Crystal Palace Faces Tough Test Against Everton in Premier League Opener

Crystal Palace step into the new Premier League season with a fresh face in the dugout and an old problem in front of them.

Pierre Sage’s first competitive game in charge sends Palace to Merseyside on Saturday afternoon, away to an Everton side that has tormented them for years at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. The backdrop is enticing: the Eagles arrive as newly crowned UEFA Europa Conference League winners, but history in this fixture offers little comfort.

Sage’s first test

Sage replaces Oliver Glasner with expectation already heavy on his shoulders. The Frenchman arrives with serious pedigree after a superb season with Lens, where he lifted the Coupe de France and finished second in Ligue 1. Now comes the Premier League, and a debut against a team Palace almost never beat.

He has made his stance clear: Palace will travel north to win, not just to survive. Ambition, he insists, will define his reign.

He will need it. Palace have not won their opening Premier League match since the 2023/24 season. Only two of the club’s previous 16 permanent managers managed to win their first league game in charge. The job rarely starts smoothly at Selhurst Park.

There is a counterweight to that statistic. Palace were one of the division’s most effective away sides last term, taking 24 of their 45 points on the road. They travel well. They’ll need that resilience in a stadium where they have not celebrated a league win since the 2014/15 campaign.

Everton’s own demons

Everton are hardly a picture of calm. Their first season at the Hill Dickinson Stadium never truly caught fire, especially at home, and a campaign that once promised European football crumbled under a seven-game winless run to close out the league.

David Moyes has his own ugly streak to snap. Everton have lost their opening league fixture in each of the last four seasons and failed to score in any of them. Another blank would drag them into unwanted territory before August is out.

Yet when Palace show up, Everton usually find a way. The Toffees are unbeaten in 11 games against the Eagles in all competitions. In the Premier League, Palace have beaten them just once in their last 23 meetings, drawing 10 and losing 12. That is not a hoodoo; it is a stranglehold.

Set-pieces and soft spots

If Sage wanted a clear early job description, the numbers have provided one. Palace conceded 20 goals from set-pieces in the league last season, the joint-highest total in the division. Those goals made up 39% of all they let in, the highest proportion of any team.

Against an Everton side that has long prized dead-ball situations, that is a flashing red warning light. Palace cannot afford to repeat last year’s frailty at corners and free-kicks and expect a different outcome.

Everton, though, come in wounded. They did not win any of their final seven league matches last season. Under Moyes, they have never gone eight Premier League games without a victory. One run has to give.

Palace team news: new faces and tight calls

Sage’s first lineup is already complicated by fitness concerns. Dean Henderson is a doubt after twisting his ankle in the final pre-season friendly against Freiburg. If he does not make it, “serial winner” Walter Benitez is poised for his competitive debut in goal.

On the right, Daniel Muñoz may have to settle for a place on the bench. He has only 18 pre-season minutes in his legs after returning from the 2026 World Cup. That opens the door for new signing Oscar Mingueza to start at right wing-back, an early chance to stamp his authority on the side.

Up front, Palace are managing World Cup after-effects as well. Jean-Philippe Mateta has not played since the tournament, leaving Jorgen Strand Larsen as the likely option to lead the line.

Ismaila Sarr, last season’s top scorer with 21 goals, is expected to start despite ongoing speculation about his future. His pace and directness will be central to any Palace counter-attacking threat.

Behind him, Matheus Franca has caught Sage’s eye in pre-season with four goals, but the Brazilian may have to wait for his moment from the bench. For a manager who preaches ambition, that attacking depth is a welcome problem.

A new coach, a cursed fixture, and two clubs trying to shake off old habits. One of them will leave the Hill Dickinson Stadium with their story already changing.