Everton vs Palace: Vital Team News, Stats & H2H Revealed
Premier League Preview: Everton vs Crystal Palace – The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide
Welcome to the new season! If you’re new to football (or just need a refresher), this guide breaks down everything you need to know about the first game of the Premier League season: Everton vs Crystal Palace.
We’ll look at history, current form, key players, and what the numbers really mean—all in plain English.
A Tale of Two Openers: History Between the Sides
These two teams have met on the very first day of the season twice before. Here is the scorecard:
- 1997–98 at Goodison Park (Everton’s home): Crystal Palace won 2–1.
- 2019–20 at Selhurst Park (Palace’s home): The game ended in a 0–0 draw.
Key Takeaway: Crystal Palace are unbeaten in season openers against Everton. The "Eagles" have history on their side.
The "Bogey Team" Factor: Recent Head-to-Head
History is one thing, but recent form tells a different story. Looking at the last 23 Premier League meetings:
| Stat | Detail |
|---|---|
| Palace Wins | Just 1 (a 3–1 home win in Dec 2021) |
| Draws | 10 |
| Everton Wins | 12 |
| Last Palace Away Win at Everton | 2014–15 (3–2 under manager Neil Warnock) |
Important Point: Palace have drawn 4 and lost 7 of their trips to Goodison Park since that 2015 win. Everton have definitely had the upper hand recently.
Everton’s "Opening Day Blues"
Everton fans will be hoping for a change of luck. The stats make for grim reading:
- Four Straight Losses: Everton have lost their opening game in each of the last four seasons.
- Zero Goals: They failed to score in all four of those defeats.
- Unwanted History: No top-flight team has ever lost their opening game without scoring in five consecutive seasons. Everton are on the brink of a dubious record.
ELI5 Explanation: Imagine starting a new school year by forgetting your homework four years in a row. Everton desperately need to break this cycle.
Crystal Palace: The "Clean Sheet Kings" of Openers
While Everton struggle to score, Palace have been masters of not conceding on Day 1.
- 5 Clean Sheets in their last 8 season openers.
- Recent Example: They held Chelsea to a 0–0 draw in the 2025–26 opener.
- The Catch: When Palace do concede in an opener, they tend to lose. They have lost their last five openers where they let in a goal (last win when conceding was a 3–1 win at Norwich in 2015–16).
The Pattern: Tight defense = Points. Concede = Lose.
Form Guide: How They Finished Last Season
Everton (Under David Moyes)
- End of 2025–26: Winless in final 7 games (Drew 3, Lost 4).
- Moyes’ Record: David Moyes has never gone 8 league games without a win as Everton manager.
- Context: The last time Moyes went this long without a win in the Premier League was April 2017 with Sunderland (10 games).
Crystal Palace (Away Form Specialists)
- Road Warriors: Only Tottenham (63%) and Nottingham Forest (55%) got a higher % of their points away from home than Palace (53% – 24 points out of 45).
- Recent Slump: However, they are currently winless in their last 4 away games (Drew 1, Lost 3).
- Last Long Away Winless Run: November 2024 (6 games).
Playing Style: Low Possession, High Intensity?
Both teams liked to sit back and counter-attack last season rather than hog the ball.
| Team | Average Possession | League Rank (Non-Relegated) |
|---|---|---|
| Everton | 43.5% | Lowest |
| Crystal Palace | 45.5% | Third Lowest |
- Everton had the second-fewest "passing sequences of 10+ passes" (274 total). Only bottom-club Wolves had fewer.
- Translation: Expect a fast, physical game with lots of tackles and long balls—not a "tiki-taka" passing masterclass.
The Big Weakness: Palace and Set Pieces
This is the biggest red flag for Crystal Palace heading into the game.
- Most Set-Piece Goals Conceded: Excluding penalties, no team conceded more goals from corners/free-kicks than Palace (20).
- Huge Reliance: Those 20 goals made up 39% of all goals they conceded (20 out of 51). That was the highest percentage in the league.
Why this matters: Everton have tall players (like Dominic Calvert-Lewin, James Tarkowski, Jarrad Branthwaite) who are dangerous in the air. If Everton win corners, Palace are in danger.
New Manager in the Palace Dugout: Pierre Sage
This will be Pierre Sage’s first game in charge of Crystal Palace.
- The History: Palace have had 16 different managers (including caretakers) take charge of a Premier League game.
- The "New Manager Bounce" is Rare: Only 2 of those 16 won their first game:
- Alan Pardew (Jan 2015 vs Spurs, Won 2–1)
- Oliver Glasner (Feb 2024 vs Burnley, Won 3–0)
- The Norm: The other 14 managers drew 4 and lost 10 in their debuts.
The Debutant to Watch: Hayden Hackney (Everton)
Everton have a shiny new toy in midfielder Hayden Hackney, who could make his debut. He tore up the Championship (2nd tier) last season (including playoffs). Here is his "Report Card" – ranked against everyone in the league:
| Stat | Rank | What it means (ELI5) |
|---|---|---|
| Possession Won | 7th | Great at tackling/intercepting. |
| Possession Won in Final Third | Joint-4th | Wins the ball back near the opponent’s goal (creates chances). |
| Chances Created | 2nd | Sets up teammates constantly. |
| Open Play Chances Created | Joint-1st | Best in the league at creating chances from regular play (not set pieces). |
| Open Play Expected Assists (xA) | 2nd (7.65) | High quality chances created. |
| Successful Passes into Final Third | 1st (855) | Best in the league at moving the ball forward into attacking areas. |
Summary: He does the dirty work (tackling) and the pretty work (creating goals). If he plays, watch #8 (or whatever number he wears).
Summary: What to Expect
- Everton are desperate to stop a historic 5th straight opening day loss (and 5th straight blank).
- Palace rely on clean sheets in openers but have a massive weakness defending corners/free-kicks.
- New Manager Pierre Sage has history against him (most Palace managers lose Game 1).
- Everton’s new signing Hayden Hackney looks like a superstar on paper based on last year’s stats.
- Style: Low possession, high tempo, physical battle. Set pieces could decide it.
FAQ: Your Questions Answered
1. What time is kick-off and where can I watch it?
Check your local TV listings or the Premier League official website for the specific broadcast details in your region, as rights vary by country.
2. Who is the favorite to win?
Bookmakers usually price these games tightly. Everton’s home record vs Palace is strong, but their opening day hoodoo is scary. Palace’s away form was elite last year, but they are on a slump. It is effectively a "coin flip" (Pick ’em).
3. What is "Expected Assists (xA)"?
ELI5: Imagine every pass a player makes that leads to a shot. xA measures how likely that shot was to be a goal. If you pass to a striker 5 yards out, that’s high xA (maybe 0.5). If you pass to a winger 30 yards out who has to beat three men, that’s low xA (maybe 0.02). Hackney’s 7.65 xA means he created chances worth roughly 7-8 goals over the season.
4. Why do Palace concede so many set-piece goals?
It’s usually a mix of: zonal marking assignments failing, lack of height/physicality in key areas, or poor organization when the ball is swung in. New manager Pierre Sage will have drilled this all week.
5. What happens if it’s a draw?
Both teams get 1 point in the league table. For Everton, it stops the "loss streak" but extends the "winless streak." For Palace, it maintains their "clean sheet opener" streak but extends the "away winless" run.
Enjoy the game! Whether you’re a Toffee, an Eagle, or a neutral, the first game of the season is always special.