As transformations go, the one undergone by Everton since David Moyes returned “home” last month has been extraordinary. From the team that couldn’t score — they managed just six in the last 11 fixtures under Sean Dyche — or look remotely capable of winning matches, the Blues have now won four of their last five and are averaging two goals a game under the wily Scot. A point above the relegation zone in mid-January, Everton’s 13-point cushion means they’re currently closer to the Champions League spots than the bottom three.
Perhaps just as remarkable is the fact that Beto, widely written off as being a £26m flop, has notched four goals in three since being thrust into the limelight by Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hamstring injury. Ungainly and certainly unorthodox but deadly in front of goal at the moment, the Portuguese had seemingly left everything on the Goodison Park pitch on Wednesday but summoned the energy at Selhurst Park this afternoon to put on another lung-busting display.
His opener, another impressively composed one-on-one finish, may have been wiped out by disappointingly poor defending at the start of the second half but both he and the Blues would be rewarded for gutting through the physical and emotional hangover from the midweek drama of the Merseyside derby when Charly Alcaraz plundered a winner on his full debut.
This had all the makings of a tough assignment for Everton, not just because of how much they had poured into the 2-2 draw with Liverpool just three days ago and the selection headache handed to Moyes by Iliman Ndiaye's injury and Abdoulaye Doucouré's suspension. Having recovered from a surprisingly poor start to the season under Oliver Glasner, Crystal Palace had lost just once all year in all competitions and had lifted themselves to 12th in the table coming into the weekend.
With all those factors combined, it wasn’t all that surprising that the Toffees struggled in the early going of this contest, with Jordan Pickford forced to make two key saves inside the first 10 minutes. A mistake by James Tarkowski and an uncharacteristic miscue by Jarrad Branthwaite let the in-form Jean-Philippe Mateta in but his low drive was saved smartly and smothered while the England keeper initially spilled Justin Devenny’s powerful effort but gathered at the second attempt.
Pickford had to be alert again in the 19th minute to parry Marc Guehi’s header and though Jefferson Lerma would have the ball in the net a minute later, his goal was chalked off due to the fact that the corner from which he’d scored had bent out of play before reaching him at the back post.
Having weathered that early storm, Everton began to find their feet. Jack Harrison swept a dangerous ball across the box from the left flank and then chipped Alcaraz’s pass to the back post where Beto was crowded out at the crucial moment as he tried to get on the end of Jesper Lindstrøm’s cushioned back-post volley.
Alcaraz, playing in Doucouré's role behind Beto, then exhibited his self-confidence with two ambitious efforts from distance, one comfortably saved and the other that flew well over the crossbar but the first half would pivot on an incident in the 41st minute that came from more indecision at the back from the visitors. Everton just couldn’t get a purposeful foot on the ball, Chris Richards bundled his way into the box where Ismaila Sarr looked odds-on to score but smacked his shot off the underside of the bar.
A few moments later it was 1-0 to Everton following a bizarre error by Tyrick Mitchell from a routine throw-in near the halfway line. The Eagles’ left back inexplicably threw the ball behind Lerma and Alcaraz pounced, racing away before sliding a perfectly-weighted pass to Beto. The striker took the time to set himself as Dean Henderson and the covering defender collapsed the space and he calmly side-footed it with just enough elevation to clear the goalkeeper’s out-stretched leg.
A goal down at the break, Glasner responded with two positive changes in Eberechi Eze and Adam Wharton that quickly threatened to turn the match on its head as Palace made a strong start after the interval. After Richards’s header bounced behind off Branthwaite’s head, and Lindstrøm’s clearance from the resulting corner was played back into the area, Tarkowski needlessly tried to take responsibility for a header that Jake O’Brien had covered and the ball dropped to Mateta to fire past Pickford from a central position.
Offering the hosts a more dynamic and penetrative presence from deep positions, Eze had two chances in quick succession, the first he blazed narrowly over while the second was deflected behind but, in between, the Blues underlined their threat in transition with a slick move that released Alcaraz to drive forward and feed Lindstrøm. The Dane cut back smartly on his left foot but his attempt to bend the ball into the far corner was foiled by a diving one-handed save from Henderson.
And Lindstrøm was involved again shortly afterwards when he collected O’Brien’s smart ball down the right touchline and drilled a centre from the byline that Beto touched goal-wards but Henderson did well to block on his goal line to keep things all square.
Idrissa Gueye had a shot deflected past the far post but as Glasner turned to his bench again while Moyes was forced by a chronic lack of options due to injury and suspension to delay any changes, it felt as though Palace might be able to benefit from greater energy levels and home advantage in the final 20 minutes.
Substitute Ben Chilwell was played in behind O’Brien and Lindstrøm and struck a shot aiming for far post but was skidding wide when Pickford helped it on its way and the subsequent corner was cleared.
However, it was Moyes’s own late sub, Ashley Young, who had a hand in the winner as Everton’s will prevailed with 10 minutes to go. They kept the ball after a free-kick wide on the left was repelled and when Harrison swung a deep cross to the back post, O’Brien headed back across goal where the ball struck Chilwell on the arm.
The away fans erupted in pleas for a penalty but with the ball still live, Young crashed a shot into Will Hughes’s midriff in the six-yard box and when it rebounded to Alcaraz, the Argentine kept his head to place a controlled finish wide of Henderson and restore Everton’s precious lead.
True to expectation, Palace poured forward in the closing stages, with Glasner withdrawing Maxence Lacroix in favour of another attacker in Eddie Nketiah but while it made for a nervy finalé, the Blues held firm. Eze went close with an effort that he screwed across the face of Pickford’s goal and inches past the far post but, in general, Everton handled the assault with aplomb, saw out the victory and completed the double over the Eagles for the season to the delight of massed ranks of travelling fans in the away section.
If there were any lingering doubts that Everton’s injury crisis might yet seem them struggle to keep the threat of relegation at bay, this excellent away performance and win will effectively banish them. Depending on what happens between Tottenham and Manchester United tomorrow, Moyes’s men will finish the weekend in either 13th or 14th spot and need just three wins and a draw from their final 13 games to reach the 40-point mark.
On current form, that will come sooner than anyone dared hope under the Scot’s predecessor. How quickly the outlook can change…