All Premier League games between 22 and 30 October will be dedicated to Rainbow Laces. Campaign support will be visible at Goodison Park and across the country during this period, demonstrating that football is everyone’s game in a variety of ways.
Rainbow-themed captain’s armbands will be worn, while ball plinths, substitute boards and LED perimeter boards will also highlight important messages.
Ahead of the match, manager Frank Lampard penned the following programme notes.
We’re looking forward to being back at Goodison today after two tough games on the road against very good sides, both of which ended in frustration.
Today is a fantastic opportunity for us to respond, to show bravery and confidence in ourselves to produce a performance that can get that good feeling back again.
I’ve said before that this season was never going to be plain sailing and, from the outside, we weren’t given much of a chance in any of our past three games. But I have seen enough signs - clear signs - in the early parts of the season that tell me we’re going in the right direction so we’re naturally disappointed we couldn’t convert good parts of our performances into points.
With that said, we are in the phase of this building process that is going to require patience, as we continue to build connections throughout the team and repeat our ideas until the point of becoming second nature.
The issue we must address, quickly, is improving our cutting edge and end product in the attacking third of the pitch. I’ve been pleased with our defensive solidity, on the whole, and, particularly against Spurs and Newcastle, we showed we can be comfortable in possession, move it well in tight areas and play through the opposition’s midfield lines.
But that needs to lead to us creating chances and scoring.
We must be more of a threat in front of goal and improve the decision-making in those areas to stamp our authority on games more frequently.
If you’re not at your absolute best in this league and you aren’t clinical enough, you will get punished. It’s that simple. We must keep our heads in these moments, recognising the progression we’ve made so far and striving to get better every day.
On a positive note from this week, I’ve been delighted to see Dominic Calvert-Lewin back on the pitch, and his presence is going to be hugely important for us looking ahead.
After coming off the bench against Spurs, I thought Dominic looked good from the start against an intense Newcastle side. Of course, there is more to come from him, but you immediately see his threat and what he brings to the team in terms of his hold-up play and his willingness to run in behind.
He will certainly be better for having those 70 minutes in his legs on Wednesday, but we will continue to monitor his return to full fitness carefully.
Looking at the bigger picture, we’re certainly a different - more robust - side to the one that last hosted Crystal Palace back in May, an evening that gave me one of the best feelings in my entire life.
We have worked meticulously since then to get better and, as a Club, nobody is shying away from the work we have ahead.
Your support, as always, has been magnificent and has not gone unnoticed. We feel every sold-out away end behind us and the Goodison effect is known far and wide. That is never taken for granted by the players or staff, even in tough moments, and our shared goal is to give you a team and style to be proud of.
We welcome Patrick Vieira and the staff and players of Crystal Palace.
I know all about the competitive nature of Patrick, having played against him myself in the past and had him as my manager for a spell during our time together at New York City. His successful transition into management has come as no surprise to me whatsoever.
Patrick’s understanding of the game, coupled with an elite mentality, was always going to stand him in good stead and he is building an exciting youthful team with a clear identity.
We know what Crystal Palace will bring to Goodison today and that’s relentless energy all over the pitch, with a solid defensive base and dynamism in attack.
As always, the foundation of our performance must be what we’ve come to expect: full commitment, passion and togetherness in every moment, then applying what we’ve learned from recent games and our work on the training ground.
Today we also stand in solidarity with LGBTQ+ communities as we celebrate Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign, with a clear message that “inclusion has no off-season”.
Football is a game for everyone to enjoy and I am proud of the Club’s ongoing All Together Now movement, which also celebrates diversity and promotes equality in all walks of life.
Enjoy the game,
Frank
