Dwight McNeil’s double downs Crystal Palace and ends Everton’s wait for a win

Dwight McNeil’s two goals secured Everton’s first win of the season after a rare comeback as they beat Crystal Palace 2-1 at Goodison Park.

Not since October 2022 had the team recovered from going behind to pick up three Premier League points and after twice squandering 2-0 leads to lose in the last month it was a relief for manager Sean Dyche to experience the other side.

Trailing to Marc Guehi’s early goal the game swung in the space of nine minutes at the start of the second half.

Just 77 seconds after the restart McNeil curled home from 25 yards after Ashley Young intercepted a pass deep in Palace territory before firing past Dean Henderson after bringing down a cross from half-time substitute Jack Harrison.

It ensured a week which had begun with positive off-field news as the Friedkin Group agreed a deal to buy out majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri ended with an important success on the pitch.

No representatives from the prospective new owners were present at Goodison to take an early look at their potential investment and, in truth, the performance was not one Dyche will be including in his showreel as he seeks to extend his contract beyond the summer.

But in an encounter between two of the Premier League’s winless teams only the outcome was important.

Dyche’s counterpart Oliver Glasner, who finished last season with six wins and a draw, is still trying to rediscover that magic formula after just three draws this season and he must be wondering how his side let the game slip.

The return of Jarrad Branthwaite was not quite the panacea Dyche and Toffees fans hoped it would be as it was another England centre-back who caught the eye early on as Guehi, a summer target for Newcastle after a good Euro 2024, opened the