Fulltime Thoughts – VAR ref Craig Pawson decided to make this game about himself, first with the ridiculous decision to review the Calvert-Lewin tackle, and then not even really reviewing Beto being held by Andersen. Hopefully McNeil is fine, or else the Blues might be in for a rough January.
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90+10’ – The 4,000 traveling fans are making themselves heard here, wanting Kavanagh to blow the whistle, there it is! Everton hold on, and this game will be decided in a replay at Goodison Park! 0-0 at Selhurst Park in this FA Cup Third Round clash.
90+5’ – Myko blocks a cross, corner. Eze outswinger, Onana swings a big boot at it and clears.
Beto wants a penalty as Andersen has his arms wrapped around him.
90+4’ – Corner for Palace on the Everton right, the Blues are hanging on here for the replay at Goodison. Blues can eventually clear and try a breakaway, but ball runs away from Beto.
90’ – Nine minutes to be added on! Yeesh.
Blues get the ball into the box, rebound falls to Harrison and he blazes it over, argh.
88’ – The Toffees are down to nine men while McNeil stays down, but Beto is fouled and there’s some respite.
Now Andre Gomes comes on for McNeil so the Blues are back to ten players at least. The stretcher is out for McNeil, this looks bad. Hopefully just an ankle sprain, but he did land awkwardly on his left foot.
86’ – Eze does well to control a high ball in the box, and fires his shot wide, whew.
McNeil is down off the pitch and receiving medical attention, he looks in some distress. The home side are mad that play is not continuing.
84’ – Oooh chance!!! The Blues can make a foray down the right, Beto’s cross falls to a sliding Garner and his shot is over!
More subs for Palace as they try to take advantage of their extra man.
81’ – Eagles corner on the Everton left. Ball falls to sub Ahamada, he blazes his shot wide.
80’ – Beto has come on for Danjuma, the Blues will about a dozen or so minutes to hold on here.
76’ – DCL, McNeil and Harrison have the ball between themselves but somehow fail to create a shooting chance, it’s been that kind of game.
Calvert-Lewin could be in trouble here. He did go sliding in on Clyne, did have his foot up in the air and studs showing. VAR has called Kavanagh over to the monitor, and DCL is SENT OFF, oh come on. Utter rubbish that, a yellow at worst.
74’ – Ooh. DCL loses the ball in his feet from a great ball from Onana, Danjuma takes a first time shot from inside the box but it’s straight at Henderson.
71’ – Hodgson makes the first changes of the game, with Franca and Schlupp going off, and debutant Ahamada and Hughes coming on.
68’ – McNeil and Danjuma have switched sides and both look revitalized as the Toffees are again threatening.
66’ – Anderson slices a cross and the ball could go anywhere, ends up in an Everton corner. McNeil from the right and the sequence goes to plan how Dyche has drawn them up, with Tarky heading the deep cross back across goal and Onana climbing highest, but his header is well over.
64’ – Harrison wins a corner on the left. Henderson parries it away for another corner from the other side.
Now Onana wins the header but can’t get any real contact and it’s a goalkick.
62’ – Ooooh chance! DCL got free on the left and had a shooting opportunity, but his attempt was tame and Henderson collects.
55’ – Palace have come into the game as it has gone on, and the two sides are about level in possession right now.
51’ – Eze shot saved well by Virginia on a quick counter, concedes a corner.
Lerma gets his head to the corner but the young goalie saves again.
50’ – Garner has a crack from outside the box, wide.
46’ – Second half underway.
Halftime Thoughts – The Blues have controlled the game and had the better chances, but neither side has been able to find the back of the net.
45’ – Halftime whistle goes, 0-0 at Selhurst Park.
40’ – Vicious cross from McNeil, Palace can’t clear and Garner tries a snapshot, blocked. Half-chance that.
38’ – Danjuma almost picks out DCL’s run but the ball skids through to Henderson. Close.
Now Lerma has an opportunity to shoot as Eze sets him up, but it fizzes over with Everton defenders sliding in to close him down.
36’ – Now Dom finally gets to a cross but his header is well wide.
34’ – Mateta gets some rare joy and wins a corner on the Everton right as Branthwaite cuts out his cross. Corner is cleared, ball back into the box and Myko hoofs a looping ball out of the six yard box, Schlupp had beaten Virginia there.
32’ – Everton’s passing overall has been better today than against Wolves, but the final ball has been lacking.
