New Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner watched from the stand as substitute Amadou Onana grabbed Everton a crucial late equaliser in a 1-1 draw at Goodison Park.
Jordan Ayew’s 66th-minute goal was greeted with a beaming smile from the former Eintracht Frankfurt coach, who was sandwiched between Eagles chairman Steve Parish and ex-striker Mark Bright in the directors’ box.
The 2022 Europa League winner had no input into the game, having only been announced as Roy Hodgson’s successor less than three hours’ before kick-off, but the change looked to have had the desired effect.
However, Onana came off the bench to nod home from an 84th-minute corner to snatch the point which lifted the Toffees out of the bottom three.
Defeat would have been calamitous for Sean Dyche’s side but the draw at least ensured Palace, with just two league wins in their last 14 matches, were denied a victory which would have pulled them eight points clear of the relegation zone.
Glasner said he was looking forward to working with a talented squad and this display, without the stardust provided by the injured duo of Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise, will have given him some encouragement.
Assistant managers Paddy McCarthy and Ray Lewington took charge for the game after Hodgson, who was hospitalised after falling ill at training on Thursday, confirmed his decision to step down earlier in the day.
Their futures have yet to be decided as no announcement has been made on Glasner’s backroom staff but if this was their last involvement they at least did their former boss proud with an organised performance after days of uncertainty.
Everton will feel this was a missed opportunity but they were far from their best and the returning Abdoulaye Doucoure, making only his second appearance in 12 matches after injury, looked rusty – none more so than when he somehow failed to convert from six yards.
But in terms of missed opportunities, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, in particular, was culpable with headers in either half which he would have buried at the height of his powers but a lack of confidence saw his goalless run stretch to 19 games.
A nondescript first half ended with the home side being booed off after failing to register a shot on target, with Doucoure’s volley wide and Calvert-Lewin’s header from Dwight McNeil’s cross off target.
The visitors’ Odsonne Edouard had shot straight at Jordan Pickford and Jean-Philippe Mateta’s header was cleared off the line by Ashley Young.
Things improved slightly after the break and it required Pickford to charge down a Tyrick Mitchell effort with his chest and opposite number Sam Johnstone to parry James Tarkowski’s goalbound header.
The mess Doucoure made of trying to divert Idrissa Gana Gueye’s miscued drive from the loose ball suggested it was not to be Everton’s night.
And that seemed to be the case when Mateta held off Jarrad Branthwaite to tee up Ayew to strike an angled drive past Pickford for only his third goal of the season.
Another Calvert-Lewin header went wide and James Garner’s shot was parried before Onana rose above Johnstone to head home McNeil’s corner, but Everton’s winless run was extended to eight league matches and they remain in trouble pending the imminent outcome of their appeal against a 10-point deduction for breaching profit and sustainability rules.
'I want to be a number one' – Kelleher eyes Liverpool departure
Caoimhin Kelleher is ready to leave Liverpool in search of first-team football.
Kelleher, 25, has been Alisson's back-up for several seasons at Anfield, though did play in some big games during Jurgen Klopp's time in charge.
That included starring in the EFL Cup final against Chelsea in 2022.
However, with Liverpool having signed Giorgi Mamardashvili, who will join next season, Kelleher believes the time is right to move on.
And the Republic of Ireland goalkeeper suggested he could have left this summer, if Liverpool had not rejected offers.
"I made it clear in the last few years I want to go be a number one and play week in, week out," said Kelleher ahead of Ireland's Nations League clash with Greece.
"The club made the decision to get another goalkeeper.
"From the outside looking in, it looks like they have made a decision to go in another direction.
"My ambition has always been clear the last few seasons that I want to be a number one, playing week in week out.
"At times it is not always in my hands. My mission was to go out and play, and be a number one.
"It has been reported that Liverpool had rejected a few bids as well. It is not always in my hands to make the decision. My ambition is to prove I am good enough to play week in, week out."
Kelleher made seven saves from nine shots against England on Saturday, and could do little to prevent either Declan Rice or Jack Grealish scoring to hand the Three Lions a 2-0 win.
El Salvador and St Vincent and the Grenadines earn victories in CONCACAF Nations League B
El Salvador and St Vincent and the Grenadines emerged victorious in their respective matches on Sunday as the 2024/25 CONCACAF Nations League B continued at Stadion Antonio Trenidat in Rincon, Bonaire. Both teams solidified their positions at the top of Group A, with El Salvador maintaining their perfect start to the campaign and St Vincent and the Grenadines picking up their first win.
