Halaili left a taste for more: "He needs to start the next game"

Anan Halaili made his Premier League debut this evening, Saturday, and although Crystal Palace started the season on the wrong foot with a 2-0 loss to Everton, the Israeli provided an encouraging individual performance from the moment he came off the bench. Halaili entered in the 55th minute, played 42 minutes including stoppage time, and was one of the most prominent players for the visitors in the second half.

The Eagles' new signing created two scoring chances for his teammates, completed 5 out of 7 duels for the ball, blocked a shot attempt, and recorded three ball recoveries. Beyond the numbers, he showed a willingness to attack, integrated into the attacking play, and was not afraid to take responsibility against Everton's defenders.

On the fan site "We Are Palace," they gave Halaili a rating of 5 out of 10 and wrote:

"Came on for Munoz in the 55th minute. Showed a desire to go forward, but his teammates barely found him. It was a difficult game to enter for a Premier League debut. He handled Ndiaye well in defensive duels and sent an excellent cross to Strand Larsen, who headed it into Pickford's hands."

Palace fans were also impressed by the Israeli's performance. One of them wrote on social media: "Start Halaili in the next game, I'm not even joking," and another fan added: "Halaili needs to start next week." Others even compared him to Daniel Munoz, the Colombian defender who plays on the same side, claiming that the Israeli's entry made his teammate's performance look less impressive.

The positive reactions also followed his personal stats. Halaili finished with the highest rating among Palace's bench players (7.1) and was third among all the team's players.

On the "The Palace Way" page, they complimented the Israeli and wrote that "he looks like a promising player." Now Halaili hopes to continue accumulating minutes and turn the first impression into a more permanent spot in the rotation.