Jack Grealish scored in stoppage time to end Crystal Palace‘s 19-game unbeaten run as Everton staged an unlikely comeback to snatch a 2-1 win.

Oliver Glasner’s side looked to be heading towards second place in the Premier League when Daniel Munoz opened the scoring, which triggered Everton to be booed off at the break.

Palace should have doubled their lead, but Jean-Phillipe Mateta had one cleared off the line and fired wide from close range. They were punished for not putting the game to bed when Iliman Ndiaye rolled home a penalty after a foul by Maxence Lacroix.

Everton and the Hill Dickinson Stadium crowd sensed an unlikely comeback was on as Palace slipped deeper in stoppage time and Grealish pounced after Beto’s header was saved by Dean Henderson to spark wild celebrations.

The on-loan Manchester City winger knew little about it as Eagles’ goalscorer Munoz’s clearance rebounded off him into the net, but he happily claimed it, after manager David Moyes had called on him to produce more of a threat in front of goal.

That threat had been absent from the whole team for the majority of the game until Lacroix needlessly gave away a penalty, which allowed Ndiaye to equalise 14 minutes from time.

This victory for the home side felt like a lift-off in their new Hill-Dickinson Stadium, where they remain unbeaten.

Despite the defeat, some context is required for Palace, as a year ago, they were 18th and without a win. Even after the disappointment here, fifth place is uncharted territory still under Glasner.

Mateta’s finish costly for Palace

Jean-Philippe Mateta’s finishing cost Crystal Palace their unbeaten run. Let’s not sugar-coat it.

The result for Oliver Glasner could – and arguably should – have been very different had Mateta brought his shooting boots.

Mateta missed a combined 0.59 of expected goals, two of which were defined as big chances. In a sport decided by such fine margins, that’s simply not good enough.

When chances come at a premium in the Premier League – especially away from home – your striker has to make the difference. Mateta? He was the difference, but for the wrong reasons.

The big Frenchman has been enjoying a purple patch under Glasner, linking play with intelligence and giving Palace more bite in the final third.

However, missing big chances is becoming a theme now. Mateta has missed seven of nine big chances in the Premier League this season and has underperformed his expected goals by 2.2 this season – the worst record of any player.

After a two-year spell of overperformance, the regression has hit.