Everton begin their 2026-27 Premier League season this Saturday when they face Crystal Palace at Hill Dickinson Stadium, with the match kicking off at 3pm. The club will be aiming for a positive result to surpass last season’s 13th-place finish.
That campaign ultimately fell short of expectations as the team remained in contention for continental qualification before suffering defeats to Sunderland and Tottenham in the closing fixtures.
Those results contrasted sharply with the celebrations that greeted their dramatic late win over Palace in the equivalent fixture twelve months earlier.
Can the home side secure another victory over the Eagles? And what side should manager David Moyes field to achieve that?
Our Everton correspondents share their views…
Joe Thomas
No fresh right-back has arrived, meaning a difficult call between Merlin Rohl and Jake O’Brien awaits. These are the sole viable candidates and everyone acknowledges this, yet I anticipate sighs when the lineup is revealed at 1.45pm.
I would hand O’Brien the start. He provides less attacking threat but excels defensively, which matters given the threats posed by Yermy Pino and Ismaila Sarr, assuming the latter features amid ongoing transfer speculation.
Selecting O’Brien at right-back would create a centre-back pairing of James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite, with Vitalii Mykolenko on the opposite flank.
Midfield injuries create a straight contest between Harrison Armstrong and Hayden Hackney in my view. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is guaranteed to start, and I would include Rohl given his physical presence and his performances throughout the summer.
Alongside those two, Armstrong would be my choice. He brings more top-flight experience than Hackney and has shone during pre-season, warranting faith.
In attack, Iliman Ndiaye is most effective from the left and I would maintain him there. On the right, I would select Tyler Dibling. There is an argument for Brennan Johnson, but Dibling has demonstrated potential recently and removing him now could damage his developing confidence, particularly since nobody else has made a compelling case for that spot.
Thierno Barry leads the line for me.
Everton (4-3-3): Pickford; O’Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Rohl, Dewsbury-Hall, Armstrong; Dibling, Barry, Ndiaye.
Chris Beesley
Tyrique George showed promising form during pre-season but the summer acquisition from Chelsea favours operating on the left, and Iliman Ndiaye impressed there against Lille.
The Senegal international is the team’s most talented creator, and having looked so comfortable in the position where he excelled during his final season at Goodison Park, I would keep Ndiaye on the left for the Palace match as it appeared to give the side balance.
Therefore, Tyler Dibling, who has also demonstrated some encouraging signs this summer, receives a significant opportunity on the right flank, with Everton’s newest recruit Brennan Johnson ready to potentially make his competitive debut from the bench against his former club.
I would maintain the same starting eleven from the previous match, with Merlin Rohl preferred at right-back, and give early opportunities to homegrown talent Harrison Armstrong and another summer signing Hayden Hackney to continue their developing partnership in midfield and establish themselves while the club awaits the returns of Christian Norgaard and Player of the Season James Garner from injury.
My side (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Rohl, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Armstrong, Hackney; Dibling, Dewsbury-Hall, Ndiaye; Barry.