The Premier League's new season kicks off on 22 August 2026 with Everton hosting Crystal Palace at Hill Dickinson Stadium. David Moyes, who took charge on 11 January 2025, opens his second full season at the club, while Pierre Sage, appointed on 15 June 2026 after Oliver Glasner's exit, makes his competitive debut as Palace manager. The two have never met competitively and Sage is entirely new to English football having arrived from France this summer, so any billing of this as a tactical chess match is pure projection. What we know about Sage comes from his Lyon stint, where he built a side that pressed aggressively and played out from the back at every opportunity, though how that carries over to a Premier League opener is anyone's real guess.
Everton ended 2025/26 without a win in their final run of fixtures and Palace were not much better but pre-season is pre-season and neither manager will want to lend that too much weight. The more pressing concern going into this one is availability, particularly for Everton: Tim Iroegbunam is out with an adductor injury, while James Garner and Christian Norgaard are both doubts with groin and muscular problems. That is three midfielders in question before a ball has been kicked and it could force Moyes into a more conservative setup than he would prefer. Palace have one notable absentee, with Dean Henderson a doubt due to an ankle injury, which could mean a change in goalkeeper.
Everton look set to line up in a 4-2-3-1, with Jordan Pickford behind a back four anchored by Jarrad Branthwaite, who dominates aerially and pushes into build up play where he can. Iliman Ndiaye operates at ten, dropping into pockets between the lines to link the double pivot and lone striker Beto. The shape under Moyes prioritises compactness and vertical transitions.
Sage is expected to set Palace up in either a 3-4-2-1 or 3-4-3, with Tyrick Mitchell pushing high on the left and the right wing back mirroring him on the other side, both looking to get into delivery positions early. Adam Wharton sits deep to control tempo and recycle, while Jorgen Strand Larsen leads the line looking to run the channels in behind. It is a territory hungry setup that pulls in the opposite direction from Everton's approach. A Henderson absence, if confirmed, mainly affects Palace's distribution from the back but is unlikely to change their overall shape.
The battle worth watching most closely is Ndiaye versus Wharton in the middle, with Ndiaye looking to ghost into pockets and Wharton tasked with following him without losing his defensive shape. Mitchell's forward runs could pull Everton's right back out of shape forcing him to choose between tracking Mitchell's run or holding his line and with the midfield short of bodies, both Palace wing backs will find more room than Moyes would want his team to give them. Branthwaite against Strand Larsen at set pieces will matter too, particularly given how much Everton rely on aerial delivery from dead balls under Moyes, with Branthwaite and Beto both among the most dangerous targets from corners in the league.
Everton have won 29 of 66 meetings with Palace and have gone unbeaten in their last 9 to 11 Premier League encounters, a record that lends weight to any draw call in a tight opener. The call here is 1-1, with kick off around 15:00 UK time: Everton's midfield absences leave them more exposed than Moyes would like and Palace's wing back system is built to exploit exactly that kind of space but Everton's unbeaten run in this fixture argues against Palace taking all three points. Moyes will take a point without admitting it and Sage will feel the same way, though he will probably perform a bit more disappointment.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