St Vincent and the Grenadines earned a crucial 2-0 victory over Montserrat, marking their first win of the current campaign. Cornelius Stewart opened the scoring in the 15th minute after receiving a long ball from Bishon Richards, calmly slotting the ball past the Montserrat goalkeeper. Stewart, the Vincy Heat’s all-time scorer in the CONCACAF Nations League, continues his impressive form, having scored in every edition of the tournament.
Montserrat had a golden opportunity to equalize in the 60th minute when Brandon Barzey stepped up for a penalty kick. However, St Vincent and the Grenadines goalkeeper Lemus Christopher made a crucial save to maintain his team’s lead. Diel Spring sealed the win in the 88th minute, with Stewart providing the assist for the second goal.
Christopher’s five saves ensured a clean sheet for St Vincent and the Grenadines, as they secured all three points to stay in contention for promotion.
El Salvador retained their spot at the top of Group A with a 2-1 victory over Bonaire. The Salvadorans, who are eyeing a return to League A, finished September with two wins from two matches for a perfect six-point start.
The first half looked set to end goalless until an own goal by Bonaire’s Quincy Hoeve off a Nelson Blanco corner gave El Salvador the lead in the 45th+3 minute. El Salvador doubled their advantage in the 60th minute with a well-executed passing sequence that set up Emerson Mauricio for a simple finish, his second goal of the tournament.
Bonaire pulled one back in stoppage time, with Jort van der Sande heading home a corner in the 90th+1 minute, but it wasn’t enough to deny El Salvador the win.
With these results, El Salvador remains on top of Group A with six points, while St Vincent and the Grenadines sit second with four points. Bonaire follows in third with one point, and Montserrat is in fourth place without a point after the September matches.
Belize, Barbados, and St Kitts and Nevis secure wins in CONCACAF Nations League C
The 2024/25 CONCACAF Nations League C saw exciting action on Saturday, with Belize, Barbados, and Saint Kitts and Nevis emerging victorious in their respective group encounters. All three teams secured first place in their groups with strong performances that marked winning starts to their campaigns.
Belize delivered a commanding 4-0 victory over Turks and Caicos Islands at the TCIFA National Stadium in Providenciales, securing the top spot in Group B. The visitors opened the scoring early, with Orlando Velasquez netting a header in the 12th minute off a free kick from Nahjib Guerra. Jordy Polanco doubled the lead in the 43rd minute, converting a free kick from midfield, and Michael Palacio added a third in the 66th minute from the penalty spot.
Polanco completed his brace in the 73rd minute, slotting home a left-footed shot after receiving a cross from Gabriel Ramos. Belize goalkeeper Charles Tillett preserved his clean sheet by denying Billy Forbes from the penalty spot in the 76th minute, sealing an emphatic victory for the visitors.
With the win, Belize took first place in Group B, holding the edge on goal difference.
Barbados earned a dramatic 3-2 victory over the Bahamas in a tightly contested Group A match at the Bethlehem Soccer Complex in Christiansted, U.S. Virgin Islands. Zachary Applewhite gave Barbados the early lead in the 10th minute with a strike from outside the box, but the Bahamas leveled the match in the 42nd minute through Brandon Adderley, who headed home a corner from Jordan Cheetham.
Adderley then put the Bahamas in front with a left-footed finish in the 66th minute, but Barbados rallied late. Ethan Taylor equalized in the 80th minute with a header from a corner, and two minutes later, Andre Applewhaite scored the match-winner with a strike from the left side of the box.
Barbados now sits atop Group A with three points, while the Bahamas remain on one point following their earlier draw with the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Saint Kitts and Nevis secured a dominant 4-1 win over the Cayman Islands at the Truman Bodden Complex in George Town, moving to the top of Group C. Kimaree Rogers opened the scoring in the 10th minute with a left-footed finish after connecting with a long cross from Malique Roberts. Tiquanny Williams doubled the lead in the 19th minute with a well-placed shot from the right side of the box and earned his second goal of the match in the 37th minute, capitalizing on a through ball from Gvaune Amory.
The Cayman Islands pulled one back in the 51st minute through Mason Duval, who headed home a cross from Joshwa Campbell, but Dionis Stephen restored Saint Kitts and Nevis' three-goal lead in the 72nd minute with a left-footed strike inside the box.
Saint Kitts and Nevis took first place in Group C, edging out the Cayman Islands on goal difference, with both teams sitting on three points.
These wins mark strong starts for Belize, Barbados, and Saint Kitts and Nevis, who now lead their respective groups as the 2024/25 CONCACAF Nations League C continues.
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