Crystal Palace 0 Everton 0
VAR can always be counted on to distract from the football. This was no advert for the FA Cup, and certainly not for the fixture’s bizarre scheduling, and neither Crystal Palace nor Everton will welcome going again at Goodison Park. But those still paying attention had a flashpoint to chew on in the 79th minute when Dominic Calvert-Lewin was, at some length, sent off for a tackle on Nathaniel Clyne that appeared more misjudged than outright dangerous. Even then James Garner missed a fine chance for the visitors to emerge triumphant, but they left feeling doubly bruised after Dwight McNeil was carried off on a stretcher off late on.
If the authorities were serious about this competition they would not have sanctioned staging the opening third round tie on a Thursday night, only 48 hours after the Premier League’s sprawling festive schedule had finished. A rainswept night in south London hardly added positive vibes but the sight of 4,000 Everton fans packing almost half of the Arthur Waite stand, in rude voice as the teams emerged, was a reminder nobody has cooked up a cure for cup fever just yet. Many of those who travelled from the north-west will have moved heaven and earth to make a nine-hour return journey by road; they deserve considerably greater respect from the schedulers.
Both managers had, at least, set out to make it worth their while. Neither team must play again for at least a week and a half so rotation was minimal, Sean Dyche making three changes and Roy Hodgson an enforced two. While it was inconvenient to lose Jordan Ayew to the Africa Cup of Nations and the in-form Michael Olise to injury, at least Palace could offer a first start to the 19-year-old Brazilian forward Matheus Franca.
Everton had prevailed 3-2 in an exhilarating league tussle here in November, the sides exchanging goals in the opening five minutes. The nearest anyone came to similar heroics in this edition’s early stages was a bobbly Jeffrey Schlupp shot, destined to miss the far post, that was uncomfortably handled by João Virginia on his first start of the season.
When Palace came again, Eberechi Eze tricked towards the 18-yard line but flung himself into Amadou Onana’s leg, tumbling dramatically, and was deservedly booked. He had been sanctioned for a similar offence in the previous meeting. Everton came to enjoy most of the territory and Arnaud Danjuma, a menace on the left, threatened with two angled drives. The first was deflected into the side netting; the second came after Jack Harrison’s pass and drew a smart stop from Dean Henderson, who tipped behind.
Seeking to contribute more constructively, Eze took aim with a free-kick inside the D but ballooned his shot. It had been that kind of start, endeavour rarely being matched by precision. Franca almost made an impact at the wrong end towards the half-hour when snicking a low Harrison corner towards goal, Henderson kicking away.
Everton average 39 per cent possession in the top flight; here, as the interval neared, they had been allowed 60 per cent. Perhaps it was little surprise that their share of the ball did not yield clear chances. Palace were no more convincing on the counter, although Vitaliy Mykolenko did well to clear a chipped cross by Schlupp. In the 39th minute Jefferson Lerma blasted their best opening of the half wide from 18 yards; Harrison then saw an effort blocked but the game awaited a spark.
Surely proceedings would open up: nobody on view would have relished replaying the tie. Eze looked in a hurry when, five minutes after the restart, his fierce strike from the right of the box drew a decent parry from Virginia. Palace had re-emerged assertively, Hodgson applauding the intention when Marc Guéhi overcooked a through ball after striding forward. On the hour Virginia punched clear after a deep Eze free-kick momentarily caused alarm. The lack of guile on view, though, had been chronic.
Everton appeared to have found their opening when Calvert-Lewin, hitherto uninvolved, strode down the inside-left after McNeil pressed an error from Nathaniel Clyne. But Calvert-Lewin’s finish, dived upon by Henderson, showed all the conviction of a player who has not scored since October 29th. Onana then nodded over from six yards after a corner had been headed back across; there remained little hint anyone present might discover their bearings.
Franca joined Schlupp in being hooked by Hodgson for the final 20 minutes. Danjuma, still flickering, seized on a loose ball but shot straight at Henderson. Almost immediately Everton were depleted. Calvert-Lewin’s challenge on Clyne, as they contested a loose ball deep in the Palace half, had drawn little outrage in real time but a VAR replay showed he had glanced the right-back’s shin with his studs up. Via a trip to the monitor, and much to Dyche’s disgust, Christopher Kavanagh showed a debatable red card. At least it was something to talk about. - Guardian
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