#Sports#Soccer#Football Jack Grealish's stoppage-time winner earned Everton a 2-1 comeback victory over Crystal Palace at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday afternoon, the Blues fighting from a goal down to record an impressive three points.
The visitors arrived on Merseyside with a 19-match unbeaten run in all competitions, and they carried on their fine form in the early stages, opening the scoring through Daniel Munoz’s first-half strike.
Everton rode their luck at times, with Palace seeing chances cleared off the line, hitting the woodwork and saved by Pickford, but the Toffees fought their way back into the contest, eventually notching a leveller from Iliman Ndiaye’s 76th-minute spot-kick.
But the key moment of the game didn't arrive until 93 minutes, when Grealish converted from close range to net his first Everton goal, edging David Moyes' men unto the lead in the dying moments.
Our referee is Michael Salisbury from Lancashire,
who was last in charge of an Everton game,
which was a 4-0 win over Wolves at Gillison Park in December of 2024.
I'll take 4-0 today.
I'll take 1-0 at this stage, that's...
Oh, I'd take 1-0 all day.
And we are up and running here at Tildenkinson Stadium,
with Everton defending the goal away to our right,
that is the south stand, 14,000 seats in that stand,
housed by those wonderful Evertonians.
Looks incredible, doesn't it?
And Everton got every man back defending inside their own penalty areas,
it's launched in, headed towards goal, but it was going wide,
it was kept in play anyway by James Garner.
And it's re-collected outside the penalty area for a shot on goal,
which Pickford had to get down and push away.
Now the shot came in from just outside the penalty area,
it took a deflection all the way through.
I don't know Waffle, but he did take a deflection,
and Jordan's done well just to parry it away.
So immediately called into action the Everton goalkeeper,
it's his 300th Everton appearance to date.
Might have something opening up here as Mbappé brings in Jack Grealish,
Barry's inside the penalty area,
Grealish goes alone, gets the shot off straight at the goalkeeper,
Henderson was down to save.
That's what I want to see him doing a bit more of,
he's been teasing players, he's been teasing full-backs,
and not getting an end product on the end of it, shooting.
Here's Barry, he's picked up from the throw-in,
he's held off his man, he's brought in Mikulanko,
30 yards from goal, tries a shot,
always rising over the crossbar of Dean Henderson.
I don't mind that, don't mind that, have a try.
The former Bayern Munich man, before he arrived at Palace in 2022,
he's going to take this throw-in.
In it goes, the edge of the six-yard box...
Struggled to get it away, great save, Pickford from Mbappé.
Crucial hand to deny Mbappé getting the opening goal here in this fixture.
The ball bobbled about, and eventually Gaye stabbed at it towards goal,
and Pickford made the save.
Quick reactions there from Jordan.
It certainly was a crucial save.
Henderson goes long, Keane heads away.
Garnegay trying to help it on, but doesn't succeed.
Palace have possession back, Wharton turns it inside for Sarr,
Sarr slips it into Meteta, Meteta got the shot away,
and Everton's saviour once more, Jordan Pickford,
good save, low down to his left-hand side, corner Palace.
So easy for them to feed balls through to each other,
gets a good strike on him, it's a good save, low down.
Keane uses the Ukrainian once more, outside of him Jack Grealish.
Now, can Grealish produce a bit of magic?
Just brings in James Garner, who does cross into the penalty area,
it's a great ball, and Barry's missed it.
Keane stealing it at the far post, he got behind Mark Gaye,
and he couldn't make the connection, which, with a good ball into the box,
no touch on it, behind for a goal kick.
Oh, what a ball in, what a ball in, he's got to get something on the end of that.
Really has.
Palace coming forward with Sarr, here's three against two,
for a minute Sarr's brought in Daniel Munoz,
Munoz scores for Crystal Palace!
Well, they had threatened, and they broke, fed it to Ismail Asar.
Tarkovsky.
