... we don’t have a great recent record in previous matches played on February 8th!
- we actually won our first 4 games played on this date between 1890 and 1912
- but since then we’ve won just 1 of 9 - W1 D2 L6

- that one ‘recent’ victory was back in 1964
- a 3-1 win over our arch-rivals Liverpool
- courtesy of two goals from Roy Vernon and one from Jimmy Gabriel!

- since then, our Feb 8 record is W0 D1 L3!
- the last one was a 4-1 FA Cup 4th Round Replay defeat at Chelsea in 2006
- Mikel Arteta scored our only goal from the penalty spot

- our last February 8th game at Goodison was a 0-0 Premier League draw with Queen’s Park Rangers in 1992

- we do tend to draw a lot of games with Crystal Palace
- 6 of our last 9 meetings home and away (all in the Prem) have ended in a tie
- that includes our most recent encounter - a 0-0 draw at Selhurst Park in August on the opening day of the season
- Morgan Schneiderlin was sent off in the 76th minute of that meeting but we held on for a point!

- we’re unbeaten in 10 meetings with Palace, home and away - W4 D6 L0, all in the Premier League

- their last victory against us was at Goodison back in September 2014
- that was the second of two successive 3-2 victories for them at our place!

- since then we’ve drawn 2 and lost 2 at Goodison
- with the two wins coming in their two most recent trips

- last season we triumphed 2-0 in October 2018
- with substitutes Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Cenk Tosun giving us a late, late victory
- the goals came in the 87th and 89th minutes respectively
- and that after Luka Milivojevic had seen his penalty on the hour saved by Jordan Pickford!

- this will be our 40th League meeting with Palace, home and away
- and one goal would bring up 40 for us at Goodison against them in the League!
- it would also take us to 50 against them in all encounters at our place!

- if Seamus Coleman plays against Palace it will be his 309th appearance for us in all competition
- that would be the same as former skipper Roger Kenyon
- they’d both be in joint 31st position on our all-time list!

- meanwhile, if Gylfi Sigurdsson plays he will reach 100 appearances for us in all competitions
- so far, he's made 90 starts + 9 as a sub

- and if Bernard plays it will be his 50th appearance for us in the Premier League
- he’d be the 98th Everton player to reach that milestone!  

- Mason Holgate and Theo Walcott, on the other hand, if they start the game, will each reach 50 Prem starts for us!

- in Mason’s case, only 3 other Everton players have started 50 or more Premier League games for us without scoring
- Richard Dunne (53), Earl Barrett (73) and Tony Hibbert (a remarkable 242!)
- can Mason break his Prem duck against the Eagles?!

- if Jordan Pickford plays against Palace it will be his 102nd consecutive Premier League appearance for us
- that's the same amount that Joleon Lescott achieved between August 2006 and February 2009

- only Tim Howard has managed a longer unbroken run for us in the Prem
- he clocked up 210 successive games between September 2007 and February 2013
- indeed, between August 2006 and February 2013, Tim missed just 4 of Everton's 255 Premier League matches!

- will Jordan keep a clean sheet?
- if he does it will be his 31st for us in the Premier League
- that's the same as Nigel Martyn achieved for the club!
- only Tim Howard (116) and Neville Southall (62) have managed more for us!

- will we score against the Eagles?
- if we do, it will be the 8th League game in a row, home and away, in which we’ve found the back of the net
- that would be our best since a run of 10 Prem games between April and September 2018!

- the game is, of course, being televised live by BT Sport
- and this will be the 150th Everton home Premier League game to be shown live in the UK!

- the first one was our 2-1 home win against Liverpool in December 1992
- and our full record in the first 149 live Prem matches at Goodison is W62 D41 L46

- 6 different channels have broadcast live Prem games from Goodison
- Amazon Prime, BT Sport, ESPN, Setanta, Sky Pay-Per-View and Sky Sports!

- William Barclay was the first ‘manager’ of Everton,
- that was back in the days when managers were, in reality, Club Secretaries
- they didn’t have all of the responsibilities that managers have today

- Barclay oversaw our initial 22 Football League games between 1888 and 1889
- and his team won 5 of the first 8 matches of his reign
– a feat no other subsequent Everton manager has managed

- however, Carlo Ancelotti could match that achievement!
- if we beat Palace, his record for us in the Prem will stand at W5 D2 L1

- we’ve had 3 matches kicking-off at 12.30pm so far this season
- all at Goodison Park, all against London teams and we lost none of them!

- we beat West Ham 2-0 and Chelsea 3-1 and, most recently, drew 0-0 with Arsenal
- that was Duncan Ferguson’s final match as our caretaker manager

- can we make it 4 unbeaten against Palace?!

- COYB!

- here's a reminder of the most recent additions to the site:

- what was our oldest ever starting line-up? And the youngest?
- which seasons were our oldest and youngest? Which managers went with youth and who went wth old codgers?!
- it's all here in the new 'Average Staring Line-Up Ages section'!

- which Everton player made the most substitute appearances in a single season?!
- in all competitions and in the League alone?
- the new 'Most Sub Apps In One Season' section has the answers!

- which Everton substitute has scored the most goals for us?
- which opposition sub has scored the most against us?
- the new 'Goals by Substitutes' section will let you know!

- Test cricketers have a small number on their shirt or cap
- it shows where they fit in in terms of the historical chronology of their country
- now you can see what number every Everton player would wear!
- have a look at the 'Everton Players Numbered Chronologically' section!

- who's managed the most times against Everton?
- who's managed the most clubs against us?!
- well, there's a new 'Opposition Managers' section that will tell you everything you need to know!

- the 'Goals in Most Consecutive Matches' section has been updated!
- it now includes details of which Everton players have scored in the most successive home & away games too!

- who was the last Everton man to play 50 or more games in a season?
- who has played the most games in one season?!
- the new '50 or More Appearances in a Season' section will tell you!

- on the flip side, which players only ever managed 1 game for the club?!
- find out in the new Just One Appearance section!

- we used 39 different players last season in all competitions and 15 of them scored a goal
- is that a lot?! how does it compare to other seasons?
- find out in the new 'Number of Players Used and Goal Scorers - Season-by-Season' section!

- who was the last Everton player to feature in every game in a season?!
- have a look at the new Ever Presents section to find out!

- and how often have we completed League 'doubles' over our opponents in the past?
- alternatively, how often have we been on the receiving end of a double?!
- you can now find out in the new League Doubles For and Against section

- ever wondered which Everton player has been substituted the most times?!
- well, now you can find out - have a look at the new Subbed Off section for full, fascinating details!

- Ademola Lookman was the last Everton player to score on his debut
- who else has managed that feat for the club?!
- have a look at the new Scored on Their Debut section to find out!

- Wayne Rooney has now departed, of course, but who else has had 2 separate spells at the club?!
- the new Two or More Spells at Everton section will tell you!

- Jordan Pickford looks like he'll be our keeper for some years to come
- but who else has appeared for us between the sticks in the past?!
- the new Goalkeepers section has all the details!

- and don't forget there's also a new History In Short section too!
- you can see at a glance how many times we've finished in each position in the League
- and where exactly we've been knocked out of the various cup competitions
- have a peek!