Everton vs Crystal Palace Preview: Team News & Prediction
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The Hill Dickinson Stadium kicks off Everton’s Premier League campaign against last season’s UEFA Europa Conference League winners Crystal Palace.
Kick-off date/time:
How to watch on TV: UK – Not televised / USA – USA Network
How to watch online: UK – Cannot be streamed / USA – Universo
Everton preview: Need to progress
Having survived by the skin of their teeth in the final couple of seasons at Goodison Park, David Moyes is now tasked with progressing Everton and bringing European football to the Hill Dickinson Stadium, having missed out late on last season.
The Evertonians, perhaps more due to the counter-attacking nature of Moyes’ style of football, were better away from home, with their best performances at the Hill Dickinson coming in games against the ‘bigger’ sides in England, such as their victory against Chelsea in March, a late defeat to Liverpool in the Merseyside Derby and a thrilling 3-3 draw against Manchester City.
Crystal Palace preview: A new era
Prior to the arrival of Oliver Glasner, Crystal Palace had never won a major honour. Now The Eagles have won the FA Cup and the Community Shield, as well as the UEFA Europa Conference League as they defeated Rayo Vallecano in the final in Leipzig in May.
Palace have again undergone some changes with the ‘selling club’ now losing their manager Glasner, now of Nottingham Forest. He has been replaced by Pierre Sage, who did an extremely impressive job in helping Lens challenge Paris Saint-Germain for the Ligue 1 title last season.
Everton team news: Johnson could start
Brennan Johnson and Dwight McNeil were involved in a fairly bizarre, given their seeming respective value, straight swap this summer and the former may well be involved from the start here due to Everton's lack of wide options.
Key midfielder James Garner is due to start the season unavailable with fellow midfielder Tim Iroegbunam, the subject of interest from elsewhere, also a major doubt.
Further details will appear here following pre-match press conferences…
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Pickford; O'Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Norgaard, Hackney; Johnson, Dewsbury-Hall, Ndiaye; Beto
Unavailable: Garner (Injured)
Questionable: Iroegbunam (Injured)
Everton’s top FPL assets
James Tarkowski (£6.0m) – Defender
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (£6.5m) – Midfielder
Iliman Ndiaye (£6.0m) – Midfielder
Gameweek 1 captain pick: Iliman Ndiaye
Crystal Palace team news: No Wharton
Unlike Johnson, Dwight McNeil is not expected to start for Palace and may not even be involved here as a leg injury is causing the former Burnley man do be a doubt to face his former club.
In midfield, England international Adam Wharton is beginning the season sidelined due to an ankle injury, while Cheick Doucoure is also a doubt.
Further details will appear here following pre-match press conferences…
Predicted XI (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Richards, Riad, Canvot; Munoz, Hughes, Kamada, Mitchell; Sarr, Pino; Mateta
Unavailable: Wharton (Injured)
Questionable: Doucoure (Injured), McNeil (Injured)
Crystal Palace’s top FPL assets
Daniel Munoz (£5.5m) – Defender
Ismaila Sarr (£6.5m) – Midfielder
Jean-Philippe Mateta (£6.5m) – Forward
Gameweek 1 captain pick: Jean-Philippe Mateta
Everton vs Crystal Palace prediction
As mentioned, Everton’s preference is to play on the counter-attack with a rigid defence then springing forward. The Toffees would not have been able to do that against Glasner’s Palace, who were perhaps the best at that style of football in the Premier League. Sage played a more proactive style in France, with Lens as well as with Olympique Lyonnais, but away from home and likely set for a wait before he can really imprint his football onto his side, they, too, may remain more conservative early on. As a result, a low-scoring encounter seems a decent bet for this one in Liverpool.
Everton vs Crystal Palace tip: Under 2.5 goals
