Everton 3-0 Crystal Palace: Toffees end three-game losing run with victory over Eagles

In his playing career, Frank Lampard only got the better of Patrick Vieira once in 13 games. Already in the space of five months, the Englishman has two wins over the Frenchman as a manager and again he had Dominic Calvert-Lewin to thank as Everton proved too good against Crystal Palace with a devastating display.

On his first home start of the season, Calvert-Lewin gave Everton an early lead with a wonderfully taken goal before Anthony Gordon tapped in to double their advantage and Dwight McNeil wrapped up the three points with Everton’s third, six minutes from time, to cap off a terrific all-round Everton performance.

This was a far cry from when these two sides met in May when Everton pulled off a stunning comeback to secure their Premier League status sparking a pitch invasion. Nevertheless the pressure was still on Lampard with the Blues going into the game on the back of three consecutive defeats and surprisingly he went in with an unchanged side from their midweek defeat at Newcastle.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin put Everton in the lead early in the match against Crystal Palace

Calvert-Lewin’s goal was his first of the season as he has struggled with injuries this campaign

Lampard had called for managers to be given more time following the sacking of Steven Gerrard at Aston Villa, lauding Mikel Arteta’s job at Arsenal as an example and in his programme notes, called for his side to improve on their cutting edge after a poor showing at St James Park. That, they certainly did in front of their home support.

The Blues had failed to get a shot on target in their last two outings but they raced out of the blocks playing with intent and a tempo that Patrick Vieira’s side simply couldn’t handle. Just eleven minutes in, Calvert-Lewin slotted home in style after a ferocious Everton press led by their number nine himself. It was no less than Everton deserved.

Palace skipper Luka Milivojevic lost the ball under pressure and Amadou Onana found Alex Iwobi, who played the ball to Calvert-Lewin on the edge of the box. His first touch was too good for Marc Guehi as he glided past the Palace defender and with his second, he finished past Vicente Guaita into the bottom corner for his first goal of the season and first since his goal against Palace in May that kept Everton up.

The celebrations that followed weren’t quite as dramatic as they were that night but this was another reminder to the Gwladys Street faithful and a certain Gareth Southgate in attendance at Goodison Park of what he is capable of when fit and firing. His presence no doubt adds an extra dimension to this Everton side.

Calvert Lewin’s strike took him past Kevin Campbell and into 4th on the all–time list of Premier League goalscorers for Everton with 46 to his name. Only Romelu Lukaku, Duncan Ferguson and Tim Cahill have more.

But this was an all-round performance from Everton. The link up between Iwobi and Anthony Gordon in particular was far too good for Palace and Gordon came close to making it two with a stinging strike that Guaita pushed over the bar.

As the half progressed, Palace grew into the game. Wilfried Zaha – scorer of their winner against Palace on Tuesday night – tested Pickford before Joachim Andersen’s header from a corner bounced easily into the hands of the England number one. But Lampard would have gone into the break much the happier of the two managers.

Anthony Gordon doubled Everton’s advantage after VAR judged him to be onside to tap home

Palace had come back from going a goal down to win three times already in the league this season and started the second half stronger, first denied by by a superbly timed challenge by Seamus Coleman on Zaha in the penalty area, before Vitali Mykolenko denied both Jordan Ayew and Eberechi Eze.

Palace were getting much more of the ball and Olise nearly caught Pickford with a free kick from the right-side of the penalty area that went narrowly over but that was as close as they got.

At the hour mark, Vieira made a double change bringing on Jeffrey Schlupp and Jean-Philippe Mateta in the hope of making a difference but instead it was Everton who doubled their lead almost immediately with a quite briliiant team move, moving the ball from defence to attack. Guaita could only parry Mykolenko’s strike to Anthony Gordon, who tapped in only for his celebrations to be cut short by the linesman’s flag. Gordon was clearly onside and VAR confirmed that the goal should stand.

There was a melee between the teams after a hard tackle from Wilfried Zaha on Gordon

Three Crystal Palace players and Everton’s James Tarkowski were all booked for their actions

By now, the home faithful were celebrating every challenge like a goal and Zaha’s foul on Gordon prompted a kick-off with Zaha getting booked, alongside James Tarkowsi, Schlupp and Guehi. Somehow, it stayed 11 v 11 and Demarai Gray was booked for a late challenge on Guehi, before he was taken off by Lampard for Dwight McNeil.

And it was McNeil who sealed the win starting and finishing off another quality team move, driving at the Palace defence and playing it to Iwobi, whose backheel put it on a plate for McNeil to finish. A massive win for Frank Lampard and no doubt, a deserved one too.

Dwight McNeil made an impact from the bench as he scored Everton’s third goal of the game