Live Blog

THERE IS ANOTHER PITCH INVASION AND NO ONE IS GOING TO STOP THESE BLUES. THEY HAVE CARRIED THEIR TEAM TO SAFETY, AND THERE ARE NO MORE WORDS TO SAY.

(CHECK OUT OUR TWITTER FOR MORE VIDEOS, PICS AND REACTION)

90+7’ - THERE’S THE FINAL WHISTLE!!! EVERTON ARE SAFE!!!

90+6’ - Palace go long, Coleman hoofs clear. Another ball into the Everton box, and Benteke handles it. More time ticks down.

90+4’ - Cross into the box, Benteke beats Keane to it, Pickford comes out to punch it and makes contact but is also fouled and he will stay down and bleed the clock.

90+2’ - Gallagher bundles Mykolenko over and it’s a foul, Pickford will take all the time in the world for this.

90’ - Kenny will be Lampard’s last sub (on for Richarlison), and there will be SEVEN minutes added on. My nerves are shot I tell you.

88’ - We’re finally underway again, how much time will Taylor add on?

The Everton fans are letting the club down now with this pitch invasion. They have to get off the pitch for the game to go on. Vieira is threatening to take his players off the pitch, and the FA need no excuses to punish Everton.

84’ - Everton’s gameplan is Pickford hoofing it into the box at every chance.
Coleman dragged back by Zaha and wins a freekick from a promising situation. Gray with a delightful freekick into the box, Calvert-Lewin dives in and SCORESSSSSSS!! It’s 3-2 oh my god!!!

81’ - All three of Palace’s subs are on now, with Christian Benteke on for dangerman Mateta.
Doucoure yellow card for tugging back Eze as he broke. Took one for the team there.

76’ - OH MY GOODNESS!!!! Everton level it! Coleman’s left-footed cross is overhit, but Dele collects and his shot is blocked, falls to Richarlison and his shot comes off sub Conor Gallagher and bounces into the far post over Butland!! 2-2 at Goodison and the noise is simply off the charts!

70’ - Long ball into the box from Pickford, Guehi rolls his ankle putting it out for a corner. Gray will take. Partly cleared, falls to Doucoure but his shot from distance is tame.

68’ - Keane with a strong challenge on Eze to prevent a counter, and is deservedly booked.
Passions still running high here, and now Zaha into the book for fouling Dele.

64’ - Save! Palace still attacking with intent and Mateta’s powerful shot parried away well by Pickford. Keane rises high to clear.

62’ - Delightful ball for DCL from Richy, he’s inches away from making good contact.
Gray is on for Gordon meanwhile.

58’ - Everton freekick on the left, Goodison is LOUD again. Myko puts it into the box, cleared by Palace. Gordon cross blocked, and now Everton have a corner on the left. Cleared.
Gray will be coming on soon, and meanwhile Villa have equalized!

56’ - Blues chance, and a GOAL!! Michael Keane with an unorthodox left footed stab at the ball and it goes past Butland, 2-1!!

53’ - Everton interception and get the ball on the break, but Doucoure’s distribution lets him down with blue shirts in the box.

50’ - Better from the Blues here, holding the ball better now as Palace sit back. The visitors still look dangerous on the counter.

46’ - Second half underway. Lampard has made a change, and it’s Dele Alli on for Gomes, and the Blues are in a 4-3-3 now, Doucoure playing CDM with Dele on his left and Iwobi on the right. Too little too late?

45+4’ - There’s the halftime whistle, and the Blues go into the break behind by two. Burnley lead meanwhile at Aston Villa.

40’ - A couple of half-chances for the Blues, but right now Palace can sit back and hit the Blues on the break. They certainly look the more dangerous side every time they are on a counter.

37’ - Now that’s Everton season in a nutshell. The freekick is wasted, comes back out to Coleman who is caught in possession in midfield by Mateta. The Palace player puts in a great cross into the box, Pickford and Mykolenko get in each other’s way, ball pops out to Zaha whose driven shot is parried away by an out of position Pickford, comes off Ayew’s shoulder (of course, who else but him, when he should have been sent off) and rolls in as Myko and Doucoure cannot clear it. Everton down 2-0 and looks like this relegation battle is going to be decided on Sunday.

34’ - Goodness! Now Ayew dives in with an even WORSE scissor-tackle and Gordon is rolling around in agony!! Goodison is incensed, that was a leg-breaking challenge if we’ve ever seen one, and ref Anthony Taylor only has a yellow card out?! VAR reviews, says no red card.

33’ - Will Hughes with a horrible tackle from behind on Gordon and is promptly booked. Nothing comes out of it though.

31’ - Cross comes in from the Everton left now, Pickford gathers and his long goalkick starts off a counterattack. Richy cuts in from the left, but his shot/cross is too close to Butland.

29’ - Keane cuts out a dangerous cross into the box for a corner. Coleman and Iwobi are getting cut up by Mitchell, Eze and Zaha.

27’ - Good move from the Blues, Seamus Coleman’s cross into the box is deep, Myko tries to make instant amends but his shot is poor and wide.

