Key Mistakes Cost Everton in Error-Strewn Loss to Crystal Palace

Everton suffered a painful dose of deja vu as Crystal Palace once again left Goodison Park with a 3-2 win and all three points.

On paper, this result seemed a continuation of the Toffees' defensive woes, woes that have seen 13 Premier League goals shipped in just five games—already three more than any other side.

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On occasions, Roberto Martinez's line-up did seem exposed, stretched and all too easy to dissect, however, in this case, it wasn't the reason for another loss.

Everton's major threat in this game came from themselves, as individual mistakes proved painfully costly.

Lining up in an attacking 4-3-3, with a Chelsea-connected trio of Samuel Eto'o and Christian Atsu playing wide of Romelu Lukaku, Everton began the game in commanding fashion.

They were deservedly in front—through Lukaku—and cruising, until Tim Howard's rash judgement provided Palace with an unlikely route back into the game.

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The American keeper brought down James McArthur, and the resulting penalty meant Palace were suddenly all square at 1-1. Having been at his very best against Wolfsburg on Thursday, saving 12 shots on target, Howard produced one of his worst displays in recent memory.

The penalty was a repeat of those conceded against Liverpool and Sunderland last season, making the American accountable for three of his side's past four penalties. Howard also conceded another in similar style during pre-season, highlighting this as somewhat of a weakness.

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That first error completely stalled his side's momentum, and unfortunately for Howard, and Everton, his contribution did not improve. As the Toffees began the second half pressing for the lead, he showed further misjudgement, flapping at Martin Kelly's cross, which allowed Fraizer Campbell a simple header to score.

That 2-1 lead then became 3-1 on 69 minutes, as a third mistake effectively handed the game to the visitors. Howard was spared accountability this time, as Leon Osman was too casual in his own half and caught in possession; Yannick Bolasie taking full advantage.

Palace's lead came from just three shots on target, as Neil Warnock's side capitalised of their host's accommodating nature. 

A predictable record number of passes and possession ensued, but Everton simply had too much to do to break down a heavily populated final third. Leighton Baines' late penalty proving nothing more than a consolation.

Given this weekend's array of surprising results, including dropped points for five of the rest of last season's top six, this scoreline will be a particularly painful one for Everton to digest—and even more so, for Howard.

Statistics via WhoScored.com.

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