Everton had to settle for a 1–1 draw in their home match against West Ham last weekend. The Toffees started brightly in the first half but became passive after taking the lead, and in the end, the draw was not an unfair reflection of the match. Kieran Dewsbury-Hall, who has played a major role in Everton’s possession play alongside Jack Grealish, will be suspended for Sunday’s game.
Crystal Palace’s incredible form shows no signs of slowing down, as they claimed a 2–1 home victory over league leaders Liverpool in the previous round. Oliver Glasner’s side were able to exploit their strengths in that match fully, and with slightly more clinical finishing, the scoreline could have been even more one-sided in their favor. Their Conference League campaign also began impressively, with a convincing 2–0 away win over Dinamo Kyiv.
Everton have added more quality to their possession game through recent signings, but defensively, they’ve occasionally shown surprisingly large weaknesses. In terms of overall performance strength, Crystal Palace ranks nearly two tiers above Everton, but the heavy scheduling load on the visitors evens the matchup considerably. If the fatigued Palace side decides to concede possession to the hosts, Moyes’s team will face a tough test in breaking down one of the league’s best-organized defenses. On paper, the match appears extremely even, but the odds offered for a Palace win provide enough value for a betting selection, despite the risk of a draw.