20’ - Gomes concedes a freekick on the left flank, Schlupp’s ball into the box is to an unmarked Mateta and Palace score. Disaster. Eagles lead 1-0 as Mykolenko loses his man and it’s too easy for the striker.

15’ - Dom wins the header, Richy bundled over on the edge of the box. This is a real chance. He takes it himself, curled beautifully and it goes off the top of the crossbar!! Butland looked to have it covered, but that was very well taken.

13’ - Gordon and Richy have switched back. Looks like they’re mixing it up.

10’ - Gomes cuts out a cross and gives away a corner on the left. Taken short, headed out of the box, and falls to Schlupp but his shot is wide.

8’ - Quick cross from Mitchell into the box, Ayew gets away from Vitalii Mykolenko, his header is just wide. Lucky for Everton there.

5’ - Everton hassling and harrying, Richarlison wins a corner on the right. Gordon outswinger is low and poor. Everton have really struggled with setpieces when Demarai Gray is not on the pitch.
Ball comes off Zaha’s heel and goes out, Everton demand a corner but the assistant ref indicates for a goalkick, the fans are fuming.

2’ - Everton start off on the front foot, and as we suspected, Iwobi is indeed out on the right as a wingback and it’ll be a 3-4-3/5-4-1.
Anthony Gordon and Wilfried Zaha get in an early spat, and the youngster is not backing down, looking to goad the forward into doing something stupid, which he promptly does, raising his hand at Gordon but referee Anthony Taylor calms things down without any cards.

1’ - Underway at Goodison, in what could be a momentous game!!

——

The players are coming out of the narrow tunnel to a rousing welcome, let’s go!!

——

It’s been a tense few days (and sleepless nights) as we get closer and close to the end of the season. The Everton fans have been simply brilliant as always today, and showed up in numbers again outside Goodison Park to welcome the team with clouds of blue smoke and songs ringing loud and proud.

Lineups

Frank Lampard has made his decisions, and chosen to go with this starting XI in what could be a pivotal game for the club’s existence as we know it. It does look like a 4-3-3, all depends on where Alex Iwobi lines up. Andre Gomes in the midfield is a puzzling choice, but across the pitch looks like Conor Gallagher starts on the bench which is a relief.

Everton

Crystal Palace

Preview

Just win. That’s all.

Everton need three points today to secure Premier League survival for this season. It’s not the only way they stay up as any number of permutations and combinations involving the Toffees, Burnley and Leeds United can also work in their favour, but for now their future is in their own hands and winning tonight removes all doubt. The Blues are two points ahead of Burnley and one in front of Leeds.

The Toffees and Clarets both have two games left to play - Everton host Crystal Palace and then go to Arsenal on Sunday, Burnley are at Aston Villa (kickoff fifteen minutes after the Blues) and then home against Newcastle, and you know the Toon aren’t going to be doing the Toffees any favours. Meanwhile, Leeds go to Brentford on the last day of the season.

Frank Lampard will have some decisions to make with Everton playing the Eagles for the third time this season, including a big loss in the FA Cup quarter finals during his tenure at the Blues. His preferred two-man midfield was overrun that day against Patrick Vieira’s 4-3-3 formation, but the 5-4-1/3-4-3 has been working relatively well in recent weeks too, so the manager is going to have to make some choices that could — and this is not putting it lightly — change the future of the club.

Vieira’s side have little to play for, though the former midfielder insists his side are seeking a positive result that could see them finish in the top half of the Premier League table.

Match Details

Competition: Premier League Matchday 37

Date and start time: Thursday, May 19th at 11:45 a.m. PT / 2:45 p.m ET / 7:45 p.m. BST

Stadium: Goodison Park, Liverpool, England, United Kingdom

Capacity: 39,572

Weather: 64°F/18°C, partly cloudy, 0% chance of precipitation, 8 mph winds

How to Watch/Listen

TV: USA Network, Universo - United States; Sky Sports Premier League - United Kingdom; DAZN - Canada, beIN Sports Premium 2, SuperSport Premier League ROA, SuperSport MaXimo 1, RMC Sport 2, Star Sports Select HD 1

Radio: evertontv, BBC Radio 5 Live

Live stream: Fubo, NBC Sports App, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, Universo Now, ESPN Play Sur, beIN SPORTS CONNECT, DStv Now, RUSH, Hotstar VIP, JioTV

Gamethread: Live blog above starting one hour before game time

*Royal Blue Mersey has affiliate partnerships and may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links provided.

Information from LiveSoccerTV.com

Last Meeting

The two sides have played twice already this season, both times at Selhurst Park with the Blues losing both. The most recent meeting was in the FA Cup quarter finals with Vieira’s side prevailing 4-0 despite a strong start from the Toffees. Palace’s last game at Goodison park was a 1-1 draw last season with James Rodriguez scoring Everton’s goal. The last time the Eagles played at a full Goodison they lost 3-1 in February 2020, just before the pandemic hit.