CARLO ANCELOTTI won the battle of the bus-pass bosses – but Jordan Pickford was breathing the biggest sigh of relief.
Keeper Pickford was guilty of an almighty clanger which had gifted Christian Benteke an equaliser, in front of watching England chief Gareth Southgate.
Richarlison netted a sensational second for EvertonCredit: Getty Images – Getty
The Brazilian celebrates his winnerCredit: Reuters
But strike duo Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin hit back to keep Everton’s golden run going – and make sure Ancelotti had the last laugh against his old sparring parner Roy Hodgson.
The 60-year-old Toffees boss and his Palace counterpart, 72, have been pals for a quarter of a century, since they were both managing in Serie A.
And right now their fortunes could hardly be more different, with Everton in flying form and the Eagles dropping like a stone.
The Toffees are within a point of fifth place, have lost just one in 11 in the Prem and only runaway leaders Liverpool are running hotter.
And thanks to second half goals from strike duo Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin early season fears of a relegation scrap have been replaced by dreams of Europe.
No-one will have given them a bigger slap on the back yesterday thank Pickford, whose slip from cocksure to cock-up threatened to cost Everton a win.
They were leading – and good value for it – thanks to Bernard’s scorching first half volley, against a Palace side which threatened little.
The oldest Premier League side the Eagles had ever fielded, average age of 30 years and 111 days, were playing like footballing pensioners too.
But then out of the blue, maybe after a half time rocket from Hodgson, for all he doesn’t look like the man to blister dressing room walls, they suddenly found their feet.
Even so, it would have taken a brave man who had a tenner on Benteke, the centre forward who hadn’t scored since last April, a drought of a jaw-dropping 1,476 minutes.
He really shouldn’t have done here, either, as his 51st minute low snapshot was hardly a net-buster and should have been easy meet for a keeper of Pickford’s standing.
But somehow it squirmed under his body to find the net. Even Benteke looked a little embarrassed to celebrate – or maybe he’d simply forgotten how to, it had been so long.
Pickford’s error allowed Palace back into the contestCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Bernard hammered the hosts ahead in the first halfCredit: PA:Press Association
That was bad enough. But six minutes later it could have got even worse, when Patrick van Aanholt’s corner went through Seamus Coleman’s legs and hit Benteke in the chest.
The Palace striker knew little about it, but Pickford even less, as the ball rattled against the post, with the Toffees keeper pawing at air.
To be fair, he showed plenty of character soon after, with a truly outstanding starjump-style block to keep out a point blank Benteke header that surely HAD to go in.
And by then Everton were back in front, thanks to a boot-in-the-belly counter attack that sucked the air from a rejuvenated Palace and turned the game on its head again.
Morgan Schneiderlin’s downhill punt was no more than a clearance, but Calver-Lewin’s flicked header sent Richarlison away.
Gary Cahill was a rabbit in the headlights as the Brazilian bore down on him at full pelt, but should really have shown him the outside.
Instead Richarlison cut inside and picked out the bottom corner with a magnificent low finish. A kick in the guts for Palace and the killer moment of the game.
To be fair, the Eagles did show a heck of a lot more character than they had in a first half when a van Aanholt strike, deflected off Michael Keane and against the post, was their one effort.
Pickford somehow kept out that Benteke header – at least Southgate will have been impressed by the keeper’s ability to bounce back – and Everton still looked a little rattled.
Mind you, Palace keeper Vincente Guaita matched that with a stunning stop of his own, pushing out Gylfi Sigurdsson’s jabbed shot after he wriggled into the box.
Yet three minutes from the end he was helpless as Everton sealed it, to leave the Eagles still hunting their first win in the Prem since Boxing Day.
Richarlison rose highest to meet Lucas Digne’s corner, and when his header came back off the bar, there was the lurking Calvert-Lewin to volley in from bang in front of goal.
He should have added a second in stoppage time, too, but somehow blazed a carbon copy effort over the top when Guaita pushed out a shot from his strike partner.
Calvert-Lewin was left with an easy tap-in to seal the thirdCredit: Reuters
The striker has forced himself into contention for Southgate’s England squadCredit: Reuters
By then, though, it mattered little. Everton were home and dry and Ancelotti could even afford to look back with a chuckle at the first half incident which left him raging.
That came soon after Bernard’s opener, when Theo Walcott limped off and substitute Djibril Sidibe had to delay his entrance – because he was only wearing one sock.
Fortunately for him, and especially Pickford, the Toffees strike due made sure they didn’t have their pants pulled down as well.
Everton star Sidibe delays substitution because he forgot to wear a sock
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