James Garner, centre-circle, inside the Palace half,
he's hit that forward for Mikulanko, Mikulanko took it on the chest,
now he's controlled, he's got past his man,
Mikulanko for Grealish, Grealish head to the box,
turns it across, can he get a shot away?
Turns, on to his right foot, crowded out, pushed out wide,
still has it, looking for space to deliver,
goes down, no free kick, and Palace can clear it.
And Everton's frustration grows on the Everton left,
taking on Daniel Munoz here, now held up by the pair of Pino and Munoz,
put in by James Garner, and into that goal.
Henderson struggled with it in the end, I think he jumped too early,
and Jake O'Brien's had a looped under the crossbar,
and is kept out in the end by Henderson.
Pearson Jai for Everton, doing really well, now he can cross,
does so, Mark Gale clears only as far as O'Brien,
dinks it back into the penalty area, Keane, Keane!
Shot blocked inside the box after he chested it down.
Everton on the offensive now,
with a different temper altogether from the first half.
Here's Jack Grealish, out on the left, James Garner,
he can cross, decides not to, plenty in the box,
Keane still forward, played out wide to Ilham Alencar on the right,
five blue jerseys inside the penalty area,
six now, as Garner plays it in.
And Charlie Alcaz couldn't control, cleared by Crystal Palace.
Chris Richards for Daniel Munoz.
Munoz for Wharton, advancing to the Everton half,
brings in Ismaila Sarr, Sarr inside the Everton penalty area,
great cut back, brilliant defending by Tarkovsky,
otherwise Everton were two down.
We definitely were two down there.
It was a great Palace sortie forward.
Richards down the line, into the channel, but Tarkovsky read it.
The ball's deflected kindly for Palace,
and Mateta's on his way into the penalty area,
he's only got the keeper to beat, and he chipped it over Pickford!
But headed off the line by Jake O'Brien.
Wow.
Palace throw-ins caused Everton one or two problems in the first half.
Everton's turn, in it goes from O'Brien, Tarkovsky over his head,
Mateta's back defending.
It's cleared as far as O'Brien again, he touches it to Alcaz,
who gives it back to O'Brien, he crosses, doesn't get past Mateta,
who slices it into the path of Jack Greer, who's outside the box,
now Garner Gay, into Tarkovsky, the shot from Keane,
and wide it goes.
Well, it was teed up for Keane, who's been a goal-scorer of late for Everton,
but, wide.
Ball from Pickford is sent out wide to the left for Mikalenko,
and the challenge with Munoz, and now Alcaz picks up,
bursts into the penalty area, brilliant save, Henderson,
it was fired veminently goalwards by Charlie Alcaz,
tipped over the crossbar for the corner.
Irop Bunam turning away from Kamada, finally go O'Brien,
now Mikalenko, Mikalenko into that channel,
he picked up, that's a foul, and that is a penalty for Everton.
Brought down inside the penalty area, he made the burst into the box,
and they're coming together between Lacroix and Irop Bunam.
Yeah, it's a definite penalty.
To get the better of Henderson.
And he does so, sends the key for the long way,
and calmly slams it home for Everton.
It's 1-1, and now, can we go on to winning?
Can we go on to winning? Come on!
Haddie and Katia, and he couldn't return the ball,
it was down to ten men at the moment,
because Sarr is walking round the pitch,
Henderson come forward with Jack Grealish,
Grealish inside the penalty area.
Shots straight at goalkeeper Dean Henderson.
The ball's with James Garner.
Come on, James, you can do that.
Two minutes of stoppage time played, another six to go.
Here's Irop Bunam, Irop Bunam for Mikalenko,
Mikalenko's attempt at ball in deflects out to this near side for Alcaraz,
Alcaraz into the penalty area for N'Jai,
N'Jai with the cutback, and there's the header!
What a save!
Somehow saved, but Grealish was on hand.
What drama!
Late, late drama at Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium.
And Everton have turned this game on its head.
From one down, Everton are 2-1 up in the third minute of stoppage time.
Jack Grealish!
His first goal for Everton.
Wow!
Everton! Everton!