Everton picked up their first win of the season after beating Crystal Palace 2-1 at Goodison Park on Saturday (28 September) in the Premier League.
Despite going an early goal down from Marc Guehi, the home side fought valiantly in the second half, and it needed one outstanding goal from Dwight McNeil to bring the stadium rocking again.
McNeil scored with a sensational strike from 25 yards out with his favourite left foot and followed it up with another goal from close range to mark a dramatic turnaround for Sean Dyche’s side.
The Mail on Sunday (page 95; 29 September) has described the goal as “spectacular”, and they have given McNeil an 8/10 rating for his superb performances.
Iain Dowie was also full of praise for the 24-year-old versatile midfielder, who has now scored three goals in the Premier League this season.
Everton can look forward to building momentum
The Toffees have played some attractive football but they weren’t getting the results. Against AFC Bournemouth and Aston Villa, they were leading by 2-0 at one point and yet ended up losing the game.
The victory will give them immense confidence, and Everton should now look to build strong momentum from here on. The return of Jarrad Branthwaite to the starting line-up is also a major boost.
However, the goal deserves a special mention. It wasn’t a pile driver or a blast from midfield, but a thoroughly worked out goal, as McNeil tried to bend the ball away from Henderson.
Jack Harrison also played his part in the second goal. He produced a delicious cross, but McNeil still had a lot to do from close range to finish it.
Dyche was criticised for taking off Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Iliman Ndiaye against Bournemouth, but he got his substitutions spot on this time. Having conceded some late goals, there were some late nerves, but in the end it felt like a big sigh of relief.
