Dwight McNeil’s double secured Everton’s first three points of the Premier League season, coming from behind to beat Crystal Palace 2-1 at Goodison Park.
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Marc Guehi gave the visitors an early lead, poking home at the near post, seeming to signal the continuation of Everton’s woes.
But Sean Dyche’s side rallied after the break, with McNeil hitting the back of the net with a delightful long-range strike in the 47th minute before adding a second at the far post just seven minutes later as they continued their fine form against Palace at Goodison Park.
The win lifts Everton out of the relegation zone and up to 16th, leapfrogging Palace, who drop to 17th.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 |
West Ham
WHU
|
6 | -4 | 5 |
| 15 |
Everton
EVE
|
6 | -8 | 4 |
| 16 |
Leicester
LEI
|
6 | -4 | 3 |
| 17 |
Crystal Palace
CRY
|
6 | -4 | 3 |
| 18 |
Ipswich
IPS
|
5 | -5 | 3 |
| 19 |
Southampton
SOU
|
5 | -7 | 1 |
| 20 |
Wolves
WOL
|
6 | -10 | 1 |
How the match unfolded
Guehi was alert to give the visitors the lead after 10 minutes from a short-corner routine – Maxence Lacroix nodded down Adam Wharton’s cross at the back post for the captain to poke past Jordan Pickford.
Palace found more success from their corners as the half went on and nearly scored a goal identical to their first, only for Iliman Ndiaye to block Daniel Munoz’s shot.
Two minutes after the restart, McNeil found space outside the box, unleashing a curling effort that nestled spectacularly in the far-left top corner.
He then truly stamped his mark seven minutes later. A floated cross from Jack Harrison on the right found the midfielder at the far post, and he took a touch before volleying home from a tight angle.
Abdoulaye Doucoure had the opportunity to put the game to bed with 10 minutes left, but a last-ditch challenge from Lacroix spared Palace’s blushes.
McNeil gifts Everton a comeback of their own
Everton’s last three Premier League matches have seen them drop points from leading positions.
Yet individual brilliance from McNeil gave the Toffees a taste of that comeback delight in an impressive second-half display from the hosts.
Their first half was lacklustre, as Everton only created limited chances – Calvert-Lewin squandered their best opportunity, failing to make contact with McNeil’s cross in front of goal.
After the restart, McNeil took matters into his own hands and dazzled with his stunning long-range effort off the right which Dean Henderson had no chance of getting to.
His second was equally impressive. Harrison’s ball from the right was perfectly weighted, and McNeil showed impressive control to set the ball up with his first touch before firing home with his second.
It was a much-needed three points for a struggling Everton side who showed good resilience to hold onto a lead for the first time this season, and Dyche will be hoping they can truly kickstart their season from here.
A tale of two halves for the Palace defence
The focal point in defence was meant to be the return of Jarrad Branthwaite for the hosts, but it was Palace’s back three who delivered the goods at both ends in the first half.
The combination of Guehi and Lacroix gave the visitors an early lead as the latter leapt highest by some distance to meet Wharton’s cross. Though he looked to be going for goal, instead it was Guehi who got the deciding touch to turn it home.
It was an equally astute performance from the pair in defence to keep Palace’s clean sheet intact until half-time on Merseyside.
They dominated the air to clear on numerous occasions, neutralising the aerial threat of Calvert-Lewin.
So it was unsurprising that Everton’s breakthrough came from range as McNeil was left with too much space in the midfield after a sloppy giveaway, and they continued to struggle with McNeil’s clinical edge.
Following the Everton midfielder’s two-goal salvo, the aerial assurance was restored as Lacroix silenced Calvert-Lewin for the duration.
Even with goalkeeper Henderson’s last-minute header from a corner, the defence could not save Palace from defeat.
Club reports
Everton report | Crystal Palace report
What the managers said
Sean Dyche: “I’m very pleased. I think we've played better this season, but we haven't won. So, the main thing was to get a win, find a win and find it however we could.”
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Key facts
Everton have lost just one of their last 20 Premier League matches against Crystal Palace (W10 D9), a 3-1 defeat at Selhurst Park in December 2021. Indeed, it’s the first time that the Toffees have won a match after conceding the opening goal for the first time since October 2022, ending a 35-match streak in the process.
Across their opening six Premier League games this campaign, Everton have conceded 15 goals in total – their most at this point in a season since 1994/95 (also 15 in six games).
McNeil netted just his second brace ever in the Premier League (also v Brighton in May 2023), while after six top-flight matches this season, he already has as many goals as during the whole of last season, with three.
In the Premier League, three of McNeil’s last four league goals have come from outside the penalty area, with only Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Eberechi Eze (all with five) netting more such goals in the competition in 2024.
