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Everton kicked off the 2026-27 Premier League season with a clean sheet and two well-taken goals. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall opened the scoring in the 42nd minute, and Thierno Barry doubled the lead in the 53rd minute. Crystal Palace, despite creating several clear chances, couldn’t convert any of them.
A new era, same old Everton dominance over Palace
The match, played on August 22 at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium in front of 51,820 supporters, extended one of the more lopsided rivalries in recent Premier League memory. Everton entered the fixture on an 11-game unbeaten run against Crystal Palace across all competitions.
Make that 12.
David Moyes, back in the Everton dugout, had spent the summer watching his club fail to land a new right-back or centre-forward. Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester and a lifelong Evertonian, was sitting in the directors’ box.
Barry, notably, is playing under a particular kind of pressure. With Everton still reportedly hunting for a new striker before the transfer deadline closes, every start feels like an audition. His headed goal was the sort of emphatic response that buys time.
A brutal welcome for Pierre Sage
For Crystal Palace, the afternoon was a painful Premier League debut for new manager Pierre Sage, who took over at Selhurst Park in June on a three-year deal after leaving Lens. His side created enough chances to win the match but couldn’t finish any of them.
The more immediate concern is defender Chadi Riad, who went down late in the match with what appeared to be a potentially serious injury.
Palace had enjoyed a period of stability and upward trajectory under former manager Oliver Glasner. Sage now inherits a squad that needs to adapt to a new tactical system while simultaneously dealing with the psychological weight of an opening-day defeat.
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