Three Everton players have picked themselves against Crystal Palace after their displays vs West Ham
David Moyes has some tough decisions to make before facing Crystal Palace after Everton drew 1-1 against West Ham.
Prior to the game, the focus was on Nuno Espirito Santo who replaced Graham Potter as West Ham manager on 27 September.
Former Southampton striker Matt Le Tissier exclusively told Football Insider that Espirito Santo would make an instant impact at West Ham with some marginal improvements on show in his first game in charge.
In the opposing dugout, Moyes would’ve been frustrated by the point at home considering how dominant his side was for large parts of the game.
Ahead of the next Premier League clash against the Eagles these three players have to start for Everton.
Michael Keane
With all the focus on James Tarkowski’s brilliance at the start of the 2025-26 campaign, little has been said of Michael Keane who has been quietly performing at an excellent level.
The Englishman turned in James Garner’s cross in the 18th minute to smash home a tremendous header near the edge of the 18-yard box.
| Michael Keane vs West Ham (29 September) | |
| Touches | 71 |
| Accurate passes (%) | 41/48 (85%) |
| Clearances | 11 |
| Aerial duels (won) | 9 (6) |
| Ground duels (won) | 4 (2) |
The former Burnley man was also imperious at the back, notching 11 clearances and winning eight of his 13 duels.
Although still out with injury, Man United target Jarrad Branthwaite does not need to be rushed back with Keane in superb form.
Idrissa Gueye
The metronome of Moyes’ midfield, the Senegalese continues to show that age is just a number.
The 36-year-old was all over the pitch as always, running from box-to-box to cover every blade of grass to support his teammates.
Moreover, his 95 per cent passing accuracy reflected his care and quality on the ball when in possession as Idrissa Gueye popped it around with ease.
Based on his current set of performances, the ex-PSG terrier cannot be dropped and must feature against Palace.
Jack Grealish
The Man City loanee’s comeback campaign continues as he put in a dazzling display in front of the Hill Dickinson faithful.
The 30-year-old was fierce down the left-hand side, delivering four key passes as well as winning five fouls to give the Toffees key moments of recovery during intense Hammers pressure.
Data from Football Insider’s statistics partnership with Opta highlights how forward-thinking Jack Grealish was for Everton as shown by his pass map.
He attempted 39 passes during the 90 minutes with 34 finding their target, notching a 87 per cent pass accuracy rate.
The bulk of his passes were centred in the attacking third as he frequently teed up his teammates for golden opportunities to strike or retain possession to build the attacking threat.
Moreover, the match-up against Palace is screaming out for the Englishman’s defence-unlocking ability to break down the dogged Oliver Glasner rearguard.
In my eyes, Grealish is undoubtedly one of the first name on Moyes’ team sheet and his upwards trajectory will almost certainly capture the attention of England boss Thomas Tuchel.