Koeman: Playing Palace harder than Man City

Ronald Koeman has praised Everton for succeeding amid the growing expectations that came as a consequence of last week’s 4-0 defeat of Manchester City.

Saturday’s 1-0 Premier League victory at Crystal Palace represented their third from four games, as well as a continuation of the high standards demonstrated when the surprise performance against City brought the best result of Koeman’s managerial reign.

Tom Davies, Mason Holgate and Ademola Lookman, three of those given so much praise post-City, again impressed at Selhurst Park – the latter again as a substitute – while Ross Barkley consistently provided their biggest threat.

The team that had struggled after a promising start under Koeman, and that had at times began to look like an ageing side, has been transformed into one of youthful promise by those young players’ collective emergence.

Morgan Schneiderlin’s arrival has also further increased Everton’s squad depth, and after 18-year-old Davies’ pass provided Seamus Coleman’s goal at Palace, Koeman said: “He did well. He worked well, but that was for the whole team.

“A lot of young players got the attention last week because the whole team did well.

“If you beat City, with that big result, everybody expected the same result (at Palace), but in some ways it was more difficult than last week.

“Difficult opponents. Strong physically, and I am really proud and pleased with the win because the attitude was perfect and after last week it is fantastic.

“(Schneiderlin on the bench is) what we like to have: that competition. He is normally a player who likes to start but it was not fair to drop a player who played last week.

“That is the reason I started with the same XI as last weekend, but that is good I can bring on (his) quality.”