Everton vs Crystal Palace. Premier League.
Goodison ParkAttendance38,758.
Friday 30 September 2016 20:31, UK
Everton will look to return to winning ways in the Premier League when they host Crystal Palace, live on Friday Night Football on Sky Sports 2 HD from 6.30pm.
Bournemouth overcame Everton 1-0 last weekend, ending a run of five league games unbeaten for Ronald Koeman in his first season in charge at Goodison Park.
Palace meanwhile will be buoyed by their sensational second-half comeback against Sunderland, where they trailed 2-0 after an hour before going on to win 3-2.
Victory over Sunderland was Palace's third league win in a row, and Alan Pardew will be hoping his side can continue their fine form in the Friday Night Football game - live on Sky Sports 2.
Everton will be without Leighton Baines, who has been nursing a hamstring injury that Toffees boss Koeman says
makes it "too risky" for the full-back to be involved in the game, while striker Romelu Lukaku - recently troubled by a toe problem - will start.
Koeman has also said James McCarthy (groin) would be returning to training with Everton next week if he had not been called up by the Republic of Ireland, who he hopes will "protect" the midfielder.
Wilfried Zaha is back in the Palace squad, having missed last weekend's win at Sunderland with a slight hamstring strain.
Striker Jonathan Benteke faces four months out after suffering a knee injury in training while captain Scott Dann (hamstring) remains absent.
This game is the third Friday Night Football of the season on Sky Sports. Tune in from 6.30pm on Sky Sports 2 HD as Jeff Stelling and Rachel Riley bring you pre-match build-up in the company of Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher and Jamie Redknapp.
You'll see big-name interviews before the match as Henry chats to Everton striker Lukaku, Jamie Carragher sits down with Everton manager Ronald Koeman and Geoff Shreeves talks to Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew.
Plus Tubes gets to chat and play FIFA with Palace duo Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend.
If you're out and about you can watch on Sky Go or follow the live blog on our digital platforms with in-game goals and highlights available to Sky Sports customers on the new Football Score Centre App.
Not a Sky Sports subscriber? Why not sign up for a 24-hour NOW TV pass for just £6.99.
Everton have won just one of their last six Premier League meetings with Crystal Palace (D3 L2) - winning 1-0 in January 2015 courtesy of a goal from Romelu Lukaku.
Christian Benteke has scored four and assisted one more in five Premier League appearances against Everton.
The Eagles are unbeaten in their last three Premier League visits to Goodison Park (W2 D1), scoring seven and conceding five goals in the process.
Romelu Lukaku has netted three goals in his last four top-flight appearances against Crystal Palace.
Ronald Koeman has seen his team(s) keep only two clean sheets in his last 18 Premier League games as a manager.
Palace have collected just one point fewer in their last four Premier League games (10) than their other 21 Premier League games in 2016.
Palace have not won four Premier League games in a row since April 2015. The Eagles have gone 11 Premier League games without a clean sheet.
Yannick Bolasie has two assists for Everton this season, only one fewer than he managed in the Premier League in the whole of 2015-16 for Palace.
Everton have conceded fewer shots on target than any other Premier League team this season (12).
Palace seem to have turned the corner and are flying at the moment, but if they didn't score so soon after Sunderland went 2-0 up last weekend I don't think they would have got back in the game. It was a disappointing result for Everton against Bournemouth and they will be looking to bounce back.
There's not much between Romelu Lukaku and Christian Benteke if both sides play to their strengths but Lukaku has looked bright recently and Benteke is just starting out with a new club.
PAUL PREDICTS: 2-1 (Sky Bet odds 7/1)
In Off the Bar
Friday Night Football is back on Sky Sports screens this week and so is Carling In Off The Bar, our new online show.
Soccer AM's Adam Smith and Laura Woods will be live from Mackenzies Whiskey Bar and you can join us for pre-match fun from 6pm on skysports.com and the Sky Sports apps, as well as on Soccer AM's YouTube and Facebook pages.
After the clash, you'll be able to join us again from 10.45pm for reaction and more chatter, with Sky Sports' Geoff Shreeves and Alan Smith dropping by. The show will also air on Sky Sports 1 following match analysis from Jeff Stelling, Rachel Riley and our Friday Night Football studio guests.
Smithy and Laura will be joined by comedian and actor Lloyd Griffith, football freestyler John Farnsworth and Spencer Owen AKA Spencer FC - YouTuber, manager of 'Hashtag United' and organiser of the Wembley Cup.
Everton are Sky Bet's 8/11 favourites for the victory on Friday night, with Crystal Palace up against odds of 4/1 while the draw is priced at 11/4.
Romelu Lukaku heads the first goalscorer betting at 100/30 while Christian Benteke is considered the visitors' main threat at 13/2, while the latter Belgian is enhanced from 5/1 to 7/1 to net in an Eagles win.
The Soccer Saturday pundits and Jamie Redknapp have made their predictions, including Charlie Nicholas' 30/1 fancy for Lukaku to score first a 3-1 Toffees win.
