Three key battles as Palace look to extend hoodoo over Everton

Friday night football pits together two sides who have had, on the whole, a very successful start to the season. Ronald Koeman has come in for deserved praise after Everton have picked up 12 out of the last 15 points on offer, propelling them into fifth position with only goal difference separating them and third placed Arsenal. After a disappointing opening couple of fixtures we’ve kicked on too, coming into the Friday night fixture in a fairly rich vein of form. Confidence for Palace will be sky high after turning around a two goal deficit at Sunderland, securing a result which puts us just three points and two places behind the Merseyside club.

All that means that tomorrow evening looks to be an exciting match up - two in-form, attack minded teams going toe to toe for the three points. Team ethic and hard work go a long way in football and both Everton and Palace have that in spades but to my mind it will be two or three battles that could prove to be decisive and ultimately determine the outcome of the game.

Lukaku vs Damien Delaney & James Tomkins

Romelu Lukaku is arguably one of the best strikers on the Premier League, he’s a player who has the potential to be world class as he matures even further while already maintaining an excellent scoring record. It will be the joint responsibility of both Damien Delaney & James Tomkins to keep him quiet on Friday evening after Scott Dann’s continued absence.

Missing Scott Dann for the trip to Everton will not make the job any easier, his absence as a leader in our defensive unit and his pace advantage over Damien Delaney in particular puts us at an immediate disadvantage when facing a forward of Lukaku’s calibre. It must have been a couple of seasons ago now but I remember being at Goodison Park when Lukaku’s pace saw him glide beyond the defence after a through ball. Needless to say, he slipped it under the keeper and they were 1-0 up in the first 10 minutes. We need a better start than that this time round and keeping danger man Romelu quiet will be key to achieving that

James McArthur vs The Everton Midfield

James McArthur has quickly rediscovered the kind of imperious form that we have grown accustomed since his addition a couple of seasons ago. My admiration for him is no secret – in my view he is nothing short of one of the best midfielders we have ever had at the club and his presence in the starting line-up is of greater importance than nearly every other player on the pitch. His dogged attitude & impressive stamina work in unison with a technical ability you rarely see in someone so adept at breaking up play and setting the team on its way.

While N’Golo Kante reaped praise last season for his masterful performances as a holding midfielder but James McArthur slips under the radar when it comes to exterior plaudits. His ability to break up play, keep the game ticking and chip in with some goals and assists makes him a huge player for Palace and a key one against a side like Everton. Everton’s ability to retain possession is no secret and Palace will be going into the game, particularly as it is away, expecting to surrender possession to Everton in areas. The key to our success is engaging them at the right point. Chase them on the half way line and we’ll be chasing shadows, but leave it until the 18 yard box to get in their faces and we’ll find ourselves losing. James McArthur and Joe Ledley will have to strike the happy medium that keeps us turning the ball over and gives us the opportunity to break.

Wingers vs Full Backs

I know this is a very general statement but the breadth of both sides’ strength in the area means a match winner could come from anywhere. The game could be a great one to watch for the neutral and both our wingers and Everton’s wingers are one of the main reasons. Whether Zaha will start or not isn’t clear, but potentially having Andros Townsend, Wilfried Zaha, Yannick Bolasie and Kevin Mirallas all on the pitch could make for an open and exciting game for the fans and represents a nightmare for the full backs.

We’ve seen first-hand the devastating impact Yannick Bolasie can have on a game, perhaps ironically never more so than against the two Merseyside clubs under the floodlights… ahem, Liverpool. It’s needless to say but he’ll be a real danger on Friday night but perhaps both Joel Ward and Martin Kelly (if he plays) will be able to call in some old experience from training when dealing with him. As for Palace, well Andros Townsend has played a pivotal part in both the turnaround last weekend and the trouncing of Stoke while Zaha himself is unplayable at his mercurial best. If Palace’s flying wingers can outdo Everton’s going forward, while putting in a shift defensively, then that could be the key to a successful trip to Everton.