Goodison Park roared. For the first time in the 2026/27 Premier League season, Everton produced exactly what their supporters have been craving — a clean sheet and three points. A 2-0 win over Crystal Palace, solid from start to finish, gave Sean Dyche's men the perfect platform to build from as the campaign gets underway.
It was the kind of result that does not always make the headlines, but means everything to a club that has been grinding through difficult years. Everton looked organised, dangerous when it mattered, and comfortable in their own skin. Palace, for all their qualities, simply couldn't find a way through.
First Half Control
Everton started with the kind of defensive discipline that has become their calling card under Dyche. The midfield was aggressive, the press was coordinated, and Palace's attempts to play through the lines were consistently cut off before they could develop into genuine danger.
The opening goal came from a set piece — a corner worked neatly to the edge of the box, finished low and through a crowd of defenders. It was not spectacular, but it was effective, and it settled the nerves inside a ground still buzzing from the summer. The Toffees held the lead comfortably into the break.
Palace Struggle to Respond
Crystal Palace came into the second half needing a reaction and, for a spell around the hour mark, they found one. Everton were forced to defend deeper, Jordan Pickford commanding his area with the authority and presence that has made him England's first-choice keeper for years. There were moments of nerves, but no real crisis.
The second goal put the game to bed. A swift counter-attack, an intelligent run in behind the Palace defence, and a composed finish. 2-0. Game over. Goodison erupted.
Pickford: Still the Standard
Jordan Pickford did not have an especially busy afternoon by his own standards, but the saves he made were clean, decisive, and confident. There is something reassuring about having a goalkeeper who never looks flustered — a quality Everton fans have come to depend on and, at times, take for granted.
His distribution was sharp throughout, turning defence into attack with long balls that picked out runners in space. As far as first-day performances go from a keeper, this was close to perfect.
A Positive Platform
The victory is particularly satisfying given the context around Everton at the moment. The club is in the process of transitioning — balancing what they have with what they're building — and days like this matter. Three points, a clean sheet, and a crowd that went home happy. That's not nothing. That's something real.
Crystal Palace will feel they were below their best, and they have enough in the squad to be a consistent force this season. But today belonged to Everton.
Everton 2-0 Crystal Palace — Premier League, August 22, 2026.
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