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Everton 3-2 Crystal Palace: Dominic Calvert-Lewin winner preserves Toffees' Premier League status

By Alistair MagowanBBC Sport at Goodison Park

Last updated on .From the section Premier Leaguecomments2919

Everton 3-2 Crystal Palace: 'One of the greatest nights of my career' - Frank Lampard

Everton secured their Premier League status with an incredible fightback where they came from two goals down to beat Crystal Palace.

The hosts, who will continue their 68-year stay in the top flight, looked like they were heading for defeat after Palace scored twice in the first half through Jean-Philippe Mateta and Jordan Ayew.

But conjuring up a fighter's spirit once more and spurred on by their vociferous support, Everton turned the game around in the second half, thanks to a more attacking approach.

Nine minutes after the break Michael Keane smashed in to give Frank Lampard's side hope, and when Richarlison found the bottom corner with a deflected shot with 15 minutes left, it sent Goodison Park into raptures as a precious point looked likely.

Yet the best was to come with five minutes left. Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who scored his first goal since August against Brentford on Sunday during an injury-hit season, sparked pandemonium with a diving header from Demarai Gray's free-kick.

The excitement boiled over as fans descended on the pitch to celebrate, with blue mist shrouding the stadium as smoke flares were let off.

The crucial result avoided the kind of final-day nerves that Everton fans had to experience in 1998 and 1994, where the team also preserved their Premier League status.

This time, with a trip to Arsenal on Sunday, they can at least enjoy the fact that however tortuous this season has been, they will remain in the top flight, and will hope to build on the spirit shown in the closing stages of the campaign.

The party started at the final whistle, with thousands of fans flooding onto the pitch, letting off more smoke flares, saluting their team and manager Lampard.

But he and the club will hope they will never have to cope with a similar scare again given lavish spending on players and a move to a new stadium in 2024.

Spirit from fans and players save Everton again

Everton fans ran onto the pitch when safety was confirmed
Everton fans ran onto the pitch when safety was confirmed

Lampard described this game as "all or nothing" given Everton's wretched away record, which has seen them win once on the road in the league since August.

And despite a poor showing in the first period, where once again Everton looked inferior to their opponents, they somehow managed another second-half turnaround, which has been crucial in keeping them in the Premier League.

The scenes at the final whistle were in stark contrast to those before the break where a tempestuous game boiled over on the pitch and left a livid feeling in the stands.

After the introduction of Dele Alli at the break and a move to a more attacking formation, Everton matched their second-half showings against Newcastle, Leicester and Chelsea, which earned two wins and a draw.

Lampard may well question why his side have to play poorly to find the inspiration, but boosted by a support which has had a massive role in their survival, they turned the game around against a Palace side which had beaten them twice already this season.

Palace dominate first half

Jean-Philippe Mateta scores the opener
Jean-Philippe Mateta scored his seventh goal of the season

Sunday's defeat by Brentford threatened to derail Everton's momentum gathered by their superior home form, but the hand that supporters have played in keeping the Toffees up cannot be underestimated.

Lampard and fans tried to evoke the spirit of recent matches from the start, with the team coach greeted by a wall of blue smoke outside the stadium.

That almost boiled over early on as Anthony Gordon and Wifried Zaha squared up to each other, causing a melee, but once Palace settled they quickly picked off an Everton side who struggled to keep the ball.

Lampard again favoured a 3-5-2 formation, but when his side retreated into a back five, Patrick Vieira's visitors were able to enjoy plenty of possession and control the game.

There were moments in first half for Everton's fans to get excited about, like Richarlison's free-kick that hit the bar.

But for the most part the passionate home support turned to anger as Mateta scored his seventh goal of the season before helping to create Palace's second.

Everton 3-2 Crystal Palace: Vieira feels 'frustration' after defeat

The fact it came from Ayew was contentious. He had hacked down Gordon shortly before but only received a yellow card and was then on hand to take advantage as both Vitaliy Mykolenko and Abdoulaye Doucoure somehow failed to connect with the ball on the line following Zaha's shot.

