Andre Gomes free-kick earns Everton FA Cup replay victory over Crystal Palace
Everton midfielder Andre Gomes’ first Goodison Park goal in almost five years settled a dreary FA Cup third-round replay against Crystal Palace.
With the temperature sub-zero the match did little to animate the 37,796 hardy souls in attendance but Gomes’ strike – the Toffees’ first from a direct free-kick in 197 games in a run dating back to August 2019 – was the one real highlight.
Gomes’ long stretch without a goal on home soil went back even further than Lucas Digne’s set-piece against Lincoln in the Carabao Cup in August 2019 but it was worth the wait.
Initially fouled by Jeffrey Schlupp 25 yards out the Portuguese took responsibility and curled a sumptuous effort over the wall and in off the post.
After three matches without a goal it was very much worthy of securing Everton a first third-round victory over top-flight opposition since they beat Sheffield Wednesday in 1988.
Palace’s winter break meant they had a free fortnight from the original tie – itself a drab goalless draw – to prepare. Everton, whose own break was eaten into by this replay, had three days.
Manager Sean Dyche made four changes from Sunday’s goalless draw with Aston Villa but two were enforced – Seamus Coleman and Abdoulaye Doucoure were both carrying knocks – while he rested goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
His deputy Joao Virginia had arguably his best game in his five-year spell at the club with a string of good saves to keep a clean sheet.
Gomes was deployed in Doucoure’s position just behind the striker, bringing a more measured, less energetic approach which meant Dominic Calvert-Lewin was often left isolated.
The England striker, now more than 17 hours without a goal, had a chance early on but his near-post shot was turned behind by Sam Johnstone before watching a promising Jack Harrison cross float over his head.
Quality of the final ball was a frequent cause for consternation as it was almost always over-hit and that left Calvert-Lewin frequently chasing lost causes down the channels.
Palace, by contrast, had much better control in the final third and in Eberechi Eze a player whose direct running opened up opportunities, highlighted by him side-stepping Vitalii Mykolenko only to fail to properly test Virginia, while Schlupp flicked over a pass from Jefferson Lerma.
But Schlupp was to have a more pivotal role at the other end with his unnecessary bringing down of Gomes as he set off on a lone run towards the penalty area allowing the Portuguese to exact immediate revenge.
Virginia made a good save from Tyrick Mitchell to ensure their half-time lead and will have been delighted to see Eze was surprisingly taken off in the 65th minute, prompting chants to boss Roy Hodgson of “You don’t know what you’re doing” from the away fans.
However, they were almost proved wrong when Odsonne Edouard’s shot on the turn was well saved by Virginia.
Calvert-Lewin’s almost three-month wait for a goal continued when he flashed an angled shot across goal while Gomes’ replacement Lewis Dobbin had a header deflected wide.
But the final say went to Virginia who made two crucial saves in added time to secure a home tie against fellow Premier League strugglers Luton.
Related items
-
Leverkusen dealt blow as Wirtz suffers ankle injury
Florian Wirtz is set for a spell on the sidelines after sustaining a capsular injury to his right ankle while on international duty with Germany.
The midfielder suffered the injury during Germany's 1-0 victory over the Netherlands in the Nations League on Monday, being replaced at half-time by Bayer Leverkusen team-mate Robert Andrich.
Leverkusen confirmed the 21-year-old underwent an MRI scan on Tuesday and is receiving treatment. However, the club also confirmed it is unclear when Wirtz will return to training.
He is a doubt for their return to Bundesliga action against Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday, with a Champions League meeting with Brest following that next week.
Wirtz, who was named the Bundesliga Player of the Season last campaign, has been an influential figure once again for the champions this term.
He is their joint-top scorer with four goals (along with Victor Boniface) in the Bundesliga and has created the joint-most chances (19, level with Alex Grimaldo). His 18 dribbles completed is also a team-high, boasting a 48.65% success rate (37 attempted).
-
Mane sends Senegal through but Ghana on the brink in AFCON qualifying
Sadio Mane's last-gasp free-kick sent Senegal to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after edging out Malawi 1-0 on Tuesday.
Despite dominating for large parts of the contest, Senegal were unable to break down Malawi's stern defence, with goalkeeper William Thole making a string of impressive saves.
However, after Robert Saiz hauled Mane down just outside the area, the Al-Nassr forward stepped up and curled home the winner in the sixth minute of second-half stoppage time.
The 2021 winners of the competition joined Burkina Faso in qualifying for the tournament that takes place in Morocco next year, with both sides on 10 points in Group L.
But in Group F, Ghana look set to miss the tournament for the first time since 2004 after slumping to a 2-0 defeat to Sudan at the Martyrs of February Stadium.
Despite the likes of Mohammed Kudus, Antoine Semenyo and Inaki Williams in their ranks, two goals in three second-half minutes from Ahmed Al-Tash and Mohamed Abdel Rahman did the damage.
Ghana remain winless in their four qualifying games so far and sit five points adrift of the top two, knowing they must beat both group leaders Angola and then Niger next month to have any chance of reaching the finals.
-
McClaren, Latibeaudiere take heart from draw against Honduras but stress need for improvement in hunt for future success
It may not have been the most polished performance by the Reggae Boyz in their goalless Concacaf Nations League Group B stalemate against Honduras, but Reggae Boyz Head coach Steve McClaren and midfielder Joel Latibeaudiere were still full of praise for his team.
For McClaren, the result—though a disappointing one for many of the fans that turned out at the National Stadium on Monday night—held immense significance as it not only secured Jamaica’s place in the quarterfinals of the tournament but also guaranteed them a spot in the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup.
The Boyz, who entered the contest needing only a point to progress, topped the League A group with eight points, with second-placed Honduras (seven points) also progressing.
Still, the Englishman, while praising his team’s determination, acknowledged that the performance wasn’t without its challenges.