Everton 1-0 Crystal Palace: Andre Gomes free-kick earns Toffees FA Cup third-round replay victory
Match report as Everton secure a first third-round victory over top-flight opposition since they beat Sheffield Wednesday in 1988; Andre Gomes scores Everton's first free-kick in five seasons to defeat Crystal Palace
Thursday 18 January 2024 10:49, UK
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.
Defeat means Palace now have just one win from their last 11 fixtures and Roy Hodgson was forced to defend his decision to substitute Eberechi Eze and Tyrick Mitchell as his side chased the game, with the manager insisting he was protecting key players ahead of Saturday's Premier League trip to Arsenal.
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.
How the teams lined up
Match stats
FA Cup news
FA Cup fixtures
Manager Sean Dyche made four changes from
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