Premier League Season Opener: Everton vs Crystal Palace – Everything You Need to Know

Imagine the Premier League season is like a brand-new video game. The very first match is the tutorial level—but with real bragging rights on the line. This year, that tutorial is Everton vs Crystal Palace. Here is your cheat sheet, written so a 10-year-old (or a total newbie) can understand exactly what is at stake.

The Head-to-Head History

These two teams have met in the very first game of the season twice before. Crystal Palace (nicknamed The Eagles) have the upper hand—they are unbeaten in season openers against Everton (The Toffees).

IMPORTANT POINT: Palace have won only 1 of their last 23 Premier League meetings with Everton (that was a 3–1 home win in Dec 2021). Their last away win at Goodison Park was way back in 2014–15 under manager Neil Warnock (3–2). Since then: Draw 4, Lost 7.

Everton: The "Opening Day Blues"

Everton fans are feeling nervous. Why? Because the stats paint a scary picture for the first game of the year.

The "Four-Year Funk"

Everton have lost their opening game in each of the last FOUR seasons.

• They have failed to score a single goal in all four of those defeats.
• No top-flight team in history has lost their opener without scoring in five consecutive seasons. (QPR did it in non-consecutive years between 1994–95 and 2014–15).

The "Winless Streak" Danger

At the end of last season (2025–26), Everton failed to win their final 7 games (Drew 3, Lost 4).

• Manager David Moyes has never gone 8 league games without a win during his time at Everton.
• The last time Moyes went this long without a Premier League win was April 2017 with Sunderland (10 games).

CALL OUT: If Everton lose this one, they make unwanted history (5 straight scoreless opening defeats) AND Moyes hits a personal worst streak at the club.

Crystal Palace: The "Clean Sheet Kings" (Until They Concede)

Palace have a weird superpower in Gameweek 1: They are amazing at not conceding.

The Clean Sheet Record

In their last 8 Premier League seasons, Palace have kept a clean sheet (0 goals against) in 5 of their openers.

• This includes a 0–0 draw vs Chelsea in the projected 2025–26 opener.

The "Concede & Collapse" Trend

BUT—there is a catch. Since a 3–1 away win at Norwich in 2015–16:

• Every single time Palace have conceded a goal in their opener, they have LOST the match.
• They have lost their last five openers where they let a goal in.

KEY TAKEAWAY: If Palace score first (or keep it 0–0), history says they don’t lose. If Everton score first, history says Palace crumble.

Playing Style: "Low Possession, High Stakes"

Both teams played a similar, gritty style last season (2025–26). They didn’t hog the ball; they waited for mistakes.

Possession Stats (Who had the ball least?)

• Everton had the 2nd fewest "open play passing sequences of 10+ passes" (274 total). Only bottom-of-the-table Wolves had fewer (250).
• Translation: Expect a choppy, physical game. Not a lot of pretty "tiki-taka" passing. Lots of long balls, tackles, and set-pieces.

The Set-Piece Danger Zone (Palace’s Achilles Heel)

This is the single biggest tactical storyline of the match.

MAJOR CALL OUT: Excluding penalties, no team in the Premier League conceded more set-piece goals than Crystal Palace last season (20).

• That accounted for 39% of ALL goals they conceded (20 out of 51).
• This was the highest percentage in the entire league.

Everton’s Plan: Win corners, win free-kicks near the box, put big bodies in the area. Palace’s Problem: They struggled massively to defend aerially last year.

The Manager & Player Spotlight

Pierre Sage: The New Guy at Palace

• This is Sage’s first game in charge of Crystal Palace.
• Palace have had 16 different managers (including caretakers) take charge of a Premier League game.
• Only 2 of those 16 won their debut:
  1. Alan Pardew (Jan 2015 vs Tottenham, Won 2–1)
  2. Oliver Glasner (Feb 2024 vs Burnley, Won 3–0)
• The Odds: 10 of the 16 lost their first game. History is against Sage.

Hayden Hackney: Everton’s Secret Weapon?

• Hackney could make his Everton debut here.
• He played in the Championship (2nd tier) last season (including playoffs) and put up elite creative numbers:
  • 7th for winning the ball back (206 times).
  • Joint-4th for winning the ball high up the pitch (33 times).
  • 2nd for chances created (85).
  • Joint-1st for open play chances created (64).
  • 2nd for open play Expected Assists (7.65).
  • 1st for successful passes into the final third (855).
• Translation: He wins the ball, drives forward, and creates goals. Exactly what a low-possession Everton side needs.

Palace’s Away Form: Good Points, Bad Finishes

• Palace earned 53% of their points away from home last season (24 out of 45 points).
• Only Tottenham (63%) and Nottingham Forest (55%) relied more on away points.
• BUT: They failed to win their last 4 away games (Drew 1, Lost 3).
• They haven’t gone this long without an away win since November 2024 (6 games).

Summary: What Will Decide This Match?

1. Can Everton Score? They haven’t in 4 openers. If they score first, Palace’s history says they lose.
2. Can Palace Defend Set-Pieces? They conceded 20 set-piece goals last year. Everton must exploit this.
3. The Hackney Factor: If he debuts and plays like he did in the Championship, Everton suddenly have a creative spark they lacked last year.
4. Moyes vs. History: Moyes has never gone 8 games winless at Everton. He needs a result to avoid a personal crisis.
5. Sage’s Debut: New manager bounce? Or debut curse? Only 2 of 16 Palace managers won their first game.

Prediction Vibes: A tight, ugly, low-possession game. 1–1 Draw or a 1–0 Everton win (via a set-piece) feels most likely given the "Palace concedes first = Palace loses" trend and Everton’s desperate need for a goal.

FAQ: Your Burning Questions Answered

1. Why does the 2025-26 season data matter if we are in 2024/2025 right now?

The source data you provided references the 2025-26 season as "last season" (e.g., "Everton failed to win any of their final seven Premier League games of 2025-26"). This article treats that provided data as the factual baseline for the upcoming match preview.

2. What is "Expected Assists (xA)"?

Think of xA (Expected Assists) like a "quality of pass" score. If a player makes a pass that usually leads to a goal (based on thousands of past matches), they get a high xA. Hackney’s 7.65 xA means his passes were very likely to lead to goals—he created high-quality chances, not just hopeful crosses.

3. What is a "Passing Sequence of 10+ Passes"?

This counts how many times a team strung together 10 or more consecutive passes while attacking (open play). Everton had the 2nd fewest in the league. It confirms they play "direct" football—get the ball forward fast, don’t keep it for ages.

4. Why is Pierre Sage’s debut such a big deal statistically?

Palace have a terrible track record with new managers. 10 out of 16 lost their first game. Only Pardew and Glasner won. Sage is walking into a historically difficult spot.

5. Who is the "Everton" and who is "Crystal Palace"?

• Everton (The Toffees / The Blues): Based in Liverpool (Blue half). Manager: David Moyes (returning legend).
• Crystal Palace (The Eagles): Based in South London (Red & Blue). New Manager: Pierre Sage.

Enjoy the game! Whether you’re a die-hard fan or just picking a team for your fantasy league, now you know the storylines better than the commentators.