That silenced the crowd, who must have felt like relegation was staring them in the face.

But a half-time switch to a back four by Lampard, who replaced the ineffective Andre Gomes with Alli, breathed life into Everton.

Nine minutes after the break, Keane fired in after Mykolenko's free-kick was headed back to the centre-back by Mason Holgate.

And with 15 minutes left, Everton managed to conjure up another goal. Alli had a hand in it, crossing the ball, but when the Palace defence failed to clear Richarlison's shot ended up in the bottom corner, setting off wild celebrations.

That seemed minor compared to Calvert-Lewin's winner. Everton fans could not contain their delight, running onto the pitch, with Zaha seeming to take issue with some supporters' attentions.

The pitch was eventually cleared, but there was little hope for the stewards as thousands celebrated with their heroes at the final whistle.

Jordan Pickford surrounded
Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was surrounded by fans after full time
Everton fans celebrate
Everton will start next season as a top-flight club for a 69th consecutive campaign, with only Arsenal currently on a longer run of consecutive seasons in the English top flight
Everton players celebrate
The celebrations continued into the Everton dressing room after the game

Player of the match

EzeEberechi Eze

with an average of 7.13

Everton

  1. Squad number36Player nameAlli
    Average rating

    6.82

  2. Squad number2Player nameKenny
    Average rating

    6.50

  3. Squad number11Player nameGray
    Average rating

    6.41

  4. Squad number9Player nameCalvert-Lewin
    Average rating

    5.76

  5. Squad number7Player nameRicharlison
    Average rating

    5.69

  6. Squad number19Player nameMykolenko
    Average rating

    5.39

  7. Squad number23Player nameColeman
    Average rating

    5.36

  8. Squad number5Player nameKeane
    Average rating

    5.35

  9. Squad number17Player nameIwobi
    Average rating

    5.24

  10. Squad number24Player nameGordon
    Average rating

    5.22

  11. Squad number1Player namePickford
    Average rating

    5.11

  12. Squad number4Player nameHolgate
    Average rating

    5.10

  13. Squad number16Player nameDoucouré
    Average rating

    5.00

  14. Squad number21Player nameAndré Gomes
    Average rating

    4.74

Crystal Palace

  1. Squad number10Player nameEze
    Average rating

    7.13

  2. Squad number14Player nameMateta
    Average rating

    6.91

  3. Squad number1Player nameButland
    Average rating

    6.91

  4. Squad number17Player nameClyne
    Average rating

    6.83

  5. Squad number12Player nameHughes
    Average rating

    6.69

  6. Squad number9Player nameJ Ayew
    Average rating

    6.64

  7. Squad number15Player nameSchlupp
    Average rating

    6.63

  8. Squad number16Player nameAndersen
    Average rating

    6.61

  9. Squad number6Player nameGuéhi
    Average rating

    6.60

  10. Squad number3Player nameMitchell
    Average rating

    6.58

  11. Squad number11Player nameZaha
    Average rating

    6.55

  12. Squad number23Player nameGallagher
    Average rating

    5.81

  13. Squad number4Player nameMilivojevic
    Average rating

    5.39

  14. Squad number20Player nameBenteke
    Average rating

    4.89

Line-ups

Everton

Formation 3-4-2-1

  • 1Pickford
  • 23Coleman
  • 5KeaneBooked at 67mins
  • 4Holgate
  • 17Iwobi
  • 16DoucourĂ©Booked at 82mins
  • 21AndrĂ© GomesSubstituted forAlliat 45'minutes
  • 19Mykolenko
  • 24GordonSubstituted forGrayat 61'minutes
  • 7RicharlisonSubstituted forKennyat 90+1'minutes
  • 9Calvert-Lewin

Substitutes

  • 2Kenny
  • 6Allan
  • 11Gray
  • 15Begovic
  • 22Godfrey
  • 26Davies
  • 30van de Beek
  • 36Alli
  • 64Welch

