Everton Open the 2026-27 Season in Style as Dewsbury-Hall and Barry Sink Crystal Palace
Everton began their 2026-27 Premier League campaign with a convincing 2-0 win over Crystal Palace at Hill Dickinson Stadium on 22 August 2026, and the scoreline flattered the visitors more than the home side.
The match kicked off at 15:00, and for the opening spell it was Palace who looked the more dangerous side. Pierre Sage, taking charge of his first Premier League match as Crystal Palace manager, watched his side carve out three clear chances before Everton had even settled. They converted none of them. Jordan Pickford's left-hand post was struck twice — the woodwork acting as Everton's last line of rescue while the defence found its feet. The Guardian
Football has a familiar punishment for wastefulness. When Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall produced an outstanding finish to give Everton the lead, it came firmly against the run of early play. Palace had knocked on the door; Everton walked through it. The Guardian
David Moyes set up his Everton side without a new right-back or a new centre-forward — two positions the club had been expected to strengthen — and still found a way to make the system hum. The second goal arrived after the break, Thierno Barry rising to meet a cross with a header that sealed the points. A substitute's impact, a manager's reward for boldness. The Guardian
For Sage, the afternoon offered a harsh welcome to English football's top flight. His Palace side played with attacking intent and created enough to trouble most teams, but the lack of a clinical edge — the ability to turn good approach play into goals — left them with nothing to show for their effort. A new manager still learning what his players can and cannot do on the biggest stage.
There was also concern for Palace defender Chadi Riad, who suffered a potentially serious injury late in the match. The full extent was not immediately clear, but any long-term absence would compound a difficult opening day for Sage. The Guardian
Among those watching from the stands at Hill Dickinson Stadium was Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester and a familiar face at football grounds across the country. The Guardian
What makes this result stand out is the contrast in execution. Palace were the better side for long stretches of the first half, moving the ball with purpose and asking real questions of the Everton back line. But the Premier League does not grade on effort. Everton took their moments — two of them, both emphatic — and walked off with a win that looked more comfortable on paper than it felt in the stands.
For Everton fans, it is a first-day result to savour: three points, a clean sheet, and a performance that suggested Moyes knows exactly what he is working with. For Palace, it is back to the training ground. Sage has talent at his disposal. Turning that talent into goals is now the urgent task.
