Late in the game, Idrissa Gueye secured a crucial victory for Everton, elevating them to 14th place and just one point away from the top half in a thrilling clash against Crystal Palace, ending 3-2. Gueye, in tandem with fellow scorer Abdoulaye Doucoure in the 86th minute, sealed the win for Everton after two equalizers from Palace earlier in the match.
Despite both teams struggling in front of goal this season, the match proved to be an unexpected spectacle. Vitalii Mykolenko opened the scoring for Everton within 54 seconds, heading in Jack Harrison’s cross. However, Palace swiftly equalized when Eberechi Eze converted a penalty. Eze, celebrating his new contract, thought he earned another penalty, but VAR upheld the decision.
In the second half, Doucoure capitalized on Mykolenko’s rebound to put Everton ahead again, but Palace responded with a goal from Odsonne Edouard. With Michael Olise back in action and Eze’s dynamic performance, Palace seemed to gain momentum. Yet, in a rare forward move, Gueye executed a one-two, entering the box to score the decisive goal.
This victory extends Everton’s positive record against Palace, having lost only one of their last 18 meetings. More importantly, it instills hope for a promising campaign. Despite missing a chance to enter the top 10, Palace sits 12th, one point ahead of Everton.
In contrast to their previous goalless encounter, this match was action-packed from the start, with Mykolenko’s early goal setting the tone. Despite a penalty appeal by Schlupp being denied, Eze calmly converted from the spot. The half featured Eze’s lively performance and contentious VAR decisions.
The second half saw Everton quickly take the lead again, punishing Palace for a defensive lapse. Although Palace pressed, Gueye’s late goal secured Everton’s back-to-back away wins and a positive outlook in the league.