September 26 2020

Selhurst Park

Crystal Palace ended their perfect start to the season with a 2-1 defeat at home to Everton.

Having beaten Southampton and Manchester United in their first two fixtures, the Eagles were denied any points after another game impacted by VAR.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin notched his fifth league goal of the campaign with a close-range finish from a Seamus Coleman cross on 10 minutes.

Cheikhou Kouyate then nodded Palace level in the 26th minute from an Andros Townsend corner.

However, Richarlison put Everton back in front with a penalty in the 40th minute after Joel Ward was controversially adjudged to have handled Lucas Digne's shot.

Referee Kevin Friend was referred to consult his pitch-side monitor after the VAR officials were not convinced. He pointed to the spot and the Brazilian fired past Vicente Guaita.

After the game, Palace manager Roy Hodgson said: "I predict what will happen is players will start flicking the ball on to a hand and screaming 'handball'.

"A really good game destroyed by a decision. I do not believe in the rule. People in football find it hard to accept. The referee doesn't think it is handball either. He doesn't want to give it but has to because that's what he is told to do. We have lost in a way I find totally unacceptable."

Palace: Guaita, Ward, Kouyate, Sakho, Mitchell, Townsend, McCarthy, McArthur (Riedewald 87), Eze (Batshuyai 74), Ayew (Benteke 82), Zaha.

Not used: Hennessey, Milivojevic, Meyer, Kelly.

Everton: Pickford, Coleman, Mina, Keane, Digne, Doucoure, Allan, Gomes (Sigurdsson 75), Rodriguez (Iwobi 85), Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison (Davies 90).

Not used: Kenny, Bernard, Kean, Lossl.