It just means it’s a step forward’ – Sean Dyche’s Everton turn half-time boos into full-time cheers with comeback win

Everton manager Sean Dyche was pleased with the way his side played the game as they beat Crystal Palace 2-1 for their first Premier League win of the season.
   Having squandered two-goal leads twice in the last month to lose, Dwight McNeil turned things around with a double just after half-time following Marco Guehi’s 10th-minute opener.

   It was the first time since October 2022 that Everton had won a league game after being relegated, and after a tough recent experience, Dyche was pleased to get an important win on the board against a side still searching for their first win.

   “I think it’s good that the players have earned the right (to celebrate) because of the previous results and the question marks about going all the way,” Dyche said.

   – I think we did a very good job in the second half.    Two big moments after that and after that I thought we ran the game well, which has been a question mark this season.

   “We consult with the games and you learn, you show them ways to kill the game, professional stuff.

   “I appreciate that fans want great football all the time, but it’s difficult to achieve that. Do professional things, turn the game around and defend with determination.

   “Do the absolute basics: control, clear, kick. We kept them to a minimum when it came to clean chances.”

   The half-time whistle was replaced by a celebration at the final whistle as relief flooded Goodison Park after they had picked up just one point from their opening five games.

   But Dyche knows he can’t count it as a corner.

   “It just means it’s a step forward. The work here is never done,” he added.

   “The reality is we are expected to win again, win again. We have to park very quickly and build up to the next game.”

   On the plus side, Jarrad Branthwaite came through his first appearance of the campaign unscathed as his successful centre-back partnership from last season with James Tarkowski was revived.

   “The back five played a lot together last season and had 13 clean sheets which is a pretty good measure of a good back five performance,” said the Everton boss.

   Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner, whose side remain winless, lamented the period after the restart when they caught a cold.

   “I think we were in control for most of the first half and then we had a bad 15 minutes right after the game where we lost the game,” he said.

   “There were a lot of parts of the game that we didn’t feel like we were going to lose, so it’s even more disappointing.

   “At the end of the first half the crowd were booing and they weren’t happy with the home team and we gave them the momentum with a simple goal from (Jordan) Pickford’s long ball and gave them a silly foul.

   “They got their belief and the second goal was also a second phase situation and we were not ready.

   “We tried everything, but we got nervous and couldn’t find the right spaces.

   “We are not happy with the start [of the season]. Now we have to stick together and deal with the situation.”