Everton clinched a gritty 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace in a fiercely contested match at Goodison Park. The Toffees made their chances count, securing the win through an effective combination of clinical finishing and defensive resilience. Dwight McNeil was the star for Everton, netting a brace in the 46th and 54th minutes, while Crystal Palace’s only response came from Marc Guéhi early in the first half.

Key Stats Breakdown:

• Everton: 7 shots, 2 goals, 3 shots on target, and a possession rate of 41%.
• Crystal Palace: 14 shots, 1 goal, 4 shots on target, 59% possession.

Despite Palace’s dominance in terms of possession and shots, Everton’s defense held firm, limiting high-quality chances. The stats reflect Crystal Palace’s proactive approach with 8 corners and 6 blocked shots, showing their relentless attacking intent, but Everton’s defensive structure was resolute, as evidenced by Pickford’s calm distribution from the back.

Momentum and Tactics:

The momentum graph shows Everton’s decisive period in the second half, where they hit two quick-fire goals in less than 10 minutes. Crystal Palace enjoyed sustained possession and control, but their lack of precision in the final third hampered their ability to equalize. Everton’s ability to absorb pressure and capitalize on moments of transition proved decisive.

Shot Analysis:

Crystal Palace peppered Everton’s goal with a total of 14 shots, but only 4 found the target. Their shot map shows significant activity inside and outside the box, but Everton’s compact defense forced many efforts to be blocked or miss the target.

Meanwhile, Everton was far more clinical, with both of McNeil’s goals coming from well-placed shots inside the box, reflecting their efficiency.

Possession Tactics:

Looking at the pass maps, Crystal Palace’s ball movement was concentrated through the middle with key involvement from Eze, Kamada, and Lerma, who dictated play from deep. Their attacking thrust came from wide areas through Mitchell and Munoz.

In contrast, Everton’s pass map shows a more direct approach, with McNeil and Calvert-Lewin forming key outlets in attack, supported by overlapping full-backs Young and Lindstrøm.

In the end, it was Everton’s ability to strike at the right moments and remain disciplined that secured the three points, pushing them up to 16th in the table while Palace linger just above the relegation zone in 18th.