Everton secured their place in the Premier League for next season after an enthralling victory over Crystal Palace.
The Blues claimed a 3-2 win over the Eagles at Goodison Park on Thursday night to avoid relegation from the top flight.
Frank Lampard’s side had trailed 2-0 going into half-time. But they responded after the break with goals from Michael Keane, Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
JOE THOMAS VERDICT: Goodison never shone so brightly as Everton fans get what they deserve
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Plenty of national media outlets were in attendance to watch Everton beat the drop in the dramatic of circumstances. And, along with our own Joe Thomas, here's what they had to say.
Andy Hunter, via The Guardian
“They would not go. Not the fans who invaded the Goodison Park pitch and sang with raw emotion for 30 minutes after the final whistle. Not the players who joined the choir from the other side of a police cordon. Not Frank Lampard, who disappeared in the throng and re-emerged on the roof of the executive boxes to soak up the acclaim. And not Everton. Their Premier League life was ebbing away after 45 desperate minutes against Crystal Palace. They would not go.
“Five minutes of normal time remained of a fraught but unforgettable encounter. Five minutes for Everton to preserve their top-flight status for a 69th year and avoid having to fight against a first relegation since 1951 on the final day at Arsenal. Dominic Calvert-Lewin timed his impact on Everton’s year to perfection. Throwing himself to meet Demarai Gray’s free-kick, the centre-forward who has missed so much of the season through injury launched himself into Goodison Park folklore with a diving header past Jack Butland.
“Lampard’s team had been 2-0 down at the interval; chaotic, uncertain and free-falling towards the Championship. Now, galvanised by the half-time introduction of Dele Alli and reprieved by goals from Michael Keane, Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin, they had a comeback to compare with the final day escape against Wimbledon in 1994. The fightback sparked a first, foolish pitch invasion that led to seven minutes of stoppage time. When it was over, however, it was a fightback that will never be forgotten in these parts.”
Richard Jolly, via The Independent
“‘Spirit of the Blues’ has been the anthem of Everton’s spring and the spirit of the blues saved them. Two goals down at the interval, while Burnley led at Villa Park, and with a final-day date at Arsenal, the Championship seemed to beckon.
“Then came a seminal, sensational comeback. First Michael Keane, then Richarlison and then Dominic Calvert-Lewin etched their names in Everton history as the men who averted a first relegation since 1951. A troubled, traumatic season will at least finish with Everton still in the Premier League. A night of changing scorelines and fluctuating emotions ended in euphoria. Everton diced with disaster and saved themselves.
“Perhaps Goodison saved them, as they were roared on to victory. It may come with consequences, with a pitch invasion following Calvert-Lewin’s goal, even though it came with four minutes of regulation time remaining, and another on the final whistle. Crystal Palace, who outclassed their hosts at times, may wonder how they were beaten but Goodison urged Everton on to victory. Urgency, willpower and unity can feel unstoppable.”
Mike McGrath, via The Telegraph
“With fans pouring onto the pitch at the final whistle, they sang Spirit of the Blues in jubilation. It had taken spirit, mettle and tenacity for Everton to stage this remarkable comeback and seal their safety from relegation. Frank Lampard channelled Pat Cash and headed up to the directors box as the party got going on the Goodison Park turf. His team were two goals down at half-time and were heading towards an anxious final day of the season, yet goals from Michael Keane, Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored the goals that made it a memorable night on Merseyside.
“Those supporters more than played their part in the victory, willing their team to victory even when their chances looked remote. When Jean-Philippe Mateta scored for Palace, the volume increased. Optimism drained when Jordan Ayew doubled the lead, yet they sensed a famous win once Keane started the comeback. It got louder again.
“Everton are looking to move to Bramley-Moore Dock but this rickety old stadium creates a heck of a din. Fans had started the evening drinking in the roads around the ground, having a carnival for their final home game of the season. At one stage it could have been a leaving party as their Premier League status was under serious threat. Going to Arsenal on Sunday and needing a result looked daunting. It felt like there would be another repeat of 1994 when they survived by the skin of their teeth. At 2-0 down to a streetwise Palace side, they looked like a broken team. Nobody could have thought that within 45 minutes there would be flares lit and the final moments of the game being played in a fog of celebratory blue smoke.”
Joe Thomas, via the Liverpool Echo
“As Goodison Park enters its final years it was fitting it should get a night like this. No-one knows what the future holds during the countdown to a new life on the Liverpool waterfront. But one thing is certain: Premier League football will return to this historic stadium next year. That it was ever in so much doubt is shameful. That is another issue, however.
“On Thursday night the Grand Old Lady rocked and bounced, it erupted and exploded, it was a chaos of noise and emotion and by the end the air stung with the taste and smell of the smoke bombs that have come to symbolise the passion and desire of a fanbase that refused to give up. After Dominic Calvert-Lewin - a striker whose personal despair has been entwined with his club's agony during a wretched season of injury for the talisman - sealed one of the most dramatic, and important, comebacks in Everton's modern history, the sky turned blue. For the last 10 minutes watching this frenetic match was like watching football through a social media filter.
“It is some twist that such a forgettable season should end with an occasion as memorable as this. Everyone who was at Goodison Park to watch this remarkable victory over Crystal Palace unfold will have the images of the final minutes and their aftermath seared into their mind's eye - whether they were on the hallowed turf celebrating at the end or in the stands chanting and cheering to every word of every beloved song.”