Crystal Palace

Formation 4-3-3

  • 1Butland
  • 17Clyne
  • 16Andersen
  • 6GuĂ©hi
  • 3Mitchell
  • 10Eze
  • 12HughesBooked at 32minsSubstituted forMilivojevicat 57'minutes
  • 15SchluppSubstituted forGallagherat 74'minutes
  • 9J AyewBooked at 34mins
  • 14MatetaSubstituted forBentekeat 81'minutes
  • 11ZahaBooked at 69mins

Substitutes

  • 2Ward
  • 4Milivojevic
  • 8KouyatĂ©
  • 13Guaita
  • 20Benteke
  • 22Édouard
  • 23Gallagher
  • 34Kelly
  • 49Rak-Sakyi
Referee:
Anthony Taylor
Attendance:
38,448

Match Stats

Home TeamEvertonAway TeamCrystal Palace
Possession
Home43%
Away57%
Shots
Home12
Away7
Shots on Target
Home6
Away5
Corners
Home4
Away5
Fouls
Home9
Away12

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Everton 3, Crystal Palace 2.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Everton 3, Crystal Palace 2.

  3. Post update

    Hand ball by Christian Benteke (Crystal Palace).

  4. Post update

    Foul by Christian Benteke (Crystal Palace).

  5. Post update

    Jordan Pickford (Everton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  6. Post update

    Foul by Conor Gallagher (Crystal Palace).

  7. Post update

    Mason Holgate (Everton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  8. Substitution

    Substitution, Everton. Jonjoe Kenny replaces Richarlison.

  9. Goal!

    Goal! Everton 3, Crystal Palace 2. Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton) header from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Demarai Gray with a cross.

  10. Post update

    Foul by Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace).

  11. Post update

    SĂ©amus Coleman (Everton) wins a free kick on the right wing.

  12. Post update

    Offside, Crystal Palace. Eberechi Eze tries a through ball, but Wilfried Zaha is caught offside.

  13. Post update

    Offside, Crystal Palace. Joachim Andersen tries a through ball, but Christian Benteke is caught offside.

  14. Booking

    Abdoulaye Doucouré (Everton) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  15. Post update

    Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  16. Post update

    Foul by Abdoulaye Doucouré (Everton).

  17. Substitution

    Substitution, Crystal Palace. Christian Benteke replaces Jean-Philippe Mateta.

  18. Post update

    Conor Gallagher (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick on the right wing.

  19. Post update

    Foul by Abdoulaye Doucouré (Everton).

  20. Post update

    Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

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2919 comments

  • Comment posted by hjkarki, at 21:50 19 May

    As a Liverpool Fan, I am glad Everton survived, it won’t be fun without Derby games. Congrats the Blue half of Merseyside. Loved those passionate fans.

    • Reply posted by markusbeggs, at 21:54 19 May

      markusbeggs replied:
      And a guaranteed 6 points next season

  • Comment posted by jay26615, at 21:53 19 May

    Congratulations Everton from a red. Wouldn't have been the same without you.

    • Reply posted by the peoples poet, at 21:58 19 May

      the peoples poet replied:
      AWFUL Everton, useless manager.

  • Comment posted by Joe, at 21:51 19 May

    Wolves fan here but I find it confusing that the same people slating Everton's pitch invasion are the same ones who were calling Forest fans legends for their actions the other day

    • Reply posted by Mark, at 21:56 19 May

      Mark replied:
      How do you know they were the same people?

  • Comment posted by Jaimo, at 21:50 19 May

    Fair play Everton… What a second half.

    • Reply posted by filky, at 22:09 19 May

      filky replied:
      Aided by an inept palace performance. Viera needs to to clear out dross

  • Comment posted by StevieMaywhataplayer, at 21:55 19 May

    Good on Everton for staying up but I still maintain this should serve as a serious wake up call. Terrible decision to appoint Rafa and then terrible decision to sack him on the final day of the january window. Got very lucky that Frank somehow got some good results. Need a top to bottom rethink.

