Everton host Crystal Palace on Sunday.placeholder image
Everton host Crystal Palace on Sunday. | Getty Images
The Toffees will be without a key midfielder and summer signing for the meeting with Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Everton manager David Moyes confirmed that the club had held conversations with the PGMOL this week over the suspension of midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The 27-year-old will be ineligible to feature against Crystal Palace having accumulated five yellow cards already this season.
As per Premier League rules, picking up five yellows before the 19th league match of the season results in a suspension for one fixture. Dewsbury-Hall was carded against Brighton, Wolves, Aston Villa, Liverpool and West Ham in successive top flight matches.
The last two of those bookings were handed out in somewhat of a stranger manner and Moyes has opened up on conversations held with the PGMOL about those bookings.
Everton have conversation with PGMOL
Dewsbury-Hall was shown a yellow card by Darren England in the Merseyside derby for taking a quick free-kick. After the match, playmaker Jack Grealish poured scorn on that decision. He said: “I've never heard of that in my life.”
Then, against West Ham on Monday night, referee Sam Barrott showed Dewsbury-Hall a yellow card for a challenge on Kyle Walker-Peters. In that coming together, it had appeared clear that the Toffees man had won the ball.
Speaking ahead of the Crystal Palace match, Moyes said: “We have spoken to them [PGMOL], I think they are accepting that both yellow cards were wrong. It is amazing. If you look through his history, I think he only had six bookings last year in total, five the year before. He has never had these numbers at all.
“The last two decisions were terrible - more for the boy. We are going to miss him greatly but he has been back playing regularly and enjoying his football.”
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall suspended for Crystal Palace fixture
Dewsbury-Hall was a marquee summer signing for Everton with the club paying £28 million to sign the former Leicester City man from Premier League rivals Chelsea. The midfielder had struggled for opportunities under Enzo Maresca and was ultimately deemed surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge.
Posting on social media platform X after his ban was confirmed, Dewsbury-Hall wrote: “Forgive me if I'm wrong, and I might be, but some of these decisions are hard to take. Mind boggling.”
The player had started every Premier League fixture of the season so far this term for Everton. His most head turning performance came in the 3-2 win over Wolves, when he bagged a goal and an assist.
Dewsbury-Hall has faced Crystal Palace three times in his career, all coming during his time at Leicester City. He was on the bench at Stamford Bridge last season and then missed out of the trip to Selhurst Park due to a knock.
In the matches he enjoyed minutes against the Eagles, Dewsbury-Hall has won one, lost one and drawn one. In 2022, he scored and assisted for Leicester City when the Foxes won 2-1 at the King Power Stadium.
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