Jack Grealish scored a 93rd-minute winner as Everton ended Crystal Palace’s club record 19-game unbeaten run across all competitions by beating them 2-1, with the result also stretching the Eagles’ winless run in Premier League (PL) away head-to-heads to 11 games.
Those in attendance at the Hill Dickinson Stadium were treated to a lively opening in which both teams registered a shot on target inside the opening 10 minutes.
Jordan Pickford got down low to thwart Yéremy Pino, before England colleague Dean Henderson gathered Jack Grealish’s driven effort.
Rather than the hosts, it was the in-form visitors who kicked on from the entertaining start, with Tyrick Mitchell rattling the upright to demonstrate the threat of Palace’s wing-backs in Oliver Glasner’s system.
The Toffees failed to take heed of that warning, and were subsequently punished by Daniel Munoz in the 37th minute.
The right wing-back made an untracked run to latch onto Ismaila Sarr’s layoff and calmly guide the ball past the onrushing Pickford at the near post to break the deadlock.
The Eagles went into the break with a lead for the fifth time in the PL this season, and they went close to doubling their advantage just before the hour-mark when Jean-Philippe Mateta saw his goalbound chip desperately headed away by Jake O’Brien.
Just moments later, Mateta failed to capitalise on another gilt-edged opportunity, dragging his effort wide when it seemed easier to roll it into the bottom corner. The disappointment of that miss was compounded when the Toffees were awarded a penalty for a clumsy challenge on Tim Iroegbunam.
Everton talisman Iliman Ndiaye shouldered the responsibility to stroke home his third goal of the season and leave the game finely poised for the final 15 minutes.
The contest appeared to be heading towards a draw until Grealish snatched all three points in stoppage time.
Munoz attempted to clear his lines after Henderson denied Beto, only for Grealish to block the clearance and force the ball over the line for Everton’s first win since the end of August.
As a result, David Moyes’s charges climb to seventh, leaving them just a point behind the fifth-placed Eagles, who were beaten for the first time since mid-April.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Iliman Ndiaye (Everton)
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