    • Reply posted by dannyg, at 07:21 20 May

      dannyg replied:
      new owners and new manager.

  • Comment posted by JamieM, at 21:52 19 May

    Delle Alli changed the game, why hasn't he been playing!

    • Reply posted by Toffee76, at 21:59 19 May

      Toffee76 replied:
      Lampard don't know how to pick a team, proper muppet

  • Comment posted by Rapha Elle, at 21:52 19 May

    Watching and listening to pure football passion! Everton fans in full voice. Hairs on end!! No prawn sandwiches, no tourists, just deafening noise! Proud to be amongst them!! Proper fans.
    It's been a copy season, but new stadium on the way and a definite bright future.
    Get the tissues and dry your eyes haters!!

    Stunning come back

    • Reply posted by Kerplunk, at 21:57 19 May

      Kerplunk replied:
      This person gets it.

  • Comment posted by Splash, at 21:53 19 May

    That must be the biggest celebration I've seen........without a trophy!!
    Well done blue noses. It wouldn't be the same without you! YNWA

    • Reply posted by Sorry For Your Loss, at 22:01 19 May

      Sorry For Your Loss replied:
      They are used to it along with Spurs. Both teams just celebrate invisible trophies.

  • Comment posted by Colonel, at 22:00 19 May

    A lot of plastic fans don’t realise the elation you get from narrowly avoiding the drop. It’s something most proper fans, who support a local club, endure at some point. Well done Everton - you turned it around tonight. We were no match in the second half.

    • Reply posted by gary, at 22:07 19 May

      gary replied:
      Thanks mate ( plastic fans are really winding me up imagine if they supported their local club they might know what ya mean

  • Comment posted by AnO8server, at 21:50 19 May

    I'm a Red but well done Everton, glad you made it!

    • Reply posted by liverpool supporter right here, at 22:16 19 May

      liverpool supporter right here replied:
      There are plenty of Liverpool fans who live with Everton fans or have family members who are either a red or blue. Is it like that with Arsenal and Tottenham fans or Man United and Man City fans

  • Comment posted by sue, at 21:51 19 May

    What a come back, We’ll done Everton

    • Reply posted by William, at 22:04 19 May

      William replied:
      Yes. We'll done indeed

  • Comment posted by tonylfc, at 21:50 19 May

    Pleased for the Blues and the City of Liverpool. Never wanted you to go down and that was a great win for you.

    • Reply posted by liverpool supporter right here, at 22:14 19 May

      liverpool supporter right here replied:
      I get it. You have families who have Liverpool and Everton fans living in the same house. And it would have been terrible for them. But hilarious for the rest of us

  • Comment posted by Lord Sutch, at 21:52 19 May

    Well done Everton, from a Liverpudlian.
    I thought you were down and out at half time.

    • Reply posted by Kerplunk, at 21:57 19 May

      Kerplunk replied:
      Kudos. You’ll be getting downvoted by the fake reds and little Englanders but well played and good luck in Paris.

  • Comment posted by rogerandout, at 21:52 19 May

    "2-0 down and they come back from that , Well done Everton . You came that close to the dreaded drop .

    • Reply posted by The Spin Doctor, at 22:27 19 May

      The Spin Doctor replied:
      First time ever Everton have come back from 2 - 0 down at half time I heard the TV people say.

  • Comment posted by midnightrun, at 21:59 19 May

    I support Liverpool but I just want to say congratulations Everton, jokes and banter aside, I genuinely think you fans got them across the line because that team has been awful for most of the season. The second half tonight was incredible.

    • Reply posted by j7, at 22:33 19 May

      j7 replied:
      Thanks...heart rate finally dropping here!

  • Comment posted by HandsomeEvertonian, at 21:49 19 May

    To all those Everton haters.

    Have some of that.

    • Reply posted by coolspex, at 21:51 19 May

      coolspex replied:
      Awful team, awful management

  • Comment posted by Llion, at 21:51 19 May

    At last , typical Everton making life hard.

    Let’s forget this season and start afresh next .<