LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) -Crystal Palace's club record 19-game unbeaten run came to an end following a 2-1 loss to Everton on Sunday, but how they failed to get all three points, or at least a draw, is a source of huge frustration for manager Oliver Glasner.
Palace should have been out of sight before Jack Grealish scored a 93rd-minute winner, his first goal for Everton and one that will only heighten calls for him to return to the England fold.
Perhaps it was fatigue from their Conference League tie away in Poland on Thursday, but Palace were utterly dominant in the first half, and wasted more chances early in the second, but ran out of steam in the final 30 minutes.
Everton have had the better of Palace for over a decade, the London's side's only Premier League win, home or away, in their last 22 meetings came in 2021. But they should have been dead and buried at their new Hill Dickinson Stadium inside an hour.
"We're very disappointed about the result because for 60 or 70 minutes we played so well, it was a top, top performance," Glasner told Sky Sports.
"It hurts really massively because I think the last defeat was in April but maybe we need this disappointment, to feel this pain to make the next step forward.
"What we're missing to be a top Premier League team is the efficiency in our attack and this is maybe the development we have to take."
Grealish's return to form in his loan spell at Everton from Manchester City has caught the eye of England manager Thomas Tuchel, but he has yet to earn a return to the national team.
"It's so nice to score here. That's what you want to do as a winger. I now have one goal and four assists," Grealish said. "Do you know what's mad? The last games we've played here we've been drawing and I keep saying to myself in the 85th minute, 'Come on Jack, go and score. Imagine if you scored now'.
"I did it against (Aston) Villa, I did it against West Ham (United) and I didn't score, so today I actually said the same thing again and I scored.
"I ran to where my mum and dad were, so it was nice. That goal goes to all the Evertonians for making me feel so welcome here."
(Reporting by Nick SaidEditing by Christian Radnedge)
