Everton secure Premier League safety after dramatic comeback win over Crystal Palace

Having squandered their chance to secure Premier League survival with two games to spare, Everton will have another crack this evening.

Burnley's 1-0 loss to Tottenham and Leeds' 1-1 draw with Brighton on Sunday meant that, had Everton beaten Brentford, they would have been safe. Instead they succumbed to a chaotic 3-2 defeat, with Jarrad Branthwaite and Salomon Rondon sent off as Thomas Frank's men came from 2-1 down to claim victory.

Given that his side face a trip to Arsenal on the final day, Frank Lampard will be desperate to wrap things up tonight. Disappointing as their performance against Brentford was, Everton were roared on by a galvanised Goodison Park and, with Crystal Palace beached in mid-table, this is another opportunity for the players to justify the fans' faith in them.

Palace are dangerous opponents, however, even if they have little to play for other than their league standing and points total. They come into this game on a four-match unbeaten run and with an ongoing sense of forward momentum under the management of Patrick Vieira.

While Vieira has been praised for shedding the staid conservatism of the Roy Hodgson era, Palace have conceded only three goals in their last five games and seem to have struck a balance between creative silkiness – as embodied by Conor Gallagher and Eberechi Eze – and defensive bristle. They have already beaten Everton twice this season, once in the league and once in the FA Cup, by an aggregate scoreline of 7-1, albeit both games were at Selhurst Park.

Lose or draw tonight, and Everton face the prospect of battling it out with Leeds and Burnley on the final day. Burnley play Aston Villa this evening, so Everton fans may want to keep an eye on that game.

Speaking before the match, Lampard made no bones about how important this match is for his side's survival hopes. "Historically it could be a big night for us because we know the situation.

"I'm certainly not overplaying the idea of a relegation battle as if that is something to get excited about. It is just that, with the situation we are in, it is absolutely pivotal to the future of the club in the short term to get the results we need to stay in the league. Also, football is about moments and about the opportunity for the players, the staff and the fans to come together and share a moment that means a lot to the club. And we shouldn't understate that.

"It won't be cause for huge celebrations if we get the right result but, at the same time, everyone is fighting in the same direction for something, so we have to understand what a big night that could be for the club."

Vieira, meanwhile, did his best to add to the nervous tension. "I think it will be no different from the last game that they played," he said, when asked to assess the threat posed by Everton. "I think they will be playing with a lot of pressure.

"They will be really aggressive. And I think, from the first minute, they will be up in our faces. So we are expecting a tough, tough game."