Everton vs Crystal Palace match report: Resilient Eagles fight back for a draw as Christian Benteke delivers

Everton 1 Crystal Palace 1: Crystal Palace have developed an impressive resilience under pressure. This was their fourth League game unbeaten

Christian Benteke celebrates his goal with his Crystal Palace teammates (Getty)

This was the first game Gareth Southgate watched in his new role as England’s interim manager. The Premier League does not boast too many potential candidates to succeed him but, standing in Goodison Park’s narrow technical area, was a man who probably wants the job more than any other.

At 55, Alan Pardew is the right age and, having endured several seasons of Mike Ashley at Newcastle, he could probably cope with hidden cameras and fake Far Eastern businessmen. At Crystal Palace he is developing a side that boasts something England have too often lacked – resilience under pressure. This was their fourth League game unbeaten.

At Sunderland last Saturday, Palace had come back from two down to win. At Goodison Park they trailed by just the one, to Romelu Lukaku’s beautifully-taken free kick before another Belgian, Christian Benteke, effortlessly headed Joel Ward’s high cross past Maarten Stekelenburg, whose feet appeared encased in golden syrup.

Benteke is not used to scoring goals on Merseyside – he found the net a bare five times for Liverpool at Anfield last season. This was his third in seven appearances for his new club.

Another cross ought to have given Crystal Palace the lead and probably the points. The assistant referee, Simon Bennett, wrongly judged Damien Delaney offside when he headed the ball home.

Having dominated the opening 45 minutes, Everton were finding themselves increasingly vulnerable to crosses. Another found James Tomkins with another free header but the boy from Basildon is a defender and his went straight into Stekelenburg’s gloves.

By no means did Everton surrender. Jason Puncheon cleared off the line with his knee and a flick from Lukaku sent through Seamus Coleman who, under pressure, scuffed his shot into the Gwladys End. This was what Friday nights were meant for. Entertainment.

This was Everton’s third game without a win, which for Ronald Koeman would be a pause for thought after a superb start.

Romelu Lukaku put Everton ahead close to the half-time whistle (Getty)

Every new manager’s beginnings are described as a “revolution”. You can flick through newspaper back issues and find references to the “Van Gaal Revolution” when all it really entailed was Manchester United players passing aimlessly among themselves in front of an increasingly bored and bewildered Old Trafford.

Koeman’s first two months at Everton have been more about engineering than waving a red flag. What did for his predecessor, Roberto Martinez, was that he had built a good team that chronically under-performed. It needed toughening up.

After successive defeats to Bournemouth and Norwich, Koeman wanted it toughening up still further. Out went Kevin Mirallas. In came the more reliable figure of Tom Cleverley. Nevertheless, even before Lukaku put Everton ahead, there was still flair to spare. It was evident in the way Coleman turned Martin Kelly, the delightful cross from Yannick Bolasie that just skimmed the top of Lukaku’s head. Then came a deceptive chip by Cleverley that sent Bryan Oviedo through and would have produced a penalty had the offside flag not come before Joe Ledley’s challenge. After Benteke had equalised, Yannick Bolasie attempted to score against his old club with an overhead kick.

The free-kick that sent Everton ahead was so well delivered, dipping over the wall, giving Steve Mandanda not the slightest hope that it seemed extraordinary that it was his first time Lukaku had scored from a direct free kick in the Premier League. It seemed so effortlessly expert.

Everton: Stekelenburg; Coleman, Jagielka, Williams, Oviedo (Mori 81); Barry; Gueye, Cleverley; Lukaku, Barkley (Mirallas 77), Bolasie. Substitutes: Robles (g), Lennon, Valencia, Davies, Holgate.

Crystal Palace: Mandanda; Ward, Tomkins, Delaney, Kelly; Ledley, McArthur (Cabaye 78); Townsend (Lee 90), Puncheon, Zaha; Benteke. Substitutes: Hennessy (g), Flamini, Campbell, Lee, Fryers, Wickham.

Referee: Jonathan Moss