Moments missed from Everton's dramatic 2-1 comeback win over Crystal Palace at Hill Dickinson Stadium
There was late drama at Hill Dickinson Stadium as Everton came from behind to defeat Crystal Palace 2-1 on Sunday. Here are some moments you potentially missed from the thrilling encounter.
Palace fans’ own goal
Yeremy Pino’s petulant refusal to retreat when Everton had a free-kick by the halfway line was not the only cheeky Crystal Palace gesture that backfired as the visitors surrendered their lead on the Mersey waterfront. The Spaniard’s actions earned him a booking, but more importantly the riled those of a royal blue persuasion both on and off the pitch.
James Garner, who shoved Pino for not getting out of the way was also shown a yellow card by referee Michael Salisbury, as was a furious David Moyes – more on him to come – and the incident turned up a simmering atmosphere among home supporters to boiling point which helped them roar their team to their comeback. However, earlier on, visiting supporters from south London were quickly silenced by a chant that came back to haunt them.
Riding the crest of a wave of a 19-game unbeaten run, nobody among the home faithful could begrudge them their rendition of “We’re gonna win the league,” that was certainly be more palatable for many Hill Dickinson Stadium patrons than their neighbours retaining the title after a record-breaking spending spree this summer, but another ditty just ended in embarrassment.
Like many at Palace, it’s been a good year for goalkeeper Dean Henderson, who saved from Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister and Harvey Elliott in their penalty shoot-out success to lift the Community Shield on the back of his Wembley heroics against Manchester City in the FA Cup final where he also denied Omar Marmoush from 12 yards out – even though by the letter of the law he should have already been sent off for handling outside his area.
However, when the man from Whitehaven deputised for Jordan Pickford on Three Lions duty, he became the latest in the series of understudies to fluff his lines, being nutmegged at the near most by Habib Diarra in a 3-1 defeat at home to Senegal, with the ball ricocheting into the net off his leg. Therefore, when the travelling fans from south London belted out “England’s number one,” it was only right that Pickford, the man who has held that status for almost eight years now, equalling the team’s longest ever run of clean sheets, not conceding a goal in his last seven competitive matches and keeping more clean sheets in major tournaments than any of his predecessors, acknowledged them with a thumbs up and a request for them to sing his song louder!
Ref justice for Wharton
Crystal Palace’s loss must have felt particularly galling for Adam Wharton who had ran the show in midfield for most of the afternoon. Everton can’t be the only North West side that regrets not taking a punt on the Blackburn-born player when it was clear he was destined for big things from an early age at home town club Rovers, but the Blues were struggling both on and off the pitch at the time when he switched Lancashire for the capital in an initial £18million move on February 1, last year.
Like Jarrad Branthwaite, who also made his international debut as a substitute in the 3-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 3 last year, Wharton only has one England cap to date but while the Everton defender is currently working his way back to fitness, it’s something of a mystery how – similar to Jack Grealish – the Eagles ace can’t force his way into Thomas Tuchel’s squad right now. What was also a head-scratcher was the decision by Salisbury to brandish Wharton with a yellow card for a challenge on Idrissa Gueye when he won the ball.
The Blues veteran, who likes a tackle himself, certainly didn’t seem too bothered by it and following the incident he walked over to Wharton and smiled as he tapped him on the chest. With Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall serving a one-match suspension for this match after picking up five bookings in as many Premier League games – the latter two of which David Moyes claimed the PGMOL had admitted were wrong, it seems as though the Everton aren’t the only team on the receiving end of dodgy decisions.
Moyes acknowledges subs
It was a case of all’s well that ends well for Moyes, but the Blues boss had cut a frustrated figure on the touchline for most of the afternoon. From the moment that Everton conceded a soft throw-in then corner-kick straight after the kick-off, the Glaswegian gaffer was bursting out of his technical area and down the side of the pitch to berate his players and we all know how angry he got over the aforementioned Pino flashpoint.
However, he was determined to enjoy the stoppage time comeback victory and following the final whistle, the 62-year-old belied his status as the Premier League’s oldest manager as he made a beeline for substitutes Charly Alcaraz, Tim Iroegbunam and Beto who had all played pivotal roles on turning the game on its head. Moyes, who put his arm around the shoulder of the latter, had an animated conversation with the Guinea-Bissau international who wears his heart on his sleeve and had earlier made a waving arms gesture to the South Stand to increase the noise, which they certainly did.
Ahead of last month’s Merseyside Derby, Beto stated that Moyes had taught him a lot and remarked: “We have a good relationship, you know. But he’s always on my toes.”