In one of the most dramatic finishes of the Premier League season so far, Everton edged out Crystal Palace 2-1 at the Hill Dickinson Stadium thanks to a 93rd-minute goal from Jack Grealish, ending Palace’s 19-match unbeaten run. The match was a tale of two halves: Palace dominated for long periods, exploiting their momentum and fluency, but Everton’s resilience and late surge turned the tide at the death.
Crystal Palace began the contest with purpose and composure, pressing Everton from the outset and carving out early openings. They nearly struck within the first few minutes through Yéremy Pino, but Jordan Pickford produced a sharp reflex save to turn the effort wide. The visiting side looked to dominate possession, using rapid interchanges and probing passes to unlock space.
A crisp move in the 37th minute brought the breakthrough: Muñoz, overlapping on the right flank, connected with a pull-back and placed the ball past Pickford into the near post, sending Palace into the lead to deserved applause.
Everton’s first half was largely unremarkable. They struggled to gain a foothold, looked disjointed in attack, and rarely threatened Henderson. Their best chance came when Thierno Barry misconnected a close-range opportunity, foiled in part by a recovering defence.
At the break, the Toffees trailed and appeared in danger of being swept aside by a Palace side that looked confident, energetic, and in control.
David Moyes responded decisively at half-time by introducing Carlos Alcaraz and Beto, changes which injected bite and aggression into Everton’s performance. The adjustments began to show early in the second half, as Everton grew in influence and threatened with greater frequency.
Still, for all their renewed vigour, Everton found it difficult to carve out clear-cut chances against a composed Palace defence marshalled well by Chris Richards, Lacroix, and Guéhi.
Palace, meanwhile, were not passive. They continued to press forward when opportunities arose, with Sarr and Pino doing considerable damage down the flanks. On one occasion, Mateta’s delicate chip over Pickford was cleared off the line by Jake O’Brien in a heartbeat, a moment that underlined Everton’s growing urgency in defence. But despite territory, despite energy, Palace could not deliver the decisive blow to kill the game off.
The turning point came in the 76th minute when Everton were awarded a penalty following a challenge in the box. Iliman Ndiaye stepped up with characteristic calm and slotted the effort past Henderson, restoring parity for the hosts.
It was a moment that shifted momentum—and belief—toward Everton. With the scoreboard level, the hosts sensed an opportunity. The crowd roared their encouragement, and Everton’s forwards, especially Grealish, probed and teased the Palace backline with increasing menace.
As regulation time ticked away, the match threatened to peter out into a draw that would feel fortunate to the hosts. Defences held firm, and it seemed the contest would end evenly. But stoppage time had other ideas. In the 93rd minute, Everton mounted one last assault.
Ndiaye delivered a cross from the right, Beto leapt to head it down, and a desperate clearance attempt from Muñoz deflected off Grealish and looped over Henderson into the net. The stadium erupted. Grealish, in his first goal for Everton, had sealed an unforgettable victory.
For Crystal Palace, the ending was agonising. They had dominated large spells, looked sharp in possession, and at times threatened to run away with the game. Their wastefulness in front of goal was their undoing. As their players sank to their knees, the pride of their unbeaten run—spanning 19 games—lay in tatters.
From Everton’s perspective, this win was emblematic of character. They were disjointed for much of the first half but refused to buckle under pressure. The halftime changes proved inspired and bold, and the players responded with energy and belief. Grealish, who had joined on loan from Manchester City earlier in the season, may end the day as hero; his tenacity and composure in the final seconds embodied Everton’s fight.
Ndiaye also merits plaudits—not only for his assistive role but for converting the penalty under heavy pressure. Everton’s defence, too, held firm when it mattered most.