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Tag: Crystal Palace

  • Zaha gives Palace first victory as Chelsea lose again

    Zaha gives Palace first victory as Chelsea lose again

    Crystal Palace ended the worst-ever start to an English Premier League season and condemned champions Chelsea to their second successive defeat with a 2-1 victory at Selhurst Park on Saturday.

    Palace had made unwanted history by losing their opening league games without scoring a goal, but they produced a much-improved performance this time around.

    It enabled manager Roy Hodgson claimed his first win since replacing Frank de Boer last month.

    Chelsea have now lost three of their first eight league games and fallen nine points adrift of leaders Manchester City.

    A scrappy Cesar Azpilicueta own-goal handed Palace the lead in the 11th minute, but Chelsea levelled seven minutes later when Tiemoue Bakayoko headed in a Cesc Fabregas corner.

    Palace’s Wilfried Zaha, on his return from injury, restored the home side’s lead with a close-range shot on the stroke of halftime, and a lacklustre Chelsea were unable to equalise.

    “That was really enjoyable,” Hodgson said. “I have just said to the players that they really deserve to drink in that victory, because we played the champions of England but came off the field today having deserved our victory.”

    Chelsea manager Antonio Conte admitted his side had been hampered by the absence of striker Alvaro Morata and midfielder N‘Golo Kante.

    The loss of Victor Moses to injury midway through the first half did not help matters also.

    “We started very badly and it was a very difficult day,” Conte said. “But we need also to understand the situation and to continue to work, to find solutions in spite of our injuries.”(Reuters/NAN)

  • EPL: Some of The Things You Might Have Missed

    EPL: Some of The Things You Might Have Missed

    English Premier League on Saturday was action pact as expected as 17 goals were recorded from the seven matches that were played.

    Incase you missed the matches including the star match of the day at Stamford Bridge in the game against Pep Guardiola’s side, read below some of the things you might have missed.

    Chelsea 0 – 1 Manchester City

    OPTA FACT

    • Kevin De Bruyne has scored nine of his last 11 Man City goals from outside the box, including each of the last four.

    A game which didn’t quite live up to its billing – not helped, of course, by Alvaro Morata limping off in the first-half with a hamstring injury. After a goalless first-half, Manchester City’s control greatly increased and Pep Guardiola’s playmakers began to make deep incisions into a shuffled Chelsea’s defence.

    When Kevin De Bruyne eventually gave the visitors the lead, after a well-timed pass from Gabriel Jesus and scything move, it was a goal they thoroughly deserved. And, ultimately, it was an advantage they protected well: Chelsea mounted a vague response, but all the best chances in the remainder of the game fell to City.

     

    Saturday’s round-up, as Tottenham run over Huddersfield and Manchester United continue to click through the gears.

     

    Huddersfield 0 – 4 Tottenham

    OPTA FACT

    • Harry Kane now has 13 goals for club & country in September 2017; his best ever goal tally in a single month of his career.

    A real lesson. Huddersfield have begun Premier League life well, but this was not David Wagner’s best day: Huddersfield played into Tottenham’s hands, got caught too high up the field three times inside the first half-hour and conceded as many goals in the first half as they had in their previous six games.

    Spurs spent most of the second half well within their comfort zone, but two goals from Harry Kane (who is now just 14 goals short of Teddy Sheringham’s Premier League record for the club) and Ben Davies capped a performance in which they played some of their brightest football of the season. Moussa Sissoko added a fourth from close range in second-half stoppage-time.

    Goals: Kane 10′, 23′, Davies 16′, Sissoko 90′

    Bournemouth 0 – 0 Leicester

    Bournemouth certainly started like a side determined pull out of the relegation zone before the international break. Jermain Defoe had the clearest opportunity, but slammed his shot against the crossbar. Eddie Howe’s team were the better of the two and certainly posed the tougher questions but, oddly for two teams who don’t exactly specialise in clean sheets, this proved a stalemate.

    Goals: *Tumbleweed*

    Manchester United 4 – 0 Crystal Palace

    OPTA FACT

    • This is the first time that Marcus Rashford has assisted two goals in a single game for Man Utd.

    Exactly the start here that Palace didn’t want. Only three minutes had passed when Marcus Rashford knotted up Joel Ward before setting up Juan Mata to open the scoring. Ten minutes before the break, an impressive Manchester United performance was further rewarded by their second, Fellaini scoring after good work from Ashley Young. Fellaini would double his tally just after half-time and Romelu Lukaku scored a late fourth for his seventh goal in as many games.