26’ – Another Danjuma run results in a corner on the left. Garner’s corner is miskicked and low, and almost deflected in at the near post and Henderson gets a desperate foot on it!
Palace can break, and Garner takes a foul to stop the Eagles.
24’ – Franca runs into a heavy challenge from Tarkowski and wins a freekick on the edge of the box. Danger here.. but Eze blasts it well over and relief for the Blues.
20’ – A brilliant break! Three players on the counter from the half line, Harrison plays Danjuma into space and Henderson parries his shot over the goal!
Corner cleared for another one. Henderson drops this one, collects it and is given a shoulder barge from Tarky for his troubles.
17’ – A promising run from Coleman comes to DCL who sets up Danjuma for a shot, he dallies though and wins a corner from a blocked effort.
Corner is taken short, and the Blues are keeping Palace hemmed in, but nothing comes of it.
16’ – Henderson comes out for a bouncing ball and fluffs his lines, but Danjuma can’t get his cross to a grey shirt.
15’ – The rain is making for very slick conditions and the ball is zipping about. The Blues have had 56% of the possession so far.
13’ – Eze goes past Onana, then kicks out at the Everton player and goes down in a heap on the edge of the box! Referee Chris Kavanagh sees right through it though and books the player for simulation.
11’ – Danjuma has looked hungry early on, quick to take the ball and run at his man. Calvert-Lewin is getting swallowed up though by Palace’s excellent defensive pairing of Anderson and Guehi.
10’ – The rain continues to come down pretty hard, though it’s not the level of the downpour an hour or so before kickoff.
5’ – Looks like Jack Harrison is in the hole behind the striker, with Arnaut Danjuma on the left wing and Dwight McNeil on the right. Abdoulaye Doucoure was supposedly touch-and-go but the Blues are being cautious with him, and he is not in the squad today.
With good reason too, look at how critical he has been to the Blues success since joining the club –
With all the “Dyche can’t win without Doucoure” discourse, here’s a comparison of the key numbers to previous managers…
Plainly, Everton have won just THREE league games without him since he signed
So, have we just always underrated the importance of Abdoulaye?! pic.twitter.com/ydJvgWeimd
— Michael (@greenallefc) January 3, 2024
3’ – Schlupp fires off the first shot of the game, bouncing effort that looked wide but Virginia warmed his hands pouncing on it.
1’ – Everton get us underway at Selhurst Park in their grey away kit.
Everton – Dyche springs a couple of surprises here, with Joao Virginia and Arnaut Danjuma getting starts.
Crystal Palace – Hodgson decides to go full strength with his side.
The last few days have been quiet in the world of Everton as the Blues ended 2023 with more of a fizzle. However, the Toffees have a chance to get the year off to a positive start while starting a new cup adventure after the last one in the Carabao Cup was halted in a penalty shootout last month.
The Blues travel down to Selhurst Park to take on Crystal Palace who have seen their season wracked by injuries, and under Roy Hodgson will be looking for a Cup run themselves.
Competition: FA Cup Third Round
Date and start time: Thursday, January 4th at 12:00 p.m. PT / 3:00 p.m ET / 8:00 p.m. BST
Stadium: Selhurst Park, London, England, United Kingdom
Capacity: 25,486
Weather: 47°F/8°C, light rain, 35% chance of precipitation, 8 mph winds
TV: ESPN+ – United States; ITV4 – United Kingdom; Fubo – Canada, beIN Sports English 2, SuperSport MaXimo 2, SONY TEN 2
Radio: evertontv, TalkSport Radio UK, BBC Radio Five Live
Live stream: Fubo, ESPN app, ITVX, beIN SPORTS CONNECT, DStv Now, RUSH, Hotstar VIP, JioTV
Gamethread: The live blog will commence an hour before kickoff with the lineup announcements.
*Royal Blue Mersey has affiliate partnerships and may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links provided.
Information from LiveSoccerTV.com
The Toffees have already been to Selhurst Park this season in a game that started out like an Olympic 100 metre sprint, with Vitaliy Mykolenko putting the Blues ahead within a minute, and Eberechi Eze winning a penalty and leveling things after five minutes in November. A further goal from Abdoulaye Doucoure was nullified by Odsonne Edouard with fifteen or so to play, but then Idrissa Gueye popped up with a late winner to send Blues home in raptures with three much-needed points.
