Everton vs Crystal Palace LIVE – teams and confirmed line-ups, Doucoure returns, score and stream

The big screens at Goodison Park are currently showing highlights from when these clubs met here on April 10, 2005.

Everton triumphed 4-0 that day in glorious season to close in on their fourth place finish – which remains their highest-ever final position in the Premier League.

David Moyes’ men struck first through Mikel Arteta with what was his first goal for the club before Tim Cahill bagged a brace and substitute James Vaughan completed the romp on his debut to become the Blues’ and the Premier League’s youngest marksman.

I’m told it’s Vitalii Mykolenko’s first game as a married man tonight after he tied the knot in Valentine’s week!

Congratulations to the happy couple but I guess the honeymoon will have to wait.

The left-back has been one of Everton’s most-consistent performers this season and scored in the corresponding Premier League fixture against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on November 11 after less than a minute as Sean Dyche’s men triumphed 3-2.

Another strike tonight or just a victory of any kind for the Blues would make the perfect wedding present.

Staring line-up: Johnstone, Munoz, Ward, Andersen, Richards, Mitchell, Lerma, Wharton, Ayew, Mateta, Edouard

Subs: Henderson, Tomkins, Franca, Clyne, Ahamada, Riedewald, Ozoh, Umeh, Raymond.

Well the big news of course is that top scorer Abdoulaye Doucoure, who has started just one of Everton’s last 11 matches, is back in the starting line-up. The midfielder netted the Blues’ second goal in their 3-2 win in the sides’ last Premier League meeting at Selhurst Park on November 11.

The 31-year-old comes in for Jack Harrison who had been deputising for him in the support role off the striker but rather than the loan man moving back to the right wing, Ashley Young retains that place.

At Goodison Everton’s Premier League record in the fixture is P14 W7 D3 L4…they are unbeaten in the last eight (W5 D3) since a 3-2 loss in September 2014.

Everton have lost just one of the last 18 PL games between the teams (W9 D8 L1).

The Blues are looking to complete their first league double over Palace since 2004/05.

Everton have won just one game in their last 11 in all competitions, but that was against Crystal Palace in the FA Cup last month.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has five PL goals against Palace, his joint-highest with Newcastle…DCL has scored more goals in this fixture in the Premier League than any other player.

Sean Dyche has faced Palace as a manager more than any other club – Monday is the 22^ndoccasion…his nine wins are the most against any side.

Jordan Pickford has kept eight Premier League clean sheets this season, the joint highest with David Raya.

Palace have not won any of their last six Premier League away games.

Palace have conceded 14 goals in their past four fixtures.

Writing in tonight’s matchday programme, Sean Dyche said: “The nine-day gap between our last game and this evening has given us more time to work with some of the players we lost to injury over a particularly busy period in December.

“Seamus Coleman and Ashley Young are working their way back to full fitness having missed chunks of action, while Amadou Onana returned and made a strong impact off the bench against Manchester City and Abdoulaye Doucoure has resumed training with us following a hamstring problem.

“Tonight we welcome the players, staff and everyone connected to Crystal Palace. We must take confidence from the two wins we’ve recorded over Palace so far this season, while also being fully aware each game is a completely different matter that throws up different challenges.

“We know they head to Goodison looking to build momentum after a challenging period and we must be ready to match – and better – the intensity they will no doubt bring.”

Everton’s Under-21s are also in action tonight, hosting Nottingham Forest in Premier League 2. It’s good news in the starting line-up up there as Lewis Warrington returns from the injury that ended his stint on loan at Plymouth. Reece Welch, who was on loan at Forest Green Rovers earlier this season, captains the side after centre back Elijah Campbell, who has had the armband this season, departed to Fleetwood Town on loan last month.

Joe debates whether this is a “must-win” game for Everton.

Manager Sean Dyche bats off all such suggestions by insisting they’re all “must-win” games in the Premier League but I think after two months without a victory in the competition, the Blues need to start saving themselves again.

