Everton hosted Crystal Palace at Goodison Park in a 1-1 draw. In what looked to be a subpar game heading into the later stages Jordan Ayew scored a brilliant goal from outside the box to open up the match. Everton later equalised through Amadou Onana, the result lifting the Toffees outside the relegation zone.
Key Takeaways As Everton Draw Late vs Crystal Palace
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Everton Are Masters Of The Set Piece
Sean Dyche has been known for his set-piece mastery over his managerial career. But this season has shown it at its best, the Toffees have now scored over half their Premier League goals from dead-ball situations.
It should be no surprise given the make-up of Everton’s squad, measuring at an average height of 186cm, the tallest in the league. Players such as Jarrad Branthwaite, Amadou Onana, and James Tarkowski have all been beneficiaries of the set-piece tactics and continue to provide problems for opposition teams.
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The last time a goal scored from open play was scored by Everton was December 27 2023. This only emphasises their over-reliance on dead-ball situations, but these precious goals may help save their season.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin Can’t Buy a Goal
Dominic Calvert-Lewin extends his goalless streak to 19 games in all competitions. The striker is facing his toughest period at Goodison Park since his transfer from Sheffield United in 2016. It isn’t due to a lack of service, as the striker has amassed an expected goal total of 6.2 over his drought.
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In this match, he had two clear-cut chances to shake this run of form. Two headers, which in previous seasons he would fire home with ease, were sent wide. This added further frustration to the Gwaldys Street faithful who have begun questioning his selection in the starting lineup.
The squad isn’t lacking in striker options with Portuguese duo Beto and Youseff Chermiti both viable options for Dyche. But it is Calvert-Lewin’s skillset that has kept him in the team and it looks only to be a matter of time before he repays the faith he has received from the manager.
Crystal Palace Struggle To Defend Late
In their previous two league games Crystal Palace have let a cumulative three points slip from their hands due to their lacklustre defending towards the end of matches. Unable to lock down as the game goes on could cost them their Premier League status.
The Eagles have conceded 16 goals from the 75th minute onwards while only being able to find the back of the net seven times. That tally has them ranked as the second-worst team to finish games, only above 20th place Sheffield United.
Continuing this trend has been the team’s inability to hold onto leads, now having dropped 14 points from winning positions this season. A new manager could be the change that’s needed and this will surely be a focus point for incoming boss Oliver Glasner.
