Everton Incar 4 Besar Tersandung Crystal Palace 2-3
Toffees Top Four Hopes Take Severe Dent as Eagles Soar
Editor : Cahyani Harzi
Translator : Dhelia Gani
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London (B2B) - Everton yang bersaing dengan Arsenal untuk mengincar jatah keempat Liga Champions secara mengejutkan tersandung di tangan tamunya Crystal Palace yang membungkamnya dengan skor 3-2.
Mendominasi penguasaan bola dan melepaskan upaya gol yang jauh lebih banyak, tuan rumah Everton kerepotan membongkar pertahanan Palace yang berada di papan tengah klasemen Liga Utama Inggris itu.
Pada menit 23, Jason Puncheon membawa Palace mempermalukan tuan rumah lewat golnya yang dia ciptakan dengan tendangan kaki kiri dari tengah kotak penalti ke sudut kiri bawah gawang Everton menyusul umpan Marouane Chamakh, seperti dilansir Yahoo Sports.
Everton berusaha membalas gol ini namun sampai 45 menit pertama berakhir, tidak ada lagi gol yang tercipta dan Palace pun sementara unggul 1-0.
Memasuki babak kedua, Crystal Palace kembali menggebrak ketika Scott Dann menciptakan gol kedua timnya usai mengonversi umpan Yannick Bolasie pada menit 49.
12 menit kemudian pada menit 61 Steven Naismith membawa Everton menipiskan kedudukan menjadi 1-2 setelah dia menciptakan sebuah gol hasil aransemen Leighton Baines.
Di saat serangan bertubi-tubi dilancarkan Everton, Crystal Palace malah menambah gol pada menit 73 dari tendangan kaki kanan Cameron Jerome yang tak bisa dibendung kiper Everton.
Everton terus menyerang dan hasilnya pada menit 86 Kevin Mirallas yang melepaskan tendangan dari jarak sangat dekat ke tengah gawang Palace. Kedudukan berubah 2-3 dan posisi ini tidak berubah sampai pertandingan ini usai.
Kegagalan meraih poin ini membuat Everton tertahan di peringkat lima atau satu poin di bawah Arsenal yang mengemas 67 poin, sedangkan Crystal Palace melewati West Ham di posisi 11 dengan 40 poin.
London - Everton squandered an opportunity to reclaim fourth place from Arsenal in the Premier League after Crystal Palace ended their seven-game winning run with a 3-2 away victory on Wednesday.
Everton were seeking to return to the Champions League places after Arsenal had leapfrogged them by beating West Ham United on Tuesday, but instead they remain in fifth place, a point behind Arsene Wenger´s side with four matches to play.
Palace went 2-0 up through goals from Jason Puncheon and Scott Dann either side of half-time, with Cameron Jerome adding a third in the 73rd minute after substitute Steven Naismith had reduced the arrears for the hosts.
Kevin Mirallas clawed a goal back for Everton with four minutes left, but Tony Pulis´s Palace would not be denied a victory that took them to the 40-point mark that usually represents safety from relegation.
Palace have now won five consecutive games and are almost certain to avoid the drop, having been bottom of the table, six points from safety, when Pulis succeeded Ian Holloway as manager in late November.
Everton manager Roberto Martinez made three changes to his starting XI at Goodison Park, with Gareth Barry the only recognised holding midfielder, and his side made a bright start to the game.
Barry headed over from an early Aiden McGeady corner, while Ross Barkley had a penalty appeal waved away after tumbling over Joe Ledley´s outstretched leg and McGeady shot wide from 25 yards.
Palace succeeded in keeping the hosts at arm´s length, however, and in the 23rd minute they took the lead.
Yannick Bolaise cruised past Leighton Baines on the Palace right and although his cross was palmed away by Tim Howard, Marouane Chamakh teed up Puncheon to sweep home his fourth goal in as many matches.
Eager to capitalise on their momentum, Palace continued to press forward, and Bolasie saw a low shot come back off the post 10 minutes before half-time, with Jerome prodding the rebound wide.