    Goals: Mata 3′, Fellaini 35′ & 48′, Lukaku 86′

    Stoke 2 – 1 Southampton

    OPTA FACT

    • Saido Berahino is now without a goal in 31 hours & 23 minutes of Premier League football (Stoke & WBA combined).

    Stoke have quietly begun to go off the boil, having not won a Premier League game since beating Arsenal in August and having not led in any game at all since their 4-0 win over Rochdale in the League Cup. Mame Diouf gave them the lead here, heading in Xherdan Shaqiri’s corner on 40 minutes.

    It wasn’t all good news in the first half, though, as there was still time for Saido Berahino to miss a penalty. His wait for a first Stoke goal continues. Fifteen minutes before time, Maya Yoshida acrobatically converted Shane Long’s flick to score only Southampton’s second goal away from home this season. Peter Crouch would have the last word, though, scoring late against his old side to win Mark Hughes three overdue points.

    Goals: Diouf 40′, Crouch 85′- Yoshida 75′

    West Brom 2- 2 Watford

    OPTA FACT

    • Abdoulaye Doucouré has scored 3 goals in his last 7 league games, as many as in his previous 57.

    Despite losing, Tony Pulis would have been greatly encouraged by the improvement he saw in his side last Monday at Arsenal and West Brom initially built on that here, scoring twice in three first-half minutes through Salomon Rondon and Jonny Evans. A first goal of the season for each and the first time since May 2017 that Pulis’s team had scored more than one in a game. Abdoulaye Doucoure pulled one back before the interval and then late, late into second-half injury time, Richarlison headed in Jose Holebas’s free-kick to steal a point.

    Goals: Rondon 18′, Evans 21′ – Doucoure 37′, Richarlison 90′

    West Ham 1 – 0 Swansea

    OPTA FACT

    • Swansea have never kept an away clean sheet at West Ham, conceding 75 goals in 32 games in all comps (W2 D7 L23).

    Not a first half that gave anybody great reason for cheer; these really are two sides struggling for confidence. It didn’t really improve in the second period, either, and this game – if anyone chooses to remember it at all – become more notable for Slaven Bilic’s curious substitutions; Javier Hernandez’s withdrawal, in particular, proved unpopular with the home fans.

    Still, West Ham mounted a late siege and, after Andy Carroll had hit the bar minutes earlier, Diafra Sakho (remember him?) finished well to snatch the points. A relief for the home fans, less so the ones who (quite understandably) decided to leave early.

    Goals: Sakho ’90

  • Injury knocks off Benteke for six months

    Injury knocks off Benteke for six months

     

    Crystal Palace’s goal scoring woes were dealt another blow on Friday as Roy Hodgson confirmed Christian Benteke will miss at least six weeks through injury.

    Benteke hobbled out of last weekend’s 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Manchester City, the striker replaced by Bakary Sako with 18 minutes to play.

    And Palace’s worst fears were confirmed when he was diagnosed with a knee ligament injury, which Hodgson expects to rule the Belgium international out for a significant period.

    “He’s got ligament damage which will keep him out for a minimum of six weeks,” the new Palace boss told a media conference.

    “We don’t think he’ll be able to train for six weeks.”

    In their opening six matches, Palace are yet to pick up a point or even score a goal, leaving them rooted to the foot of the table.

    They face Manchester United this weekend before welcoming Chelsea to Selhurst Park after the international break, and Hodgson has warned it may take some time to turn the Eagles’ fortunes around.

    “There could be more pain ahead but we won’t be phased as we work on our task that we have ahead of us as a group.

    “United have a very strong squad but we will be looking to give them a good game and hope for any good luck that is around.

    “We will go to Old Trafford with a belief that we can get a result and I know this group will have the confidence for sure.”

    Winger Wilfried Zaha has not recovered from his knee injury in time to visit Manchester United in the Premier League on Saturday, while Chelsea loanee Ruben Loftus-Cheek will also miss the trip with a thigh strain.

    Hodgson sounds like he will be banking on mother luck for any pleasant result against Manchester United.

    “Manchester United have a very strong squad but we will be looking to give them a good game and hope for any good luck that is around,’ he added.

