Premier League: Everton's Richarlison, Dominic Calvert-Lewin combine to drub Crystal Palace; Watford, Brighton share spoils

Liverpool: Only Liverpool have secured more Premier League points than Everton (24 to 17) since their Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti arrived at Goodison Park in December.

The scintillating form has been in large part sparked by Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who Ancelotti has paired up front and who both scored — and provided each other with an assist — in Saturday’s 3-1 home win over Crystal Palace.

The Brazilian, set free by Calvert-Lewin’s flick on the halfway line, forced his way into the area and fired home after 51 minutes before returning the favour by setting up his strike partner’s late goal with a header off the bar into his path.

Calvert-Lewin’s 11 goals this season are the best by an English striker at Everton since Andy Johnson in 2006-07 and are clearly a product of the confidence he feels since Ancelotti and his assistant Duncan Ferguson took charge.

“I am enjoying playing with Richi (Richarlison), since Dunc (Ferguson) came in we have been a partnership - we work together, complement each other,” said Calvert-Lewin.

“It wasn’t the best performance from me but I got the goal, should have had another. We get on off the pitch as well.

“We knew how important it was today, back-to-back wins puts us in good stead going into the (winter) break. It’s good we won, it wasn’t the prettiest game but we dug in and won our individual battles.”

Everton are now seventh, five points off fourth-placed Chelsea whose inconsistency has raised questions about whether they can hang on to a Champions League qualification spot.

The only Everton player who let the pitch dissatisfied was goalkeeper Jordon Pickford who allowed Christian Benteke’s strike to go under his body for the equaliser.

England’s No. 1 described his error as “disgusting”.

“I was disappointed with myself. My studs got caught but I hold my hands up for that. I reset and I never let anything affect me. It shows my character,” Pickford said.

The goal was a personal milestone for Benteke, who had not scored for 1,476 minutes.

“This was the hardest moment of my career so far in England,” he said. “It hasn’t been easy but every week is another chance and today I took it. We didn’t win and we are in a really bad mood.”

Own-goal denies Watford a win at Brighton

A bizarre own goal from Watford’s Adrian Mariappa allowed relegation rivals Brighton & Hove Albion to take a precious point in a 1-1 draw at the Amex Stadium that left both sides facing a continued struggle to stay in the Premier League.

With the visitors apparently heading for victory, Brighton substitute Alireza Jahanbakhsh drilled the ball across goal but, under no pressure, Mariappa fired past his own keeper on 78 minutes.

The home side, who have not won this year, could hardly believe their luck after seldom threatening - or even mustering a shot on goal.

Abdoulaye Doucoure gave Watford the lead on 19 minutes after Aaron Mooy’s ambitious through ball forward rebounded into his path. The Frenchman sped forward to the area, firing an unstoppable shot into the top right corner of the Brighton net.

It was Doucoure’s third goal in six league games — as many as in his previous 34. Brighton squandered promising first-half chances with Mooy and Leandro Trossard firing high, and lacked the creativity to unsettle the visitors’ massed defence.

Brighton brought on top scorer Neil Maupay for Dan Burn at the start of the second half and later turned to overhead-kick specialist Jahanbakhsh, who eventually made an unexpected difference.

The goal kept Watford in the relegation zone on 24 points, three adrift of 15th-placed Brighton. Both teams now have a two-week winter break.

Watford keeper Ben Foster said: “The way the goal went in was very disappointing. Maps (Mariappa) is not trying to score an own goal, but that’s football. It can go against you sometimes.

“The way we dropped back is a symptom of where we are in the league. We tried to defend what we had and thought we could weather the storm.”