Everton began their 2026/27 Premier League campaign in impressive fashion, beating Crystal Palace 2-0 at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday, August 22. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Thierno Barry scored the decisive goals as David Moyes’ side secured three valuable points in their opening fixture.
The result gives Everton the perfect start to the new Premier League season, while Crystal Palace and new manager Pierre Sage are left to reflect on a difficult afternoon in Liverpool.
Everton 2-0 Crystal Palace: Match Result
Everton controlled the game more effectively after the opening stages and eventually found the breakthrough through Dewsbury-Hall. Barry then doubled the advantage in the second half, heading home a cross from Iliman Ndiaye.
Final score: Everton 2-0 Crystal Palace
Goals:
- Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall — Everton
- Thierno Barry — Everton
The victory continues Everton’s strong recent record against Crystal Palace. The Toffees had won three of the previous five Premier League meetings, with two draws, before adding another victory to that sequence.
Dewsbury-Hall Breaks the Deadlock
Crystal Palace created the first significant opportunities, with Jean-Philippe Mateta heading over before Eddie Nketiah came close to opening the scoring.
Adam Wharton produced an excellent pass to release Nketiah, but Jordan Pickford made a crucial save to push the forward’s effort onto the post. That intervention proved important as Everton gradually grew into the match.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall eventually produced the moment of quality Everton needed.
After a promising attacking move involving Harrison Armstrong and Thierno Barry, Dewsbury-Hall found space and unleashed a powerful effort that found the far corner. His strike gave Everton a 1-0 lead shortly before half-time.
Palace continued to threaten, but Everton reached the interval in front.
Thierno Barry Doubles Everton’s Lead
Everton started the second half with greater confidence and looked increasingly comfortable.
Their pressure was rewarded when Iliman Ndiaye floated a cross into the penalty area. Thierno Barry rose to meet it and headed the ball beyond Dean Henderson to make it 2-0.
The goal was particularly significant for Barry after he endured a long wait for his first Premier League goal last season. His opening-day strike immediately provided Everton with a major boost.
With a two-goal cushion, Moyes’ team became more focused on controlling possession and limiting Palace’s attacking opportunities.
Jordan Pickford Makes Key Saves
Everton’s clean sheet was not achieved without pressure.
Pickford was one of the hosts’ most important players during the early stages, particularly when Palace threatened to exploit space behind Everton’s defensive line.
His save from Nketiah was arguably the biggest moment of the first half. The Everton goalkeeper also dealt with efforts from Palace as the visitors searched for a way back into the contest.
Jarrad Branthwaite and James Tarkowski also played important roles in protecting the lead, with Branthwaite making several important defensive interventions.
Everton Starting XI
David Moyes selected Jordan Pickford in goal, with Jarrad Branthwaite, James Tarkowski and Vitaliy Mykolenko forming part of the defensive structure.
Merlin Rohl was also given an opportunity, while Harrison Armstrong and Hayden Hackney featured in midfield.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Iliman Ndiaye provided attacking support for Thierno Barry, with Tyrique George also handed a starting opportunity.
Everton’s lineup showed Moyes’ willingness to give younger players responsibility at the beginning of the campaign.
Crystal Palace Team and Pierre Sage’s First Premier League Game
Crystal Palace entered the fixture under new head coach Pierre Sage, who replaced Oliver Glasner.
The Eagles featured Dean Henderson in goal, with Jaydee Canvot, Chadi Riad, Chris Richards and Tyrick Mitchell involved in the defensive setup.
Adam Wharton was one of Palace’s important midfield players, while Daichi Kamada and Daniel Munoz also featured. Jean-Philippe Mateta led the attacking line.
Former Everton player Dwight McNeil also made his competitive Palace debut against his former club, adding another storyline to the opening fixture.
Everton vs Crystal Palace Head-to-Head
The recent history between Everton and Crystal Palace has generally favored the Toffees.
Before this latest encounter, the previous five Premier League meetings had produced three Everton victories and two draws. Everton had scored nine goals compared with Palace’s seven during that stretch.
The previous meeting ended 2-2 at Selhurst Park on May 10, 2026.
Everton also won the two previous meetings between the sides at Hill Dickinson Stadium, recording 2-1 victories in October 2025 and September 2024.
The latest 2-0 victory strengthens Everton’s excellent recent record in this fixture.
Pre-Season Form
Neither side entered the Premier League opener with a perfect pre-season record.
Everton finished their five-match preparation with two wins, two defeats and one draw. They defeated Hamburger SV and Newcastle United but lost against VfB Stuttgart and Stoke City. Their final pre-season match ended in a 1-1 draw with Lille.
Crystal Palace also experienced mixed results. The Eagles recorded wins over Al-Ula FC and Fulham, drew 0-0 with Famalicao and suffered defeats against Lens and Freiburg.
That inconsistency meant the opening Premier League fixture represented a much clearer test for both teams.
What the Result Means for Everton
For David Moyes, the 2-0 victory represents an ideal beginning to the new Premier League campaign.
Everton wanted to make Hill Dickinson Stadium feel more like home after their first season at the new ground, and a winning start in front of more than 51,000 supporters provides an important foundation.
The performance also offered encouraging signs from several players.
Dewsbury-Hall delivered the match-winning moment, Barry found the net, Ndiaye remained a constant attacking threat and Pickford produced an important performance behind them.
The emergence of younger players such as Harrison Armstrong and Hayden Hackney is another positive for Moyes.
What Went Wrong for Crystal Palace?
Palace showed flashes of attacking quality, particularly during the opening period, but they struggled to turn possession and promising moves into goals.
Nketiah’s early opportunity and Mateta’s chance against the post demonstrated that the visitors could have changed the game. However, once Everton established their lead, Palace found it difficult to create enough clear openings.
Pierre Sage will now look for a response from his players as Palace continue their first season under the new head coach.
Final Takeaway
Everton made an excellent start to the 2026/27 Premier League season with a deserved 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall opened the scoring with a superb strike before Thierno Barry headed home Iliman Ndiaye’s cross to seal the points.
Jordan Pickford’s early saves helped Everton survive Palace’s strongest spell, while the hosts became increasingly composed as the match progressed.
For Moyes, the result offers an early indication that Everton can be competitive this season. For Sage and Palace, there is plenty of work to do, but the campaign has only just begun.
Everton 2-0 Crystal Palace is a result that gives the Toffees three points, a clean sheet and plenty of encouragement heading into the rest of the 2026/27 Premier League campaign.
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