Everton and Crystal Palace give English football much to look forward to

Another trophy drought has ended as Crystal Palace won their first major honour by defeating Manchester City in the FA Cup final. In the English Premier League, there were goodbyes aplenty as Everton bade farewell to Goodison Park, while Jamie Vardy marked the end of an era at Leicester City with a goal. Here are three key talking points from the weekend’s action.

Going from Goodison to greatness?

Everton gave Goodison Park a fitting farewell on May 18 with a 2-0 win over relegated Southampton in what was the storied venue’s final Premier League game after 133 years.

The spectacular 52,888-seat stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, which has been named the Hill Dickinson Stadium,

will be the Toffees’ new home ground

. Everton’s women will play at Goodison from next season.

But as Everton end one era and head into a new one, the move into grander surroundings must inspire the team to rise to the occasion and usher in an era of success.

Just several months ago, before Sean Dyche was

replaced by Toffees legend David Moyes

, there was genuine fear that the final season at Goodison will end in relegation. Since returning to Everton in January, Moyes has steadied the ship, and done more than enough to warrant serious backing in the transfer window.

A new stadium alone will not be enough to guarantee that the Toffees will steer clear of relegation danger in the 2025-26 campaign. Investment in the squad is much needed.

It has been over a decade since the Toffees finished in the top five of the Premier League while, in recent seasons, they have ended 16th (2021-22), 17th (2022-23) and 15th (2023-24). With a game left, they are currently 13th with 45 points, four more than 14th-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers, who have a game in hand.

As the Red half of Merseyside grew from strength to strength, eventually winning the title, the blue half have languished in mediocrity.

For the record, it has been 30 years since Everton last lifted a major trophy. A new home must spark a necessary fresh start.

Vardy’s Leicester legacy is one for the storybooks

The likes of Thierry Henry, Paul Scholes and Sergio Aguero are all part of the Premier League’s Hall of Fame and, even if Vardy may not boast the same trophy haul as some of these illustrious names, the Englishman will still go down as one of the league’s bona-fide legends.

The 38-year-old played his final game for relegated Leicester on May 18. It was a storybook-like ending.

Thirteen years to the day since the Foxes paid £1 million to Fleetwood Town for Vardy, he ended his Leicester career with his 200th goal for the club, as they beat Ipswich Town 2-0.

His time with the East Midlands club and his rise in the Premier League should one day be made into a film.

Starting as a non-league player with Stocksbridge Park Steels, Vardy went on to reach the summit of the game during his incredible time with Leicester.

He was a vital figure – and the most synonymous with their underdog triumph – as the Foxes shocked the world with their Premier League title victory in 2016. He has also won an FA Cup and two Championship titles.

It is a rags-to-riches story and then some. It remains to be seen if Vardy will stay on in the Premier League, but who can deny him one more chapter in this fairy tale?

Palace continue trend of drought-enders

Palace fans around the world may have had the best weekend of their lives. Their team’s 1-0 win over City in the FA Cup final marked the club’s first major trophy in their 120 years of history.

This has become the season to end longstanding trophy droughts. First, it was Newcastle United who lifted their first domestic trophy for 70 years by

defeating Liverpool 2-1 in the League Cup final

in March.

Dutch club Go Ahead Eagles won the KNVB Cup in April, ending a 92-year trophy drought, while Bologna won the Italian Cup on May 14 to secure their first major silverware in 51 years.

If anything, these victories can inspire clubs with lean spells to believe they too can embark on a memorable campaign in the seasons ahead.

But for some, like Manchester United fans, it can be viewed as a worrying trend.

Tottenham Hotspur’s trophy cabinet has not seen new additions since they lifted the 2008 League Cup and they face United in the Europa League final on May 21.