Amadou Onana rescues Everton as they look toward Premier League appeal verdict
Amadou Onana rescued a point for Everton in a week they’re hoping to get a few more back from an appeal.
Given the performance for so much of this game, it felt like one gained rather than two dropped. The Toffees nervously await the outcome of an appeal on their 10-point deduction for breaching financial rules to see if they gain a few more this week. But they are out of the bottom three for now. On goal difference at least as Luton slipped into the dreaded drop zone.
Jordan Ayew got a superb second-half goal for Crystal Palace that looked set to bid farewell to Roy Hodgson and welcome new Eagles boss Oliver Glasner in style. But their leaky defence late in games struck again. It’s now 17 conceded in the last 15 minutes this term. One for Glasner to note down.
The Austrian was smiling when Ayew scored but that was wiped off his face when Onana rose over the Palace defence to turn in Dwight McNeil’s corner with six minutes to go. The draw not only got them Everton out of the bottom three, but also ensured Palace are not out of reach in the fight for survival.
Yet Everton remain winless in 2024 which still must be a worry and this wasn’t a performance to bring much belief.
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It was at this very ground where the travelling Palace support sang ‘you don’t know what you’re doing’ at the now departed Hodgson just a month ago. It was an FA Cup tie and they were angry he pulled off Eberechi Eze to save him for a league game with the match still up for grabs.
But fast forward to Monday night and their new manager was watching from the stands and the away fans had a ‘Thank you Roy’ banner for ‘One of our own’ on display. Still, the football wasn’t much better than it was in that dull Cup tie which Everton won. It’s still their only victory of 2024.
Odsonne Edouard had a shot easily saved by Jordan Pickford before Abdoulaye Doucoure, back from injury, flashed one wide at the other end. Dominic Calvert-Lewin is now 19 games without a goal and he will need to be more clinical than his header from McNeil’s cross here which flew over.
Even against a managerless Palace side who had Ray Lewington and Paddy McCarthy taking charge, Everton were the poorer side in a shocking first half.
Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish and Oliver Glasner, the club's new manager (2024 Sebastian Frej/MB Media)
Amadou Onana of Everton scores his side's equaliser (2024 Getty Images)James Tarkowski had to be alert to turn away a header from Chris Richards before the break. Then Ashley Young had to clear a Jean-Philippe Mateta header from a corner away. Goodison was groaning.
The sight of Onana and Jack Harrison taking off their bibs brought about cheers from the home fans as Dyche finally looked to his bench just after the hour mark.
But before they emerged, Everton squandered two fine chances.
Tarkowski forced Sam Johnstone into his first proper save with a powerful header and then Daniel Munoz miraculously got back to clear away Doucoure’s effort.
But no sooner had Dyche made his substitutions, Palace got their goal in the 66th minute.
A ball fired up was held up by Mateta and he laid it off to Ayew. The Palace attacker fired in from outside of the box.
Calvert-Lewin’s wayward header with 10 minutes to go looked set to be Everton’s final chance. Then up stepped Onana to save the day as Dyche’s sub paid off in the end.
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