Everton looking to build on strong record against high-flying Crystal Palace | OneFootball

In recent years, Crystal Palace has been one of the more favorable fixtures for Everton Football Club.

Since their memorable victory against Palace on the last day of the 2022 season, when a late Dominic Calvert-Lewin header preserved Everton’s status as a Premier League side, the Toffees are unbeaten against the side from South London.

In the last nine meetings between the two sides, Everton have won on six occasions and drawn on three.

Last year, the Blues achieved a double over Crystal Palace, beating them at Goodison Park in September, one of Sean Dyche’s three wins as manager in 2024/25, and then beating them again at Selhurst Park in February under David Moyes.

But this weekend, Everton face the strongest Crystal Palace side in recent memory, on a 19-game unbeaten run and coming off an impressive victory over Liverpool, so do Everton have any hope of continuing their good record?

Coming up against a side sitting second in the Premier League, with the best defensive record and the most chances created, makes bleak reading for an Everton supporter. However, one statistic should give some hope to David Moyes, whose side is now four games without a win.

Crystal Palace is a counter-attacking side. All their league wins this season came when Oliver Glasner's team controlled less than 50% possession.

In the two domestic matches when Crystal Palace held most of the ball, against Sunderland in the Premier League and Millwall in the League Cup, they failed to win, drawing 0-0 with Sunderland and 1-1 with Millwall (before winning in a penalty shootout).

Meanwhile, Everton haven’t controlled more than 50% in any of their league matches this season, ranking 14th in the league with an average of 45.2% possession per match.

Logic dictates that if Everton can force Palace to come onto them, rather than the opposite, then they’ll have a much better chance of limiting the opposition's chances.

That doesn’t mean they won’t create chances. Against Sunderland, they still had six shots on target with an xG of 1.66, but once Sunderland were back in their shape, they limited Palace to crosses into the box or efforts from distance.

Forcing Palace into possession is also one of the few ways they concede chances. Against West Ham, Sunderland, and Nottingham Forest, Palace looked vulnerable to quick counterattacks via turnovers high up the pitch.

Due to playing with a five at the back, when they control the ball, their full-backs push high, leaving their three defenders vulnerable to balls in behind and down the channels.

Everton ranks second in the league for possession won in the final third, with 4.3 forced turnovers per 90 in that area of the pitch. This may be their best opportunity to create chances, as once Crystal Palace are set in their shape, they’re incredibly difficult to break down.

If Everton plays to Palace’s strengths and allows them to sit back in their shape and threaten on the counter, the Blues may be in for a tough day at the office. Crystal Palace leaves very little space at the back for midfielders to play through once they’re set.

Without Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Everton will find it even more difficult to play around them, and without a reliable striker to aim for in the box, bombarding them with crosses likely won’t trouble them either.

Going the other way, Crysencio Summerville terrorized Jake O’Brien down the right-hand side in transition on Monday, and the Irishman will be up against an even more difficult opponent this weekend in Ismaila Sarr.

Limiting the number of recovery runs the Everton defense needs to make is key to stopping them from scoring.

Crystal Palace make no secret of their game plan, and David Moyes has a lot to think about to try and get a result and prevent a run of five games without a win.