Key Point’s

• Everton secured their Premier League status with an incredible fightback against Crystal Palace
• Crystal Palace went 2-0 up through Jean-Philippe Mateta and Jordan Ayew in the first half at Goodison Park
• Nine minutes after the break defender Michael Keane gave the hosts a lifeline to transform atmosphere
• Richarlison levelled with 15 minutes left and Calvert-Lewin headed in the winner to spark jubilation
• Patrick Vieira kicked fan after being taunted following pitch invasion after the comeback

The stands emptied and the pitch filled with the people. Blue smoke clogged the air, and they sang songs of grand delusion. About playing beautiful football, about being the greatest team the world has ever seen. History, grandeur, shining brightly, everything that has been missing from this season.

And yet, we understand. This is a grand club, with a grand story behind it. And the way they survived as a Premier League entity was truly quite incredible. From 2-0 down to 3-2 up. From sleepwalking over the canyon to relegation, to one mighty leap to safety on the other side.

Lampard had got the job done. The consequences of relegation were vast for a club in Everton’s financial position and with a new stadium under construction at Bramley Moore dock. Survival allows for a rebuild and, in these circumstances, an understandable celebration.

Evertonians could not have done more to push their beloved club over the line. For the third home game in succession the Everton coach was greeted by an impassioned mass of supporters on Goodison Road, but in far greater numbers and with far more blue smoke bombs than preceded Chelsea and Brentford.

Repeated appeals over the tannoy for supporters to make room “to allow players access to the stadium” gave a sense of the backing, and desperation, for one final victory in a torturous season. It felt more like the prelude to a cup final than a relegation scrap.

The desperation of the crowd seeped into the team’s performance in the first half. The hosts were frantic, nervous and overly reliant on the long punt towards an isolated Calvert-Lewin. The rudimental approach played perfectly into the hands of a composed and confident Palace team.

Patrick Vieira dropped two of his most influential midfielders to the bench in Conor Gallagher and Cheikhou Kouyaté but the visitors dominated possession regardless. The guile and intent shown by Eberechi Eze, Wilfried Zaha and Jeffrey Schlupp was in stark contrast to the wastefulness of André Gomes and Abdoulaye Doucouré.

The Goodison mood was punctured after Gomes and Doucouré were penalised for fouling Tyrick Mitchell deep in the Everton half. Eze swept a dangerous free-kick to the far post where Jean-Philippe Mateta easily escaped the weak attentions of Doucouré and Vitalii Mykolenko to guide a textbook header beyond Jordan Pickford at close range.

Goodison was in uproar again when Anthony Gordon was scissored by a dangerous challenge from Jordan Ayew. The Palace forward went over the top but escaped with a yellow card. Two minutes later he compounded Everton’s torment by doubling the visitors’ lead.

Everton’s relentless search for an equaliser left them exposed to the counterattack and Pickford saved well from Mateta. Keane was booked for scything down Eze, Calvert-Lewin was fortunate not to follow suit for a foul on Nathaniel Clyne, but just as Everton appeared to be losing their cool they found a way back.