Everton vs Crystal Palace

On Saturday at Goodison Park, Everton and Crystal Palace, two teams that have not yet experienced victory in the Premier League this season, square off.

This week, the home crowd was given much-needed relief when it was announced that The Friedkin Group had reached an agreement to purchase the team, ending Farhad Moshiri's miserable tenure as the club's owner.

Normally, if a Premier League team had not yet secured a victory after five games, there would be cause for concern; however, this season, things might not be as dire.

With their first away from London, this is Crystal Palace's eighth match of the season. Judging by their previous performances, they could not have been given a worse venue to visit.

For the first time in Premier League history, six clubs have yet to secure a victory after five gameweeks, indicating that despite sluggish starts, there is no immediate sense of alarm for these teams.

Everton's start to the season has been particularly unusual, as while their overall performance hasn't been poor, their struggle to maintain leads is a significant issue.

Before the international break, Sean Dyche's team controlled the game against a lackluster Bournemouth side for 87 minutes but astonishingly squandered a two-goal lead, eventually losing in the final moments.

A similar pattern unfolded at Aston Villa, where Everton again led 2-0 before losing, and last week at Leicester City, they were unable to protect a one-goal advantage. As a result, they head into the weekend with just one point, sitting just above the bottom of the table due to alphabetical order.

This sequence means that, for the first time since 1999, Everton have taken the lead in three consecutive Premier League games without winning any of them. Moreover, the Toffees have dropped 18 points from winning positions in 2024—the most of any club in the league.

However, there may be room for optimism, as the return of young defender Jarrad Branthwaite could be crucial. Last season, his presence helped Everton secure the fourth-best defensive record in the league.

Currently, Everton shares the league’s worst defensive record with Wolverhampton Wanderers, conceding 14 goals in their first five matches, and Branthwaite's absence has likely contributed to that poor run.

Oliver Glasner has not managed an Eagles game since taking charge of the team's 1-1 draw in the blue half of Merseyside on the day he was appointed, despite the Eagles' dismal record on their previous nine trips there.

Even though Palace lost Michael Olise, Glasner's appointment the previous season had a significant impact on the team. However, thus far, the team's performance has not been favorable.

Despite losing their first two league games to West Ham United and Brentford, Palace is still winless overall.

On paper, their schedule of draws with Chelsea, Leicester, and Manchester United appears respectable; but, they need to secure their first victory if they hope to watch their season evaporate before their very eyes.

Similar to Everton, Palace has had plenty of chances to win games, but they have struggled to seize such opportunities. In their 0-0 draw with Manchester United last week, for example, star player Eberechi Eze missed two excellent ones.

Reuniting with James Tarkowski after a successful season together, Branthwaite played 90 minutes for the Everton Under-21s last weekend and has been training hard this week. As a result, the defender should be ready to go right away.

In addition, Nathan Patterson has returned from a protracted absence to perhaps resolve Everton's full-back dilemma. Idrissa Gueye has also returned after being given time off due to a family bereavement, and Vitalii Mykolenko has recovered from the illness that kept him out last week.

Despite missing a great early opportunity, Jesper Lindstrom's first Premier League start last weekend would have thrilled Everton supporters, and he should maintain his spot ahead of Jack Harrison.