Everton arrive in South London chasing a top-half guarantee while Crystal Palace play catch-up on game 35. Selhurst Park has seen just four home wins in the league this season, so the local demand is simple: translate those away fireworks into something tangible on their own grass.
O. Glasner remains committed to tidy build-up and quick counters. Palace have points in hand, 34 matches played versus Everton's 35, but their margin to the drop is still thin enough that one sloppy afternoon could reopen the debate. Form reads LLDWD, and the two draws inside that run underline how often Palace lose control late.
D. Moyes has steadied Everton. Thirteen wins already secured, 48 points on the board, a neutral goal difference that reflects the balance he has enforced since taking over. The staff are happy with the away record: seven wins on the road, only 20 conceded. A draw would keep them in the top ten mix, a win would pull them toward Brighton and Brentford.
The duel is about structure. Glasner wants wing-backs high, midfielders rotating to free the number tens between the lines. The challenge is to keep the rest defence intact when possession turns over, because Everton feed on those transitions. Moyes leans on a compact mid-block, asks his forwards to protect the middle, then hits with early diagonals or second-ball pressure. Palace must be sharper with their first pass out from the back or risk getting trapped by that direct press.
Glasner has worked on set-piece coverage this week, knowing Moyes will load the box and challenge the near post. Execution there could decide whether Palace finally cash in on home territory or see Everton grind out another result that keeps the Toffees in the European conversation.
Key numbers:
- Crystal Palace home record: 4 wins, 8 draws, 5 losses, 16 scored, 19 conceded.
- Everton away record: 7 wins, 4 draws, 6 losses, 19 scored, 20 conceded.
- Palace sit 15th with 43 points and a goal difference of -6.
- Everton sit 10th with 48 points and a goal difference of 0.
Context matters beyond Selhurst too. The top of the table keeps squeezing, as seen in Manchester City 3-0 Brentford: Doku keeps the chase alive. Everton want to stay close if the European slots trickle down. Palace, meanwhile, only have Leeds and Forest directly in sight, but both are trending up.
Final expectation: Palace will try to own possession, Everton will play for territory. The matchup hinges on whether Palace can land the first punch before Moyes’s counter-plan sets the rhythm. Win, and Glasner buys an extra layer of calm before the last two games. Lose, and Palace go into a nervy run-in still looking for one final push. Everton know the assignment: avoid defeat, then go home for the decisive final week.