A positive result tonight would bring Crystal Palace to within Everton’s orbit and if that could be followed by some good news from the club’s appeal against their 10-point deduction then the platform for survival would be set up.

If Dyche’s men can’t record a third victory against the Eagles this season though, we’re left wondering just when the next three points might be coming.

For the third time in three years the arrival of Palace in the league feels like a big game. Two seasons ago it was that incredible night in the final week of the season when that dramatic second half comeback secured survival and led to those incredible celebrations. Last season it was the emphatic 3-0 win that feels a lifetime ago and was probably Everton’s best performance under Frank Lampard. It was his last competitive win as Blues boss. Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored in both games – if he could grab a goal tonight it would be a major boost for him and the club

Good evening and welcome to Goodison Park for a huge game for Everton. Nothing but a win will do tonight. The Blues are in desperate need of all three points in a bid to ease their relegation fears. However, in the shape of Palace, they face a stern test. Granted, Palace’s result have not been great in recent weeks, but as we saw when they came to Goodison for the FA Cup replay a few weeks ago, they certainly caused a threat.

Hello everybody.

I’ve just got back up to Goodison Park having made the 3-hour drive back to Merseyside from Paul Trevillion’s studio where I recorded a very special edition of the Royal Blue podcast with the world’s leading sports artist.

Trevillion celebrates his 90th birthday next month but the great man is still razor sharp and he vividly recalls watching Dixie Dean in the first ever football match he attended back in 1937!

Watch out for that, with plenty of other great tales about Everton’s most-prolific goalscorer who Trevillion worked with on an illustrated story of the centre-forward’s life that ran in the ECHO over 21 consecutive weeks.

For the first time in two months, the first time since Burnley away, the last Everton win in the Premier League, Dyche can choose from all four of his trusted central midfielders. Abdoulaye Doucoure is *in contention* while Amadou Onana is back. Idrissa Gueye is in a vein of good form and James Garner, the only ever-present in that midfield throughout two months of injury problems, is also fit. If Dyche retains his favoured three man centre mid then who drops out?

Here myself and colleagues Chris and Matt go through the decisions we would make.

Feels like Fulham (H) last season to me. Not a *must* win. But a huge opportunity to start a push up the table that prevents this season becoming as desperate as the last two. If you want to control your destiny (as much as Everton can do that given the off pitch issue) then this is the type of game you need to win.

For those who don’t remember, Everton lost 3-1 in that match against Fulham, even with Marco Silva and Aleksandar Mitrovic in the stands!

Hello everyone, Joe Thomas here, live from inside Goodison Park.

Big game this. Starting to get a bit nervous and that’s almost because of the belief Everton are actually favourites. The Blues have not won a Premier League game for two months but are finally welcoming back injured stars after weeks of diminished options. `Amadou Onana, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Seamus Coleman should all be in contention. Meanwhile, Palace are depleted – Eberechi Eze, Michael Olise, Chieck Doucoure and Marc Guehi, the spine of their team, is all out. Palace are spiralling towards trouble AND towards Everton. If Sean Dyche can exploit the opportunity this game presents then it could have huge implications. A win would move Everton out of the bottom three. It would move them within 2/3 points of a clutch of other teams as well. This might not be a must win, but if either side wins it will provide a huge momentum shift for the victor.

Welcome, Toffees!

Palace again then is it? This will be the fourth time these two sides have met in the space of three months and in normal circumstances, perhaps they’d be sick of the sight of one another.

Sean Dyche may not mind the Eagles coming to town though, as Everton have won two and drawn one of the three encounters this season. Given the problems Palace are enduring at the moment on and off the pitch, there are few more ideal teams to get under the lights at Goodison Park when a win is desperately needed.

Win and Everton can potentially start to look up again after a tough few weeks. Lose and another nervous end to the campaign is surely in store as the Blues look to keep their heads above water.

Deep breaths all round – away we go…