Everton kick off their 2026-27 Premier League campaign today (Saturday) as they welcome Crystal Palace to Hill Dickinson Stadium (3pm kick-off). The Blues will be looking to get off to a winning start as they attempt to improve on last season's 13th-placed finish.
That proved to be disappointing given they were very much in the race for European football until the dispiriting defeats to Sunderland and Tottenham Hotspur in the final two games of the campaign. The reaction to those losses were in sharp contrast to the delirious scenes that followed the last-gasp victory over Palace in last season's corresponding clash.
Joe Thomas's selection
Joe Thomas admits there is no new right-back, leaving an unhappy decision between Merlin Rohl and Jake O'Brien. He would start O'Brien, arguing he offers less going forward but is better defensively, which matters with the likes of Yermy Pino and Ismaila Sarr – if the latter is involved given the interest in him.
With O'Brien at right-back, Thomas pairs James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite in the middle, with Vitalii Mykolenko on the left. In midfield, injuries make it a shoot-out between Harrison Armstrong and Hayden Hackney, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall the nailed-on starter. Thomas would include Rohl given his physical attributes and the form he has shown this summer, and alongside them he picks Armstrong, who has more Premier League experience than Hackney and has been excellent this summer.
Up top, Thomas keeps Iliman Ndiaye on the left and Tyler Dibling on the right. He could see a case for starting Brennan Johnson but believes Dibling has shown promise in recent weeks and that it would be harmful to his growing confidence to take him out of the side at this stage. Thierno Barry starts as the main striker.
Thomas's team (4-3-3): Pickford; O'Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Rohl, Dewsbury-Hall, Armstrong; Dibling, Barry, Ndiaye.
Chris Beesley's selection
Chris Beesley notes that Tyrique George has enjoyed an impressive pre-season for Everton, but the summer signing from Chelsea likes to operate on the left and Iliman Ndiaye looked so impressive there against Lille. Beesley would keep Ndiaye on the left against Crystal Palace, as it appeared to give the team a balanced look.
Therefore, Tyler Dibling, who has also displayed some promise this summer, gets a huge opportunity on the opposite flank – with Brennan Johnson waiting in the wings to potentially make his competitive debut as an impact substitute against his previous employers.
Beesley would keep the same starting line-up as last time out, with Merlin Rohl getting the nod at right-back and early chances for home-grown hero Harrison Armstrong and another summer signing Hayden Hackney to continue their fledgling partnership in the engine room while the Blues wait for Christian Norgaard and Player of the Season James Garner to return to fitness.
Beesley's team (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Rohl, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Armstrong, Hackney; Dibling, Dewsbury-Hall, Ndiaye; Barry.
