Benteke finds the target but Palace are well beaten by Everton

Everton 3-1 Palace

An out-of-form Crystal Palace side crashed to a 3-1 defeat away at Everton.

In blustery conditions at Goodison Park, Everton had the better of the first-half exchanges.

Patrick van Aanholt almost netted against the run of play but his shot struck the post off a Palace corner.

The Toffees went ahead on 18 minutes after a cross from Theo Walcott on the right was expertly turned home on the volley by Bernard.

Palace began the second half in brighter mood and Christian Benteke equalised in the 51st minute with a shot that Jordan Pickford allowed under his body for his first goal since April 2019.

The lead lasted just seven minutes as Everton hit Palace on the counter-attack when Richarlison ran clear and slotted brilliantly into the bottom corner for 2-1.

Everton stopper Pickford then pulled off a fine block to keep out Benteke’s close-range header.

Not to be outdone, opposite number Vicente Guaita then clawed out Gylfi Sigurdsson’s goal-bound prod.

But Dominic Calvert-Lewin secured the Toffees win two minutes from time when he knocked in the rebound after Richarlison’s header had hit the bar.

Palace have yet to win in 2020 and slip to just six points off the relegation zone.

Everton: Pickford, Digne, Keane, Mina, Coleman, Bernard (Davies 65), Schneiderlin, Sigurdsson (Holgate 86), Walcott (Sidibe 26), Richarlison, Calvert-Lewin.

Not used: Stekelenburg, Baines, Iwobi, Kean.

Palace: Guaita, Van Aanholt, Tomkins (Dann 61), Cahill, Ward (Kouyate 79), McArthur, Milivojevic, McCarthy (Meyer 68), Ayew, Zaha, Benteke.

Not used: Hennessey, Mitchell, Riedewald, Townsend.