# Everton’s Dramatic Comeback: Iliman Ndiaye’s Ice-Cold Penalty Sparks Grealish’s Late Winner vs Crystal Palace
**October 5, 2025** – Everton’s pulsating 2-1 Premier League victory over Crystal Palace at the Hill Dickinson Stadium today has sent social media into meltdown, with fans hailing Iliman Ndiaye’s “1000 IQ moment” – a composed penalty conversion that flipped the script and paved the way for Jack Grealish’s 93rd-minute heroics. The Toffees’ seventh-game thriller shattered Palace’s club-record 19-match unbeaten streak, propelling David Moyes’ side to eighth with 10 points from seven.
Palace struck first in the 37th minute, silencing the 52,888-capacity fortress as Daniel Munoz rifled home after a slick buildup, exploiting Everton’s high line. The Eagles, under surging form with back-to-back wins including a midweek Europa League upset over Dynamo Kyiv, dominated possession but couldn’t extend their lead. Jordan Pickford’s sharp saves kept Everton in it, but Palace’s wastefulness – Eddie Nketiah spurning a golden chance – loomed large.
The tide turned in the 76th minute. Substitute Tim Iroegbunam, injecting fresh legs, drew a clumsy foul from Maxence Lacroix inside the box. Up stepped Ndiaye, the £20m summer signing from Marseille, for his third goal of the season. With Dean Henderson diving early, the 25-year-old Franco-Senegalese star waited, slotted low into the opposite corner – pure composure under pressure. “Ndiaye’s pen was 1000 IQ: saw the dive, picked the spot like a sniper,” raved @ToffeesTalk on X, where clips of the cool finish racked up 25K views. It was Ndiaye’s clutch gene shining again, echoing his Goodison farewell brace in May.
Reinvigorated, Everton pressed. In the 92nd minute, Beto’s point-blank header was parried by Henderson, but Grealish – the Manchester City loanee thriving in No. 18 – pounced on the rebound. The 29-year-old, chasing his first Toffees goal after four assists in six games, smashed home from two yards for his maiden strike in blue. Hill Dickinson erupted; Palace’s dreams dashed.
X lit up with finger-pointing praise: “Everyone’s blaming Ndiaye for that pen IQ – how’d he read Henderson like a book?!” tweeted @EFCBlueArmy (18K likes). Memes dubbed it “Ndiaye’s mind games > Palace’s unbeaten run.” Grealish, post-match: “Iliman’s pen changed everything – massive team win.”
With Jarrad Branthwaite nearing return and Thierno Barry looming, Everton’s £80m revamp – blending Ndiaye’s flair with Grealish’s guile – screams top-half potential. Palace drop to fifth; their first-half clean-sheet streak ends. As one fan posted: “From behind to bedlam – Ndiaye and Grealish, the new dynamic duo.” Up the Toffees: international break vibes never sweeter.
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