JACK GREALISH completed an astonishing comeback for David Moyes' side in the timeliest reminder to Thomas Tuchel.
At the same time the £100m on-loan player wrecked the club record unbeaten run by Crystal Palace that had stretched to 19 games before, somehow, they lost this clash.
Grealish, with most assists in the Prem this season since his summer switch from Manchester City, began this clash disgruntled that Tuchel had left him out of his latest England squad.
He ended it in wild celebration after grabbing the winner with his first goal for Everton three minutes into extra time.
How the rejuvenated 30-year-old enjoyed the moment. How Crystal Palace fans, who had been singing : “We’re going to win the league!" Didn’t.
At the stage of their merry chant Oliver Glasner’s men were a goal ahead thanks to a fine strike from Daniel Munoz.
Only bad luck and worse finishing by Jean-Philippe Mateta then stopped them from soaring into second place.
But then the roof fell in on Palace as Iliman Ndiaye grabbed the equaliser from the spot 14 minutes from the end before Grealish struck, reacting first to a power header from Beto.
That title chant ended up stuck in the throats of Palace fans and yet they were right to be enjoying themselves because for so much of this encounter the FA Cup holders certainly did.
In fact well before Ndiaye struck, Everton should have been dead and buried.
Palace produced the kind of strong start Moyes will have expected from a side that arrived at Hill Dickinson on that amazing unbeaten run.
Jordan Pickford, making his 300th Prem appearance for the Toffees, had to be alert within the first couple of minutes to keep out strikes from Yeremy Pino and Tyrick Mitchell.
Neither of them will have panicked the England No1 but they were very much statements of intent from Glasner’s ambitious side.
Moyes’ men took the pitch having lost the elevation gained by a bright start to the campaign after £97m influx of talent.
Amongst the newcomers was Tyler Dibling, long thought of as a proper play-making talent as he developed at Southampton, Everton paying £36m to find out if he can, indeed, make himself a star.
It didn’t go well for the 19-year-old, his first Prem start for the Toffees unceremoniously curtailed by Moyes at half-time.
Palace blew this one but they are a new force of nature of the Prem and went for the throat.
Everton were already gasping or breath as Marc Guehi smashed a volley that Pickford stopped brilliantly.
Mitchell whacked a 26th minute left footer against the frame of post and bar as Everton wilted and within 60 seconds were picked apart, Pickford excelling himself.
Mateta, about to head to France on international duty for the first time with his country then produced a brilliant first touch but Pickford’s reaction from his shot was just as good.
His parry from Mateta was also outstanding but by the 37th minute he was picking the ball out of his net anyway.
Palace were moving their opponents around at will and in their latest surge forward Ismaila Sarr moved into acres of space and had all the time in the world to despatch to follow attackers.
The midfielder went right, flicking forward to Munoz and the right wing back, also free as an Eagle, flew into the box.
Pickford very much did get into a tizzy this time as he dashed headlong from his line but his effort to save with his legs was all wrong a Munoz drove him the shot that ended a tremendous move from the Premier League’ s new force of nature.
Moyes knew his side had become sitting ducks, introducing not only Alcaraz but also Beto, who had been left on the bench in favour of another new signing in £27m Thierno Barry – who had been as anonymous as Dibling.
The changes lit a blue touchpaper and after the first sustained pressure Palace had to endure Henderson flapped at right back Jake O’Brien’s header.
But the storm faded and had Mateta got lucky in one attack then kept his head in another the game would have been over by the 64th minute.
The striker dinked one effort over Pickford but O’Brien was on his line to head clear before Sarr, in another pillaging run swerved into the box and shot.
Ball flew straight into Mateta’s path a dozen yards out but astonishingly he missed the target.
He held his head in disbelief but it got much worse for him and team mates who on chances alone had wiped the floor with their opponents.
For Maxence Lacroix lost his head as sub Tim Iroegbunam darted past him in the box, his challenge clumsy and one not really worth a VAR check.
Indiaye didn’t need much of a look, either, as he lined up the spot kick that inevitably followed, sending Henderson to wrong way to send the throng massed on the new stadium’s giant South Stand wild.
They then went wilder still as Grealish grabbed a victory that was truly out of the blue.