Crystal Palace vs Everton. Premier League.
Selhurst Park.
Report and free match highlights as Richarlison also scores from the spot after a VAR check penalised Joel Ward for handball; Everton have started a Premier League campaign with three straight wins for the first time in 27 years
Saturday 26 September 2020 20:50, UK
Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored for a third successive Premier League game as Everton maintained their perfect start to the season with a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace.
The striker picked up where he left off after his hat-trick against West Brom last weekend, slotting home Seamus Coleman's cross inside 10 minutes.
But like Everton, Crystal Palace had also won their opening two Premier League games and hit back when Cheikhou Kouyate (26) powered a header home from a corner.
Joel Ward - making his 250th appearance for Crystal Palace - was the subject of two VAR handball checks and on the second occasion, he was judged to have handled Lucas Digne's header inside the area after the ball hit his wrist, with Richarlison scoring the resulting penalty (40).
The victory sees Everton maintain their winning start to the season and sends them to the top of the Premier League. They have started a league campaign with three straight wins for the first time since 1993. It will be disappointing for Crystal Palace after they dominated the second half, and they remain in fifth with six points.
The strong start to the season for both sides showed with a chance apiece in the opening 10 minutes, and Everton made the most of the second chance to come their way as Calvert-Lewin took his tally to five Premier League goals for the season.
James Rodriguez fed Seamus Coleman down the right flank with a wonderful pass, and Calvert-Lewin was lurking inside the area to turn the Everton captain's cross home with a nice finish.
While Everton dictated the first-half play, they were not creating too many chances and they came to regret it when Crystal Palace levelled in the 26th minute. Kouyate rose above the pack to emphatically head home Andros Townsend's corner to score only his second goal for the club.
Not long after, Everton had their first VAR check of the game and Ward was under scrutiny for the first time, but he was not penalised for a Richarlison cross hitting his arm on this occasion with it firmly by his side. However, the Crystal Palace defender was not able to avoid a second check.
Lucas Digne nodded the ball back into the area and it hit Ward on his wrist, which was sticking out as he turned to stop the header. The Frenchman's penalty calls were initially waved away by referee Kevin Friend as play continued. But once it stopped, VAR stepped in to review the decision as Friend made his way to the pitchside monitor. The penalty was soon awarded and Richarlison - after a stuttered run-up - powered the ball past Vicente Guaita and into the top corner.
The second period was a much quieter affair and started with two Crystal Palace free kicks - a theme that continued for most of the half. However, Roy Hodgson's side were unable to truly test Jordan Pickford with any of their set-pieces or open play and will be disappointed to come away from the game without a point or a second goal.
Just after the restart, James delivered a superb corner and Calvert-Lewin was allowed to dart to into the six yard box, but his shot flashed across the face of goal. Later in the half, he was found inside the area again, but his effort went straight at Guaita.
Carlo Ancelotti's side managed to survive the onslaught at Selhurst Park to make it three Premier League wins.
It was a good game from the Frenchman at Selhurst Park and his stats made for impressive reading. He made 31 passes in the opposition half with six crosses - all from open play - as he helped surge Everton forward.
He also had 101 touches and made two interceptions, demonstrating his usefulness with defensive duties too. Let's not forget, it was his header that helped with Everton a penalty too.
Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson said: "I just don't understand how we've allowed it [the handball] to happen. I don't understand how the Premier League, the referee, the coaches, the managers, the players, I don't know how we've allowed this type of situation which we have at virtually every match at the moment to occur because the rules of football are important.
"Now we have to take on board rules which are being suggested and are the right ones to judge handball? For me, they aren't so I think the whole thing is a nonsense.
"I'm always disappointed when a good game of football between two good teams, which probably should have finished as a fairly evenly contested draw, now means that one team goes away with three points and the other with zero. Of course, the winner leaves knowing full well it shouldn't have been a penalty and the loser goes away thinking 'we played well enough but this sort of penalty has robbed us of any points in the game'.
"I think the rule is a nonsense. I think it's a nonsense when we get one, I think it's a nonsense when we get one against us and I think it's only serving the purpose… for polemics, discussions and dramatic moments.
"I just find it very disappointing that the game I love and believe in is being reduced to this level where every week, games re being decided on so-called penalty decisions for handball which aren't handball.
"Unfortunately, instead of the quality of football today between the two teams, which I thought was actually very good and probably worthy of two teams who have started the season so well, all of the discussion is going to be about handball or not. I will probably find myself in the spotlight for an obvious truth. The rule is wrong and I don't understand how we in football have allowed it to happen."
Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti said: "The performance was difficult… The first half was quite good, we were able to play as we want but it became more difficult when Crystal Palace played a good second half, putting a lot of pressure on us. We were not able to play with the ball as we wanted but the spirit defensively was good, we worked hard, we left out the quality but the attitude defensively was good from all the players.
"If I have to judge the period, I think we've done really well. We have a new squad with new players, they adapted really well. The start of this season was fantastic but I think we have to keep going to think to the next game, to try to improve and be focused there. I'm really pleased what we did in this first period of the season.
"We can agree or not with the rules [on handball], I know I cannot be agreed with this kind of rule but at the end, it is a really difficult decision. There is a new rule and you have to accept that first of all."
On a potential England call-up for Calvert-Lewin: "The only way to reach the dream and play for the national team is to behave like he is behaving in this moment. That's it and for sure, the staff of the national team are going to have a look to him without doubt."
Crystal Palace will be back in action on Saturday when they make the short trip to Chelsea in the Premier League (kick-of 12.30pm). Everton will host West Ham in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening (kick-off 7.45pm) before welcoming Brighton in the Premier League on October 3 (kick-off 3pm).
