Jack Grealish’s first goal for Everton snatched a 2-1 victory in added time to end Crystal Palace’s 19-game unbeaten run.
ESPN reports that the on-loan Manchester City winger knew little about it as Eagles’ goalscorer Daniel Muñoz’s clearance rebounded off him into the net but he happily claimed it, after manager David Moyes had called on him to produce more of a threat in front of goal.
That threat had been absent from the whole team for the majority of the game until Maxence Lacroix needlessly gave away a penalty which allowed Iliman Ndiaye to equalise 14 minutes from time.
And when goalkeeper Dean Henderson could only block Beto’s header in the third minute of stoppage time, Grealish was in the right place at the right time to get his body in the way to maximum effect.
It was an afternoon when the visitors’ efficient effectiveness deserted them as they squandered the chance to reach the heady heights of second place after a relatively comfortable first half in which they led through Munoz’s 37th-minute strike.
That they did not came down to the efforts of Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, making his 300th Premier League appearance for the club, and Eagles forward Jean-Philippe Mateta missing an open goal with the score at 1-0.
Palace had only previously lost once under Oliver Glasner when leading at half-time in the Premier League — also at Everton, in September last year.
That was at Goodison Park but this victory for the home side felt like lift-off in their new Hill-Dickinson Stadium, where they remain unbeaten
