Jordan Pickford made two crucial saves as 10-man Everton and Crystal Palace played out a goalless draw at a very windy Selhurst Park.
The England goalkeeper, who endured a mixed 2018-19 campaign, blocked efforts from Jordan Ayew and then Max Meyer as Palace put the visitors under pressure in the second half.
German Meyer also went close in the first half when his goalbound effort looped behind off the foot of Seamus Coleman.
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Marco Silva’s Everton dominated much of the first period with Gylfi Sigurdsson firing a yard wide before full-back Coleman smacked a shot into the body of goalkeeper Vicente Guaita.
Sigurdsson produced another effort that was blocked on the line and team-mate Richarlison curled a sumptuous effort narrowly wide of Guaita’s upright.
Palace’s Wilfried Zaha, who handed in a transfer request and was the subject of a summer window bid from the opponents, came on in the 65th minute to warm applause.
He failed to affect the scoreline as did the 76th minute sending off of Morgan Schneiderlin, who picked up a second yellow for a foul on Luka Milivojevic, as Everton kept Roy Hodgson’s men at bay in the closing stages.
BBC