Beaten just once in the preceding 22 Premier League meetings, and aiming for a third straight victory at one of their favourite grounds, Everton made the stronger start and capitalised on a succession of corners just five minutes in.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall whipped in a corner with great pace, and Michael Keane flicked a header back to defensive partner James Tarkowski, who had the simplest of tap-ins at the far post.

It was an ideal start for Everton in the context of their European hopes, but there was still a cautionary note, with Palace having cancelled out a Toffees opener in each of the previous two London clashes.

Just as they did on those occasions, Palace began to click into gear after going behind, and both goalkeepers were forced into reaction saves with their shins just 26 seconds apart, with the latter seeing Dewsbury-Hall denied in a one-on-one.

Palace would make Everton pay dearly for that inability to convert, and just after the half-hour mark, they drew level when some neat interplay between Ismaila Sarr and Daniel Munoz saw the ball deflect off Keane’s shin, allowing Sarr to fire in on the half-volley past Jordan Pickford to get his first league goal since March.

Sarr was also vital at the other end, clearing an Iliman Ndiaye header off the line shortly before the interval.

Where he failed, Beto succeeded in scrappy fashion less than two minutes after the restart, latching onto a Tarkowski ball downfield and twice turning Maxence Lacroix inside out before rolling the ball low past Dean Henderson.

Dewsbury-Hall was then sent through on goal just before the hour mark, but a combination of Palace’s custodian and two defenders managed to throw him off balance and prevent a near-certain third.

Fears of Evertonian déjà vu - after what happened following Dewsbury-Hall’s one-on-one failure in the first half - were nearly realised on 65’, when Sarr’s downward header forced Pickford into a fingertip save at his near post.

But despite the fresh-legged Thierno Barry replacing Beto looking to build on his Monday brace against Manchester City, the next goal would go to Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta, when Tyrick Mitchell’s ball across goal evaded everyone but the Frenchman, who had an easy task in finding the roof of the net - his second successive goal in this exact fixture after February 2025’s leveller against the Toffees.

With Everton having become the first side ever to concede a result-altering goal during injury time in three successive PL games last Monday, Palace might have fancied their chances in the dying minutes.

Sarr certainly did, and came inches away from connecting high at the first post, before Adam Wharton hit the post at 90’.

With no final twist in store after Ndiaye and Mateta failed to win it at either end, it was honours even, and Palace duly grew their unbeaten home record to nine games spanning back to February.

Meanwhile, Everton’s capital woes continued, with their league record in London this term now reading: W1, D2, L3. As a small consolation, however, they need only a draw from their last two games to post their first 50+ point haul in five years.

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Jean Mateta

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