Everton outclass crystal palace in premier League opener

Everton 2-0 Crystal Palace: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Thierno Barry give Toffees a winning start to Premier League campaign

Everton made a winning start to the new Premier League campaign by beating Crystal Palace 2-0 thanks to classy goals from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Thierno Barry.

David Moyes’s side ruthlessly punished their visitors, under the new charge of Frenchman Pierre Sage, for a series of missed opportunities, scoring either side of the break to register their first opening-weekend win for five years.

Both goals were symptomatic of a team maturing under the influence of wily Moyes. The Everton boss entrusted 19-year-old Harrison Armstrong with a midfield role alongside new signing Hayden Hackney. Armstrong was involved in the first goal and Hackney connected to a superb second.

Armstrong’s hustle turned the ball over for Dewsbury-Hall to jinx inside Chris Richards and pick out the far corner just before half-time. Shortly after the break, Hackney’s quick thinking from a free-kick got Iliman Ndiaye away and he picked out Barry with a stunning cross.

Thierno Barry celebrates after doubling Everton’s lead against Crystal Palace
Thierno Barry celebrates after doubling Everton’s lead against Crystal Palace

“Everton did a professional job. Armstrong and Hackney were very good,” reflected Tim Sherwood on Soccer Saturday.

Palace, meanwhile, faded horribly after a promising opening. Their conversion issues from last season continue, with Jean-Philippe Mateta guilty of spurning a prime opportunity when the game was goalless, adding to the frustration of Eddie Nketiah’s earlier miss. The former Arsenal forward did draw a world-class save from Jordan Pickford but failed to beat him.
Everton got their Premier League campaign off to a flying start with a professional 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace at Hill Dickinson Stadium. The Toffees made the most of their chances while capitalizing on a wasteful Palace side that failed to turn early dominance into goals.

The Eagles missed multiple golden opportunities early in the first half. Jean-Philippe Mateta missed from inside six yards from an Eddie Nketiah pass, while Nketiah was denied by the upright moments later. Mateta also hit the post when clean through on goal.
​Everton punished Palace’s profligacy just before the stroke of halftime. In the 42nd minute, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall gathered a pass from Harrison Armstrong and arrowed a brilliant left-footed strike into the far corner, past Dean Henderson, to make it 1-0.
​Shortly after the restart, Everton doubled their advantage in the 53rd minute. Iliman Ndiaye curled a precise cross following a quickly taken free-kick, allowing Thierno Barry to leap highest and guide a downward header into the net from close range.
​Palace pushed to pull one back late in the game, but Jordan Pickford produced a series of sharp saves—including denying a late header from substitute Jørgen Strand Larsen—to preserve the clean sheet.