André Gomes free-kick earns Everton FA Cup victory against Crystal Palace
As Sean Dyche put it, any distraction is welcome at Everton right now amid the risk of a second points deduction, legal cases, financial disputes and not knowing exactly what they are playing for in the Premier League this season. The FA Cup and André Gomes provided one with a narrow, gruelling win over Crystal Palace in the third-round replay.
Gomes, who spent last season on loan at Lille and the first half of this campaign injured, illuminated a scrappy tie with a superb free-kick beyond Sam Johnstone shortly before the interval. It was Everton’s first goal direct from a free-kick since Lucas Digne’s at Lincoln in August 2019 and ended a run of six games without a win for Dyche’s team, who will play Luton at home in round four.
Palace, as Roy Hodgson may have feared, missed their best chance when playing against 10-men in the first encounter at Selhurst Park. The visitors offered little and their manager’s decision to replace Eberechi Eze attracted the ire of Palace’s supporters.
Uncertainty not only surrounds Everton’s Premier League position. The US investment firm 777 Partners is still awaiting word from the Premier League on their proposed takeover, having announced a deal with the eager-to-leave owner, Farhad Moshiri, in September.
Richard Masters, the Premier League’s CEO, told the culture, media and sport committee of MPs on Tuesday that the delay was down to a lack of satisfactory answers from the controversial company and a final decision remains weeks away. Whether as a show of confidence or mere coincidence, several 777 representatives were in attendance in the directors’ box having toured the club’s new stadium at Bramley Moore dock earlier in the day.
There was a subdued start to a replay both managers could have done without and the first half followed the pattern of the tie at Selhurst Park: pedestrian, lacking quality and with opportunities limited. Spectators numbed by the freezing temperatures on Merseyside found no respite until Gomes injected a moment of much-needed class into proceedings.
Quick GuideBristol Rovers 1-3 Norwich
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David Wagner can look forward to a reunion with his close friend Jürgen Klopp after a 3-1 win over Bristol Rovers at the Memorial Stadium secured a fourth-round tie at Liverpool.
Matt Taylor's League One side threatened an upset when Luke McCormick fired them ahead after 20 minutes but Norwich rallied in the second half with goals from Gabriel Sara, Adam Idah and Kenny McLean seeing them into round four.
Rovers began the third-round replay brightly. The former Norwich striker Chris Martin saw an early effort drift just wide then Luke Thomas's header was comfortably saved by George Long, before the keeper had to react superbly to deny Antony Evans. It proved to be only temporary respite for Norwich as from the subsequent corner McCormick put the Gas in command with a carefully placed low drive from just inside the penalty area.
Rovers and Thomas should have doubled the lead just before half-time as the Norwich defence fell apart but he wasted an inviting opening and side-footed wide of Long's goal from just outside the area. Rovers continued to enjoy the upper hand after the break and only a fine, low save by Long kept out Thomas' powerfully struck shot and only desperate defending kept the hosts at bay as they pressed for a potentially decisive second goal.
Norwich got their attacking act together and were level on 53 minutes thanks to the impressive Sara, who bundled the ball home from close range after Sam McCallum's effort struck a post with the Rovers defence at sixes and sevens.
Rovers were soon back on the front but were punished for their ambition when they were caught out on a swift counterattack by the marauding Canaries. The hosts were left outnumbered as Norwich poured forward and were punished when Connor Taylor brought down McLean in the box following a collision.
Andy Davies pointed to the spot and while Brentford loanee Cox got a hand to Idah's penalty it was not enough to stop the ball from spinning over the line to give Norwich a 59th-minute lead.
Rovers kept going but Martin was brilliantly denied an equaliser by Long as the League One side's dreams of a first visit to Anfield since 1992 faded. McLean sealed victory in the 87th minute with a long-range effort to ease Norwich nerves. PA Media
Everton started with two players they could easily have been without following the goalless draw between the sides 13 days ago. Dominic Calvert-Lewin led the line having had his three-match suspension for a ridiculous red card overturned while Dwight McNeil, carried off at Palace with a suspected ankle ligament injury, made a rapid return.
The hosts shaded the early stages with Calvert-Lewin forcing a sharp save out of Johnstone and Jack Harrison having a penalty appeal dismissed when cutting across Marc Guéhi. Palace, their three-man central defence comfortably absorbing Everton’s long balls, grew into the contest and created the clearer chances from open play.
Eze forced Jordan Pickford’s deputy, João Virgínia, into his first save with a low, measured shot after being found in space by Odsonne Édouard. Jeffrey Schlupp perhaps should have hit the target with a first time effort from Jefferson Lerma’s shot but turned his effort high over Virgínia’s crossbar instead.
Everton’s careless approach play was starting to examine Goodison’s patience when, completely out of context, Dyche’s side took the lead thanks to a superb finish from Gomes. The midfielder was deployed in an advanced role behind Calvert-Lewin with Abdoulaye Doucouré injured and was advancing on goal when felled by Lerma, who was rightly booked.
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Gomes took the free-kick himself and curled an exquisite set piece over the Palace wall and in off Johnstone’s left-hand post. Remarkably, it was the first goal Everton had scored direct from a free-kick for 197 games.
Palace almost curtailed the celebrations immediately when Édouard and Eze combined again to find Tyrick Mitchell unmarked on the left of the Everton area. The wing-back connected cleanly but Virgínia reacted well to tip over at close range. Nathaniel Clyne also threatened an equaliser early in the second half with a cross that sailed over Everton’s stand-in keeper and inches in front of the far post.
Eze was by far the visitors’ most creative source, unsettling Everton defenders every time he ran at them, and so there was understandable dismay among the Palace fans when he was substituted just after the hour with their team trailing. Hodgson’s decision was met with boos and chants of “You don’t know what you’re doing” by the hardy souls who had made the long midweek trek to Merseyside.
The veteran manager was close to conjuring the perfect response, however, when Naouirou Ahamada, one of a triple substitution, dispossessed McNeil and centred for Édouard. The striker spun away from James Tarkowski but his low shot was saved by the legs of Virgínia as the Portuguese keeper again came to Everton’s rescue.
Schlupp had a good chance to take the replay to extra time but Virgínia blocked his stoppage-time header at point-blank range as Everton held on.