It has taken seven matches, but today Jack Grealish scored his first Everton goal and it turned out to be the match winner. The September Premier League Player of the Month had recorded four assists and led the league in that category but the first goal was needed.
Before the match, David Moyes reiterated the need for Grealish to be greedy and start taking more shots. Today, he had three shots and all of them were on target. Perhaps this will be his roadmap going forward. Before his big money move
to City, the winger scored 8 and 6 goals respectively. At City he managed 5 once and his numbers diminished as his time there went on.
Today, his first in royal blue and the relief was evident along with his appreciation for his position in this team.
Everton matchwinner Jack Grealish, speaking to Sky Sports:
“We started the game so bad. It was kick-off, it was just little stuff, we lose the first header then conceded a throw and then a corner and then another corner. We started it bad and the first half was terrible. I think the lads would say the same, it’s easily the worst we’ve played this season. We’ve come in, had a word with each other, regrouped, I think the two subs that came on completely changed the game for us, a different way of playing, lots of runs in behind and stuff like this. The second half we were brilliant. It’s so hard to play against this team, they’re so difficult to play against, so many games unbeaten, so a good win.”
On his goal:
“I had two proper shots, I don’t know if you can count the goal as a shot. I said I want to get in those positions more and the manager actually said it to me at half-time, try and get in at the back post and I was there and the goals come from that, so I have the manager to thank for that.”
On scoring his first Everton goal:
“It’s brilliant. It’s so nice to score here. Do you know what’s mad? The last games we’ve played here we’ve been drawing and I keep saying to myself in the 85th minute, ‘Come on Jack, go and score. Imagine if you scored now’. I did it against Villa, I did it against West Ham and I didn’t score, so today I actually said the same thing again and I scored and I ran to where my mum and dad were, so it was nice. That goal goes to all the Evertonians for making me feel so welcome here.
That’s what you want to do as a winger, I have one goal and four assists that’s what I want to do. It was difficult to do that today against such a good team. They have some unbelievable players. I think Adam Wharton today, I can see the Man of the Match award there, I think it’s coming to me but I think it should go to Adam Wharton because, in my opinion, he was the best player on the pitch today.”
Jack Grealish was kept on the left side after there was lots of calls for him to move into the middle. Today, he took a couple of shots in the first half which was being called for by the manager and his goal to win the game was the reward that the winger deserved for his start to life in a royal blue shirt.
Two home matches and two insipid first half displays. Getting the team ready to go and motivating them to start quickly falls to the manager and the players. Today, we had and xG of 0.04 in the first half which is just short of nothing. We were playing without Dewsbury-Hall and he was sorely missed in the middle. Ismaila Sarr had complete control of the middle and Gueye struggled to shut down any forward play that Palace attempted.
Charly Alcaraz, who provided an assist and scored the winning goal in Everton’s 2-1 victory at Selhurst Park in February, the last time these sides met, was not in the starting lineup. Neither was striker Beto, who had scored the first goal that night, but was instead dropped for Thierno Barry. Today, he staked a claim to more time on the pitch with his game changing appearance.
Before the match, David Moyes said: “We’ve changed them around a bit this season. I just think it’s a good opportunity to give Barry another go. We’re trying to push him along gently without going too fast.” It will be interesting to see what happens over the next few weeks as Moyes reflects on the difference between the two halves when Barry was in and when Beto took over.
