It was 104 days ago that these teams played out a drab stalemate here but that must still feel like a lifetime ago for Wilfried Zaha.
After a fractious week when he was sent home from training after Crystal Palace refused to sell him to Everton, the Ivory Coast forward was given a rapturous welcome by the home supporters when he came on for the last 25 minutes but could not quite inspire Roy Hodgson’s side to an opening-day victory, even after a red card for Morgan Schneiderlin 14 minutes from time derailed their visitors.
“He handled it very well but the crowd helped. It was such a great reception,” said Hodgson of Zaha. “That situation has been and gone and Wilf will make certain he brings his straw to the water and help us have a good season, just like he has done in the previous two seasons.”
It was Marco Silva who came away with more to be concerned about after André Gomes limped off injured before the break with a suspected ankle injury. The manager was hopeful that the Portugal midfielder – signed on a permanent deal from Barcelona this summer for £22.5m after spending last season on loan at Goodison Park – will not be ruled out for a significant period but said the game had turned when Gomes was withdrawn. “Until that moment we were the better team and creating lots of chances,” he said, ruefully.
Hodgson had claimed beforehand that he decided it would be safer not to select Zaha in his starting lineup after he was sent home early from training on deadline day after submitting a transfer request. On the evidence of the first 15 minutes, the former England manager must have been itching to throw him on as Palace’s forwards Jordan Ayew and Christian Benteke laboured in a swirling south London wind.
By contrast, Everton began with real purpose and should have taken the lead through Gylfi Sigurdsson but he scuffed the shot wide. A clever corner routine in the 13th minute then set up Richarlison but Benteke at least proved his worth at the other end by blocking the shot on the line.
Vicente Guaita had to be alert to stop Séamus Coleman’s effort from close range with a superb one-handed save.
That Zaha was sent out to warm up almost 20 minutes before half-time spoke volumes for Palace’s ineffectiveness at the other end. A quickly taken free kick finally provided their first real of note five minutes before the break but Max Meyer’s shot was deflected over the bar.
But Everton’s plans were ruined when the influential Gomes limped off after a tackle with James McArthur, with another £22.5m signing – Jean-Philippe Gbamin – replacing him in midfield. To almost everyone’s surprise, however, Zaha did not follow him on to the pitch after the break and another goal-line clearance – this time from Patrick van Aanholt – denied Schneiderlin the breakthrough for Everton.
Zaha’s introduction for Ayew a few minutes later prompted the biggest cheer of the afternoon, even if his first few touches showed some of the rustiness of returning to pre-season training last week. Moise Kean – the £29m Italy international who, like Zaha, has heritage from the Ivory Coast – was also brought on as Everton went in search of a winning goal but their hopes of securing a first victory here in four attempts ended when Schneiderlin was shown a second yellow card after a late challenge on Luka Milivojevic.
