Everton and Crystal Palace will be eager to kick-start the 2026/27 season with a bang when they meet at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday.
The long wait for the return of Premier League football ends this week with Gameweek 1 of the 2026/27 season. The action on Saturday will start with the game between Hull City and Manchester United at the MKM Stadium before continuing with three simultaneous matches, including Everton vs Crystal Palace at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
David Moyes would have been dismayed by the way Everton culminated, as a seven-match winless run ended hopes of European qualification. To correct that, the Toffees have been busy in the market in the summer transfer window, signing five players, with midfield and attack getting attention thus far.
The Merseyside club’s pre-season campaign produced mixed results, as they won three of their seven games (D2 L2). Moyes will thus be hopeful of a top-half finish in the 2026/27 season if Everton can back him by bolstering the defensive unit in the final days of the summer transfer window.
On the other hand, Crystal Palace endured a frustrating 2025/26 Premier League campaign, as European commitments impacted the team’s domestic performance. However, Oliver Glasner added to his legacy at the South London club by delivering the UEFA Europa Conference League.
Pierre Sage has taken over from Glasner in the managerial hot seat, and he has overseen a mixed bag of a pre-season campaign, with Palace winning three and losing three games (D1). However, with the Eagles still busy in the market, efficient transfer business can improve the team’s prospects in the 2026/27 season.
The corresponding fixture last season saw Everton come from a goal down to beat Crystal Palace 2-1, with Jack Grealish scoring a late winner. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
David Moyes has a few pressing injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Everton head coach will be bereft of the services of three first-team players vs Crystal Palace on Saturday.
James Garner is the most notable absentee, with the English midfielder unavailable for the foreseeable future after undergoing groin surgery. Garner accompanies Christian Norgaard (muscular) and Tim Iroegbunam (knock) in the treatment room.
Jordan Pickford is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Everton lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Crystal Palace on Saturday. The backline will feature Jake O’Brien, James Tarkowski, Jarrad Branthwaite, and Vitaliy Mykolenko.
As for the midfield unit, Hayden Hackney will line up alongside Harrison Armstrong, who will deputise for Garner in the double pivot. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall will reprise the no. 10 role, with Iliman Ndiaye and Merlin Rohl being the two wide attackers. Finally, Beto will lead the line for Everton against Crystal Palace this weekend.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Pickford; O’Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Hackney, Armstrong; Rohl, Dewsbury-Hall, Ndiaye; Beto
Unlike his counterpart in the Everton dugout, Pierre Sage barely has any issues to worry about ahead of the trip to the Hill Dickinson Stadium. The Crystal Palace head coach may be without only one player.
Sage has been sweating over Dean Henderson’s fitness, as he has been struggling with a minor ankle complaint. However, the English goalkeeper should be fit and available to take on Everton this weekend.
Henderson is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Crystal Palace lining up in a 3-4-3 formation in front of him vs Everton. The central defensive unit will feature Jaydee Canvot, Chris Richards, and Chadi Riad. Meanwhile, Oscar Mingueza and Tyrick Mitchell will be the two wing-backs.
The wide duo will provide width in the final third and protect the centre-backs during the defensive phases. As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Daichi Kamada and Adam Wharton in the central areas. Finally, Jorgen Strand Larsen will spearhead the Crystal Palace attack, with Ismaila Sarr and Dwight McNeil being the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Henderson; Canvot, Richards, Riad; Mingueza, Kamada, Wharton, Mitchell; Sarr, Strand Larsen, McNeil
While Ismaila Sarr, Adam Wharton, and Beto were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Hayden Hackney as the Player to Watch for Saturday’s Premier League clash between Everton and Crystal Palace at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Last season in the EFL Championship, Hackney ranked seventh for possession won (206), joint-fourth for possession won in the final third (33), second for chances created (85), joint-first for open play chances created (64), second for open play expected assists (7.65), and first for successful passes ending in the final third (855). If he brings that level to Everton, the Englishman will become a ceiling raiser for David Moyes’s team.
Based on the pre-season form shown by both clubs, there is not much to separate them. With Crystal Palace still coming to grips with Pierre Sage’s system, a steady start is on the cards, as they have not blown opponents away during their pre-season campaign.
On the other hand, Everton have blown hot and cold during their pre-season campaign, showing promise and vulnerability in equal measure. So, all signs point towards an evenly-contested affair, and a 1-1 draw is on the cards, with Ismaila Sarr and Beto delivering the goods.
