Everton vs Crystal Palace: Moyes' Return and Sage's Debut
Everton’s new era under David Moyes begins where the old one so often crackled into life – at home, with expectation hanging in the air and points there for the taking.
At Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday, August 22, the Toffees launch their 2026/27 Premier League campaign against a Crystal Palace side arriving with its own fresh start and a manager eager to make a statement. Kick-off is at 10:00 a.m. local time.
How to watch in the United States
For viewers in the U.S., Everton vs Crystal Palace is being shown across several platforms:
- UNIVERSO
- USA Network
- Fubo
- DirecTV Stream
- Sling TV
Each service will carry live coverage of Moyes’ first competitive game back in charge and Pierre Sage’s Premier League bow.
Two new managers, one important opening act
Moyes steps back into the Everton dugout with a fixture that feels bigger than a routine opener. After a turbulent few seasons, the club needs a clean start, a performance that calms nerves and sets a standard. A home crowd in Liverpool will expect exactly that.
Across the technical area, Sage takes charge of Palace in the top flight for the first time. The Frenchman inherits a squad with quality in key areas and has wasted no time putting his stamp on it. Palace travel north not as passive visitors, but as a side determined to impose a new identity from the first whistle.
Both clubs come into the day knowing this isn’t just about three points. It’s about tone. About proof of concept.
Palace dig in during the window
The message from Selhurst Park this summer has been clear: key pieces are staying.
Palace have rejected an approach from Manchester City for Adam Wharton, with Sage adamant the England international will not be leaving in this window. Wharton, central to Palace’s structure and tempo, is being built around, not cashed in on.
Defensively, Palace are close to securing Axel Disasi from Chelsea on a season-long loan. His arrival would add presence and depth to a back line Sage wants compact, organised and difficult to break down from day one.
Everton’s quiet confidence and the Grealish question
Everton have been busy in their own way. The headline noise surrounds Jack Grealish. Chief executive Angus Kinnear has confirmed contact with Manchester City over a potential move for the winger, a deal that would reshape Everton’s attacking threat if it happens before the window closes.
For now, though, Moyes starts with a squad that looks settled enough to compete. The focus is on structure, clarity and early points, not on waiting for late-window miracles.
Projected line-ups and team news
Moyes is expected to go with a strong, balanced XI.
For Everton, Jordan Pickford should start in goal. In front of him, a back four of Jarrad Branthwaite, James Tarkowski, Vitaliy Mykolenko and Jake O'Brien offers height, aggression and some composure on the ball.
Midfield is likely to feature Harrison Armstrong, Merlin Roehl and Hayden Hackney, a trio tasked with screening the defence and feeding the front line. Ahead of them, Iliman Ndiaye and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall are set to support striker Thierno Barry, giving Everton movement between the lines and a focal point up top.
The Toffees are without James Garner, Tim Iroegbunam and Christian Noergaard through injury. No suspensions are listed.
Sage’s first Premier League selection for Palace looks equally defined.
Walter Benitez is expected to start in goal, protected by a back four of Jaydee Canvot, Chadi Riad, Chris Richards and Tyrick Mitchell. That unit will be asked to hold firm against Everton’s early surge at home.
Ismaila Sarr, Dwight McNeil, Daichi Kamada, Adam Wharton and Oscar Mingueza are projected to operate across midfield and wide areas, with Joergen Strand Larsen leading the line. It’s a set-up that blends pace, work rate and technical quality.
Dean Henderson is the only player listed as injured for Palace, and there are no suspensions in Sage’s squad.
Pre-season clues – and question marks
Neither side arrives with a flawless pre-season behind them.
Everton went 2-2-1 in their five friendlies. Their last outing, a 1-1 draw with Lille on August 15, underlined both their organisation and lingering sharpness issues in front of goal. A 3-1 win over Newcastle earlier in the summer was their standout display, while a 2-1 victory away at Hamburger SV showed resilience on the road.
The warning signs? Defeats to VfB Stuttgart (3-1) and Stoke City (1-0), where they conceded six goals across those two matches. Moyes will know those lapses cannot carry into the Premier League.
Palace’s build-up has been similarly mixed, finishing 2-1-2. A 3-0 defeat to Freiburg on August 15 exposed defensive gaps and raised questions about how quickly Sage’s ideas are bedding in. Before that, though, they beat Fulham 2-1 and Al-Ula FC 3-1, hinting at attacking promise and the ability to control games when they click.
They also lost 3-0 to Lens and drew 0-0 with Famalicao, scoring six and conceding seven across five games. For both managers, pre-season has offered hints rather than hard truths.
That ends now.
Recent history favours Everton
The head-to-head numbers lean Everton’s way.
The last meeting between the sides finished 2-2 at Selhurst Park on May 10, 2026, a game that underlined how little there is between them on any given day. But over the last five Premier League clashes, Everton have three wins and two draws. Palace have none.
Everton have scored nine goals in those five games to Palace’s seven. At Hill Dickinson Stadium, the pattern is even clearer: the Toffees have won both previous league meetings at the new ground, 2-1 in October 2025 and 2-1 in September 2024.
Palace know they can score against Everton. They also know they haven’t yet found a way to turn that into three points on this particular patch of Merseyside.
Early-table tension
On paper, this is “just” an opening fixture. On the table, it already carries an edge.
Crystal Palace sit eighth and Everton ninth heading into the game. One match, one swing, and those positions flip. For clubs with ambitions of pushing into the top half and beyond, these are the margins that define a season’s mood.
The numbers say Everton hold the edge in the recent rivalry. The summer says Palace have no intention of backing down.
Which new manager stamps his authority first?