  • EPL Results: Man City, Man U, Liverpool, Chelsea win matches

    EPL Results: Man City, Man U, Liverpool, Chelsea win matches

    Man City vs Crystal Palace 5-0

    Palace held Man City out until the 44th minute before Leroy Sane broke the deadlock and a quick fire double by Raheem Sterling deflated the visitors’ initially stubborn resistance.

    Late goals by Sergio Aguero and Fabian Delph completed a 5-0 route, making it the third time City hit five or more in three successive games.

    Southampton vs Man United 0-1

    Romelu Lukaku broke the deadlock on 20 minutes, converting the rebound after Saints goalkeeper Fraser Forster parried his header from Ashley Young’s cross.

    The result maintains United’s unbeaten start to their league campaign, although they are second in the table, behind Manchester City on goal difference.

    Their latest victory was not routine as Southampton piled on the pressure in the second half, and United’s Marouane Fellaini had to clear Oriol Romeu’s header off the line

    Leicester City vs Liverpool 2-3

    Simon Mignolet saved Jamie Vardy’s penalty to clinch a thrilling 3-2 win for Liverpool at Leicester city

    The goalkeeper capped an eventful game after conceding the spot-kick having also been in the spotlight for Shinji Okazaki’s controversial strike.

    Mignolet appeared to be held by the forward when he netted just before the break after Leicester trailed to goals from Mohamed Salah and Philippe Coutinho.

    Jordan Henderson made it 3-1 before Vardy netted but he was then denied from the spot by Mignolet.

    Stoke vs Chelsea 0-4

    Blues continued to show there is life after Diego Costa with another Premier League victory at Stoke, with Alvaro Morata scoring a hat-trick in a 4-0 win.

    Morata, the club-record signing bought to replace Costa, was on the scoresheet again early on before Pedro extended the lead on the half-hour mark.

    Both goals came from defensive mistakes by Stoke, whose manager Mark Hughes had demanded a response from his players following the disappointing midweek defeat at Bristol City in the Carabao Cup. He did not get it, with Morata rounding off the win in the final quarter-hour.

  • Burnley stun Chelsea at Stamford Bridge

    Burnley stun Chelsea at Stamford Bridge

    Sam Vokes scored twice as Burnley surprised defending English champions Chelsea 3-2 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

    Chelsea had Captain Gary Cahill and Cesc Fabregas sent off and Burnley took full advantage through Vokes’s brace and a superb Stephen Ward’s effort.

    Two second half goals from new signing Alvaro Morata and David Luiz were not enough to save the champions’ blushes.

    Burnley’s win, the club’s first at Chelsea since 1971, was one of the few surprising results in the opening day of the English Premier League (EPL).

    Newcomers Huddersfield stunned Crystal Palace 3-0 at Selhurst Park while Watford forced 18-time English champions Liverpool to 3-3 draw at Vicarage Road.

  • Crystal Palace eye £4.5million rated Benjamin Moukandjo

    Crystal Palace eye £4.5million rated Benjamin Moukandjo

     

    Crystal Palace are following Lorient striker Benjamin Moukandjo with a view to sealing a deal.

    The 28-year-old Cameroon international was a target for Hull City last summer and has scored 13 goals this season.

    However, Moukandjo has one year left on contract and Lorient would sell for around £4.5million.

    Moukandjo, who has 47 caps, can play as a striker or winger.

    His goals have been vital in helping his club battle against relegation from the French top flight this season, with Lorient sitting a point clear of the drop zone with three matches still to play.

    He failed to score in Lorient’s 1-0 weekend defeat to Nantes, but was on target in the 5-1 hammering of Metz the previous week. He also scored a brace in a surprise 4-1 away victory at Lyon recently.

    Christian Benteke leads the Palace goalscoring charts with 16 goals in all competitions, following his summer move from Liverpool, with Wilfried Zaha the Eagles’ next highest scorer on six. Crystal Palace occupy the 16th position on the log two places above the relegation zone . After a 0-2 home loss to Burnley, Palace will next take on Manchester City Saturday at the Ethihad Stadium.

  • Wenger faces reality as Arsenal loses 3-0 to Crystal Palace

    Wenger faces reality as Arsenal loses 3-0 to Crystal Palace

    In a season that’s featured numerous embarrassing results for Arsenal, it’s difficult to pick out one and refer to it, definitively, as the most embarrassing. Yet, there’s a very clear argument for Monday’s 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace deserving that distinction.

