Everton kicked off their 2026/27 Premier League campaign in style with a convincing 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, snapping a four-match losing streak in season openers.
The match marked Pierre Sage’s debut as Crystal Palace manager, and the visitors nearly got off to a dream start within three minutes when Jean-Philippe Mateta lifted a point-blank opportunity over the bar. Palace kept up the early pressure, testing Jordan Pickford shortly after when Eddie Nketiah’s low drive was pushed onto the post. Everton responded at the other end, forcing Dean Henderson into a sharp, one-handed save to deny Iliman Ndiaye.
As the first half progressed, Palace continued to threaten on the counter, but Mateta spurned another golden chance by striking the post with only Pickford to beat.
That miss proved costly just before the break. Everton broke the deadlock when Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall gathered a pass from Harrison Armstrong and curled a left-footed strike past Henderson into the far corner.
Building on momentum from their impressive head-to-head record against the Eagles, Everton returned for the second half with intensity and doubled their lead in the 53rd minute to seal all three points.
