Townsend turning point
Up until Andros Townsend went down off the ball after just over 10 minutes of play, Palace looked a shadow of the team they have grown into over the course of the season. Wasted passes, overhit crosses and poor decision making cost them time and time again as the Toffees got up into Palace players’ faces and looked like they hadn’t read the script of the day.
Thankfully for them, former Eagle Townsend inadvertently provided the quick break in play that allowed them to regroup and reset, with the hosts looking a different side after switching tactics and looking to hit Jean-Philippe Mateta with long passes. The Frenchman linked play well and helped slowly turn the tide to give Palace the upper hand before Marc Guehi opened the scoring from a corner.
