Sean Dyche’s Everton ended their wait for a Premier League win in the ongoing season following a comeback 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace 2-1 at Goodison Park on Saturday.
Everton went down to Marc Guehi’s 10th minutes goal, before Dwight McNeil’s double turn the game around in the space of nine minutes at the start of the second half to down Crystal Palace.
Just 77 seconds after the restart McNeil curled home from 25 yards after Ashley Young intercepted a pass deep in Palace territory before firing past Dean Henderson after bringing down a cross from half-time substitute Jack Harrison.
Harrison’s introduction for the second half helped spark the turnaround as McNeil took centre-stage, scoring twice in a game for the first time since May 2023.
The win is a relief for manager Sean Dyche after twice squandering 2-0 leads to lose last month.
Not since October 2022 had the team recovered from going behind to pick up three Premier League points.
Dyche’s counterpart Oliver Glasner, who finished last season with six wins and a draw, is still trying to rediscover that magic formula after just three draws this season.
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The return of Jarrad Branthwaite was not quite the panacea and Toffees fans hoped it would be.
Branthwaite’s first start of the season was supposed to help shore up a defence which was the Premier League’s joint-worst before kick-off.
He won his first header from the kick-off against the equally-giant figure of Jean-Philippe Mateta but even his presence could not stop the concession of a 10th-minute goal as the search for a first clean sheet continued.
Jesper Lindstrom, who was so poor at both ends of the pitch he was replaced at half-time, failed to clear a Palace short corner despite reaching it first and Adam Wharton was able to recycle the ball to the far post.
Max Lacroix outjumped Abdoulaye Doucoure and central defensive partner Guehi poked past Pickford from close range.
It gave the visitors a platform to dominate for the rest of the half as their 3-4-2-1 formation – with Eberechi Eze and Eddie Nketiah as twin number 10s – created a box midfield which stifled Everton every time they tried to play their way out of trouble.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin saw a header blocked close to the line in a scramble from a corner and then missed a low, near-post cross from McNeil, who also had a weak header drift wide.
