarter Final match between Crystal Palace and Everton at Selhurst Park on March 20, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Craig Mercer/MB Media/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 20: Anthony Gordon of Everton holds off the challenge from Conor Gallagher of Crystal Palace during the Emirates FA Cup Quarter Final match between Crystal Palace and Everton at Selhurst Park on March 20, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Craig Mercer/MB Media/Getty Images) /
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I hoped it wouldn’t get to this point, I’m sure we all did but it looks as though the seventy odd years of top flight football Everton have enjoyed might well come down to tomorrow night’s match against Crystal Palace at Goodison Park.

Everton could of course have already sorted this out last weekend when they hosted Brentford. But as we all know, after a really positive start it went disasterously wrong once the referee had made his helpful interventions.

Despite that fact, it is so absolutely typical of this football club to mess up a great chance to get this awful situation sorted out. So, they have one last home game to try and get over the line.

There is still a chance for the Toffees’ to settle this relegation battle after tomorrow’s match as they have a final day fixture at Arsenal on Sunday. Leeds United also play their last match at the weekend, and if they draw or are defeated the Blues’ will survive regardless of their own results.

But, I’m not sure I can face another last day decider having already seen two of them in 1994 and then again in 98. I had hoped never again to have to endure that.

And, obviously none of us want to have to rely on another side for the Toffees’ survival. This is in fact what happened in those two last day fixtures in the nineties when other teams results ultimately secured Everton’s top flight status.

However, I for one don’t think this club will make it three times a charm if it comes to that again. And, in a potentially crucial difference, unlike 94 and 98, the Toffees’ won’t be playing their last game of the campaign at the Grand Old Lady.

I still remember the atmophere in 94 against Wimbledon and after going two goals down in a quarter of an hour, the response from the Goodison faithfull was instinctive and hugely rousing and it helped to turn the tide in that match.

Given this team’s dreadful away form this season, having to get a positive result at the Emirates would seem a very big ask with the outcome of relegation riding on it, especially without that home support to roar them on.

The only possible chink of light there is that Arsenal’s hopes of Champions League football are now over so they will have nothing really to play for.

Anyway, so to tomorrow’s match with Palace.

Everton go into this game, arguably the most important at Goodison Park in decades, without obviously the two players sent off last weekend: Jarrad Branthwaite and Salomon Rondon.

The Blues’ were already short of options at the back before Sunday’s disaster with Ben Godfrey, Yerry Mina and Micheal Keane out and now they have even fewer options.

It looks as though Keane might be fit for tomorrow, although whether that’s really much of a boost given his record of making mistakes left, right and centre this season, is open to debate.

But with Godfrey still a major doubt, he will have to play alongside Mason Holgate. It is the centre-back pairing that has looked the most vulnerable and inconsistent all campaign going into the club’s biggest and most high-pressured home game in years.

Having to rely on these two to keep a clean sheet in such a massive match is typical of this team’s endless bad luck.

In other injury news Dominic Calvert-Lewin seems likely to be available despite some doubts after Sunday and he and Richarlison need to to be at their sharpest and ready to snap up any and all chances tomorrow evening.

Of course, Burnley too play tomorrow night when they travel to Aston Villa. Defeat for the Clarets could prove crucial, although I suspect Steven Gerrard will have his players go easy in that match.

Palace themselves, like Villa, obviously don’t have anything to play for as they are safe but are also out of contention for Europe.

Will this make any difference? I don’t know and I worry as I said after Sunday’s defeat, that the manner of that loss might damage the fragile confidence in this group of players, which we had seen improving in recent weeks.

Personally, I think a defeat tomorrow could already seal Everton’s fate (if Burnley also win) as I can’t see them beating Arsenal on the last day and Burnley and perhaps Leeds too may well get a win then. The long and once proud history of this football club is coming down to this.