Our Everton fans’ jury are back as they give their opinions on the win over Crystal Palace and upcoming Premier League game against Newcastle United
Everton finally picked up their first Premier League win of the season on Saturday when they came from behind to beat Crystal Palace at Goodison Park. Marc Guehi had initially fired the visitors ahead after just 10 minutes.
However, a quick-fire double from Dwight McNeil at the start of the second half turned the game on its head. His first was a thunderous strike from distance before he secured Sean Dyche‘s side all three points with a finish from close-range after collecting Jack Harrison‘s cross into the box.
The victory lifted the Blues up to 16th in the Premier League table, and next up is another home game against Newcastle United.
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And with everything in mind, our Everton jury have returned to have their say.
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Alex McMonnies – Saturday’s win quashed two unwanted records
It’s been long overdue, but finally Everton have their first league win of the season.
It was looking like another one of those days when Marc Guehi was able to almost effortlessly poke Crystal Palace ahead after just 10 minutes, and the first-half performance as a whole from Sean Dyche’s side was alarming to say the least.
However, Everton came out for the second half with renewed vigour, and Dwight McNeil scored an absolute beauty before adding a second to turn the game completely on its head within ten minutes of the restart. Thereafter, the Blues displayed the sort of defensive solidity their supporters had come to expect in the previous campaign and were able to see out the victory.
Jarrad Branthwaite‘s reinstatement to the backline played an enormous role in that. The 22-year-old showed zero signs of rustiness throughout the match, and it was clear from James Tarkowski‘s commanding performance how relieved the Everton skipper was to have his partner back alongside him.
Saturday’s win quashed two unwanted records that have plagued Dyche’s tenure as Everton manager. It marked the first time since October 2022 that the Toffees had come from behind to win a Premier League match and the first time since May 2022 that they had won a home match in which they had conceded a goal. The boost this could have in the morale of both the players and the fans in future games could be monumental.
It was far from a dominant win for the Blues against Palace, but on the flipside of the coin, they have already produced several performances far superior to that so far this season and earned no reward at the end of it. As the gaffer always says, these things tend to even themselves out over the course of a 38-game season.
Everton return to Goodison Park this upcoming weekend when they welcome Newcastle United to L4, potentially for the last time. The last few fixtures between these two sides have tended to produce drama at either ends of the scale from an Everton point of view, and for the first time since January 2021, it won’t be a match contested on a Thursday night.
The Magpies are a strong side who have enjoyed a relatively positive start to the season but could well be missing their talisman Alexander Isak on Saturday evening, while the Toffees edge ever closer to being at full strength. Could last Saturday’s win against Palace be the catalyst that Everton’s campaign needed to spring into life?
Paul McParlan – A win at last!
It has been far too long, but finally, in our final season at the Old Lady, we were able to celebrate our first Premier League win of the season at Goodison Park against Crystal Palace last Saturday. It was a much-improved performance by the Blues, aided in no small measure by the return of the Carlisle Kaiser, Jarrad Branthwaite, to the defence. How we have missed his calm, reassuring presence this campaign.
His aerial command, his ability to anticipate danger, and his all-round air of authority gave defence a solidity that has been missing so far. I am sure that I was not the only one to feel concerned after the clock showed 87 minutes, remembering the collapse against Bournemouth in our last home game. But then I saw Branthwaite, and I was not worried anymore!
However, there were other Everton players, of whom fans have been critical in recent games, who also delivered an excellent performance. Ashley Young made a brilliant interception to set up Everton’s opener and rarely put a foot wrong. Orel Mangala looked slow and off the pace on his full debut at Leicester City but played a crucial role this time, winning tackles and making vital interceptions. He added a much-needed bite and aggression to the midfield.
Sean Dyche has been rightly questioned about his failure to make game-changing substitutions but took decisive action at half-time by replacing the hapless Jesper Lindstrom with Jack Harrison. The Swede struggled throughout the first half with some misplaced passes and failure to track opposition players. His finishing since he made his debut has been woeful. If he had taken half the chances, Everton would be looking at a top-ten placing.
Harrison has laboured at times, but you can never fault his effort. His introduction proved inspired with his pinpoint cross, setting up Dwight McNeil’s second goal to seal victory. And what a superb opener it was from McNeil, seven minutes earlier. His majestic left foot curler evoked comparisons with previous maestros of Goodison Park, such as Kevin Sheedy and James Rodriguez.
McNeil is thriving in his new role, and credit must go to the manager for this tactical change. He has already netted more goals than he did for the whole of last season and is a player who can produce the pieces of sublime skill required to unlock defences. It was so uplifting to hear the players being cheered off the pitch on Saturday after a well-earned win.
Everton are now out of the relegation zone and need to continue this momentum against Newcastle United at Goodison on Saturday. The game last December was one of the finest displays seen under Dyche, with Everton winning 3-0. It will be tough, but there is no reason why the Blues cannot go into the international break with a second win under their belts.
James O’Brien – Real plaudits need to be given to Dwight McNeil
Finally, we have got our first three points of the season! After a shaky first 45 minutes, like many, my hopes were feeling very low. But much like the Jekyll and Hyde approach we have had to halves of football this season, we came out the second half as a completely different team.
Real plaudits need to be given to Dwight McNeil for his start to the season and how vital he has been to our attack so far. His chances of succeeding in this new ‘number 10’ role have frequently been dismissed due to his reliance on his left foot; however, his recent performances are undeniably silencing the doubters. Both goals were taken exceptionally, and McNeil is certainly evolving into a key member of the Everton squad.
Jack Harrison has also faced his fair share of criticism from Evertonians this season, but to give credit where it is due, he completely changed the game for us! Jesper Lindstrom had a disappointing performance, especially after the flashes of promise against Leicester. However, this gave Harrison the much-needed opportunity to turn things around in blue, and he sure did!
The return of Jarrad Branthwaite was more than welcomed, and although I don’t think Saturday was one of his best performances, he did show moments of class. Having the options of Iroegbunam, Gueye, Garner and Patterson on the bench is welcomed and gives us that much-needed depth to properly battle with teams.
Dyche used his subs well last week; let’s hope we can continue with that trend and avoid another Bournemouth. Newcastle under the lights is going to be a tough game for the Blues, but it certainly isn’t a game where I couldn’t see us grabbing all three points.
Just last season, we managed a 3-0 victory in probably one of the best recent performances we have had at Goodison – who is to say we couldn’t do it again? Confidence will be at a high, and Dyche has nearly enough of his full squad to choose from.
Fulham managed to beat Newcastle 3-1 at Craven Cottage just over two weeks ago, and Newcastle haven’t had the greatest of starts to the season. They are also missing a few key figures in the likes of Isak, Botman, Tripper and Miley, giving us an even better platform to get a result.
With Ndiaye and McNeil’s form and the return of Branthwaite, this is the most exciting I have been for Everton in a long time. This fixture has gained a bit of a derby feel to it due to the likes of Jordan Pickford and Anthony Gordon. So, let’s hope