Everton 1-0 Crystal Palace: Andre Gomes FINALLY breaks deadlock after 132 mins

Five managers, two charges for breaching financial rules and 1,602 days later, Everton finally ended a four-year wait to score from a free-kick. At most points in this rather drab tie, across two matches, it felt like it would take a similar amount of days for either team to score a goal.

But after 90 minutes in south London and half a game in Liverpool, a touch of class from Andre Gomes finally brought a spark to this snoozefest to give Everton their first win of 2024 and send Sean Dyche’s men into a fourth-round meeting with relegation rivals Luton.

Even Toffees trivia nuts might struggle to recall their last free-kick goal, a sweet strike from Lucas Digne at Lincoln’s Sincil Bank in August 2019. But Portuguese midfielder Gomes provided a strike that even a certain compatriot of his would be proud of.

That moment topped off a stellar display from the once-forgotten Gomes, who scored his second goal in a month after going two years without one before that. He was slick in possession, constantly popped up in dangerous half-spaces and a willing runner off the ball.

Everton came into this match with a sense of injustice, again, after the club were charged with breaching Premier League financial rules for a second time on Monday. But not even points deductions could halt any FA Cup charge for the Toffees this season.

Sean Dyche’s team selection underlined his respect for the FA Cup, with Everton fielding their strongest possible XI of those fit. Roy Hodgson and Crystal Palace did similar, in fairness, and it meant the game was an evenly-matched battle.

Sadly for neutrals, though, that evenly-matched battle meant this replay started as the original tie finished, a case of two decent defensive units cancelling out two misfiring