Everton 3-2 Crystal Palace: Dominic Calvert-Lewin winner preserves Toffees' Premier League status

Everton secured their Premier League status with an incredible fightback where they came from two goals down to beat Crystal Palace.

The hosts, who will continue their 68-year stay in the top flight, looked like they were heading for defeat after Palace scored twice in the first half through Jean-Philippe Mateta and Jordan Ayew.

But conjuring up a fighter's spirit once more and spurred on by they vociferous support, Everton turned the game around in the second half, thanks to a more attacking approach.

Nine minutes after the break Michael Keane smashed in to give Frank Lampard's side hope, and when Richarlison found the bottom corner with a miscued shot with 15 minutes left, it sent Goodison Park into raptures as a precious point looked likely.

Yet the best was to come with five minutes left. Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who scored his first goal since August against Brentford last Sunday during an injury-hit season, sparked pandemonium with a diving header from Demarai Gray's free-kick.

The excitement boiled over as fans descended on the pitch to celebrate, with blue mist shrouding the stadium as smoke flares were let off.

The crucial result avoided the kind of final-day nerves that Everton fans had to experience in 1998 and 1994, where the team also preserved their Premier League status.

This time, with a trip to Arsenal on Sunday, they can at least enjoy the fact that however tortuous this season has been, they will remain in the top flight, and will hope to build on the spirit which the team has showed in the closing stages of the campaign.

The party started at the final whistle, with thousands of fans flooding onto the pitch, letting off more smoke flares, saluting their team and manager Lampard.

But he and the club will hope they will never have to cope with a similar scare again given lavish spending on players and a move to a new stadium in 2024.

More to follow.

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Everton

Squad number1Player namePickford

Squad number23Player nameColeman

Squad number5Player nameKeane

Squad number4Player nameHolgate

Squad number17Player nameIwobi

Squad number16Player nameDoucouré

Squad number21Player nameAndré Gomes

Squad number19Player nameMykolenko

Squad number24Player nameGordon

Squad number7Player nameRicharlison

Squad number9Player nameCalvert-Lewin

Squad number2Player nameKenny

Squad number11Player nameGray

Squad number36Player nameAlli

Crystal Palace

Squad number1Player nameButland

Squad number17Player nameClyne

Squad number16Player nameAndersen

Squad number6Player nameGuéhi

Squad number3Player nameMitchell

Squad number10Player nameEze

Squad number12Player nameHughes

Squad number15Player nameSchlupp

Squad number9Player nameJ Ayew

Squad number14Player nameMateta

Squad number11Player nameZaha

Squad number4Player nameMilivojevic

Squad number20Player nameBenteke

Squad number23Player nameGallagher

Line-ups

Everton

Formation 3-4-2-1

1Pickford

23Coleman5Keane4Holgate

17Iwobi16Doucouré21André Gomes19Mykolenko

24Gordon7Richarlison

9Calvert-Lewin

Substitutes

Crystal Palace

Formation 4-3-3

1Butland

17Clyne16Andersen6Guéhi3Mitchell

10Eze12Hughes15Schlupp

9J Ayew14Mateta11Zaha

Substitutes

Live Text

Match ends, Everton 3, Crystal Palace 2.

Second Half ends, Everton 3, Crystal Palace 2.

Hand ball by Christian Benteke (Crystal Palace).

Foul by Christian Benteke (Crystal Palace).

Jordan Pickford (Everton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Foul by Conor Gallagher (Crystal Palace).

Mason Holgate (Everton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Substitution, Everton. Jonjoe Kenny replaces Richarlison.

Goal! Everton 3, Crystal Palace 2. Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton) header from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Demarai Gray with a cross.

Foul by Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace).

Séamus Coleman (Everton) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Offside, Crystal Palace. Eberechi Eze tries a through ball, but Wilfried Zaha is caught offside.

Offside, Crystal Palace. Joachim Andersen tries a through ball, but Christian Benteke is caught offside.

Abdoulaye Doucouré (Everton) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick on the left wing.

Foul by Abdoulaye Doucouré (Everton).

Substitution, Crystal Palace. Christian Benteke replaces Jean-Philippe Mateta.

Conor Gallagher (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Foul by Abdoulaye Doucouré (Everton).

Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

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