'Monstrous': Troy Deeney in awe by what £20m Everton star did during 2-1 Crystal Palace win

Everton secured their first win of the Premier League season with a 2-1 victory at home to Crystal Palace.

Dwight McNeil’s brace was enough to secure all three points for the Toffees as Sean Dyche’s side finally claimed their first league victory of the new campaign, lifting Everton up to 16th in the Premier League standings.

With the Friedkin Group agreeing to buy Everton, things could be looking up at long last for the Goodison Park side after seasons of misery and disappointment, with a turning point just around the corner for the Merseyside club.

And Troy Deeney was left in awe by one performance from an Everton player on Saturday.

Dwight McNeil praised after ‘crucial’ Everton performance

Writing for BBC Sport, the former Watford striker was full of praise for McNeil’s performance for Everton against Palace, with the pundit lauding the £20m winger for getting the Toffees back up on their feet and delivering at a key moment in the season.

Deeney said on McNeil: “He scored two monstrous goals against Crystal Palace – monstrous in the season for where Everton are. They are going to need his goals. It is a working man’s team – it is quite poor. But little bits of quality show why McNeil is going to be crucial moving forward.”

With three goals and two assists already in the Premier League this season, the 24-year-old forward is proving to be Everton’s talisman in terms of putting the ball in the net and setting up teammates for chances.

And with McNeil in fine form at last for the Toffees, Everton could have a major weapon on their hands in the former Burnley star if the forward can maintain this level of form going forward for the Merseyside giants.

McNeil is on course to have his best year yet in the Premier League

Despite being on the Premier League for some time, McNeil is yet to break more than ten goal contributions in a single season with both Burnley and Everton, a telling sign that the attacker could be playing at clubs way below his current ability.

Yet with five already this season in six games, there’s a real chance that McNeil could enjoy his best year yet in the Premier League, something the could lift Everton away from the relegation zone at a more critical stage in the campaign.

At 24-years-old, McNeil is far from hitting his potential or becoming the best version of himself, yet the winger’s form this season suggests that the Everton man could be about to finally unlock his true ability, and the Toffees could benefit massively from it.