Everton secure first opening-weekend victory in five years with 2-0 win over Crystal Palace

Everton have begun the new Premier League season with a 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace, a result that marks their first opening-weekend win in five years. The hosts, managed by David Moyes, demonstrated a structured approach that effectively neutralised the visitors’ attacking intent, converting limited chances into a comfortable lead.

The breakthrough came just before half-time when Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scored. The goal was set up by 19-year-old Harrison Armstrong, who was entrusted with a midfield role alongside new signing Hayden Hackney. Armstrong’s pressing efforts recovered possession, allowing Dewsbury-Hall to beat Chris Richards and place the ball into the far corner.

Everton extended their lead shortly after the break through Thierno Barry. The second goal followed a sequence initiated by Hackney, whose quick free-kick release allowed Iliman Ndiaye to isolate Barry, who finished from a cutting cross. The performance highlighted the tactical maturity of Moyes’ side, particularly in the transition phase.

For Crystal Palace, the defeat was a setback for new manager Pierre Sage on his managerial debut. The visitors struggled with conversion, a recurring issue from the previous season. Jean-Philippe Mateta missed a prime opportunity when the score was level, while Eddie Nketiah saw a curling effort tipped onto the woodwork by goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

Statistical analysis suggests the visitors were particularly wasteful, recording an expected goals tally of 2.04 without scoring. According to Sky Sports, this was Palace’s highest expected goals figure in a Premier League game without finding the net since December 2018.

Tim Sherwood, commenting on Soccer Saturday, noted that Palace played into Everton’s hands. He observed that the visitors’ attractive style was punished by Everton’s quality and pace on the counter-attack, resulting in a professional performance from the hosts.