    Arsenal entered Monday’s match seven points behind Manchester City for fourth place in the Premier League, having gained a small bit of ground on their rivals for Champions League places by beating West Ham United last week. But City — along with Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, and Manchester United — had won over the weekend. The Gunners had to win just to keep pace, and against a relegation battler like Palace, they should have been able to do so.

    But it was Palace who dictated the pace and style of the match from the start. Arsenal had plenty of the ball, but their chances were limited, and they looked under serious threat every time Palace broke forward. Arsenal’s defending on Andros Townsend’s opening goal in the 17th minute was terrible, with their back line completely disorganized. Things didn’t get better in the second half — it was Palace who came out of the locker room with more intensity, who looked the more likely to score, and who eventually did score the game’s second goal.

    Palace’s third goal, a penalty, was perhaps a microcosm of Arsenal’s season. Not only did backup goalkeeper Damian Martinez foul Townsend, but he actually made more contact with his teammate Hector Bellerin, and was lucky not to injure him. Bellerin, it should be noted, was in good position to prevent Townsend from taking a dangerous shot before Martinez decided to clean out both of them.

    Arsenal’s goal never came. Their best chances actually came before the penalty. For the first 68 minutes, the Gunners were flat, but from that moment until the end of the game they looked completely deflated. Palace held onto their 3-0 win comfortably.

    Gooners were dissatisfied, and the wonderful #tweetyourwatchingArsenalface started popping on Twitter.

  • Premier league sack: Who is next?

    Premier league sack: Who is next?

    The English premier league is referred to as the most difficult league in the world by pundits majorly because of the media attention, criticism and view from many across countries of the world.

    With millions of dollars spent on various clubs every season by owners, the twenty clubs that partake in the league try to perform according to the targets set by the board of directors.

    These targets put lots of pressure on the footballers but most especially on the club managers.

    Many managers in the premier league get negative/positive reactions from football fans for the playing patterns of their teams, although, the result remains the ultimate goal. Managers get contract extensions, new deals with many companies and even sack letters depending on the success or failure of their teams during their reign.barclayspremierleagueteams copy

    The English premier league is so dynamic that no manager, no matter how popular you are or your past achievement for the club is beyond getting sacked after a poor run lasting a period of time.

    [quote font_size=”18″ color=”#000000″ bgcolor=”#ddaa5d” bcolor=”#dd3333″ arrow=”yes”]This season alone, six managers have been booted out of their positions for inability to perform up to the expectation of the club owners. With barely two months into the new season, Francisco Guidolin of Swansea became the first manager to get the sack.[/quote]

    Two months after, Swansea city sacked their second manager of the season, Bob Bradley alongside Alan Pardew of Crystal palace were sacked for inability to get enough point for their various clubs. Just three days into the New Year, Mike Phelan (Hull city) got his own sack letter.

    However the most shocking sack came in February when the Best Manager in the league, Claudio Raineri was shown the exit after less than twelve months of surprising the football world by winning the English Premier League with underrated Leicester City.

    A month after,  Aitor Karanka of Middlesbrough was sacked for his team’s poor run of form. Taking a closer look at these teams that have sacked coaches this season; they are all within the range of fifteen to nineteen on the league table. With two months before the season closes, one wonders if we have seen the very last sack or if there will be more.  If there will be, who is next???

  • Pardew sacked as Crystal Palace manager

    Pardew sacked as Crystal Palace manager

    Alan Pardew has been sacked as manager of Crystal Palace, the club announced on Thursday.

    Pardew left Newcastle United to take over at Selhurst Park in January 2015 and led the club to a 10th-place finish in the Premier League, Goal reports.

    But his first full season in charge did not prove as successful in the league, Palace enduring a dreadful second half of the campaign, finishing just five points above the relegation zone.

    The former Southampton and Charlton Athletic boss led Palace to the FA Cup final, only to see his side beaten 2-1 in extra time by Manchester United in May.

     

  • Omeruo linked with Crystal Palace

    Omeruo linked with Crystal Palace

    AfricanFootball.com has specially learnt that Nigeria international Kenneth Omeruo could be on his way back to the Premier League at the end of the season as he has been linked with Crystal Palace.

    Omeruo is currently on loan from Chelsea at Turkish club Kasimpasa, who have an option to buy him outrightly by season’s end, but will not because they cannot come up with the cash to do so.

    The central defender still has two years left on his contract at Chelsea and so he could return to Stamford Bridge or move to another club on loan or on a permanent basis.

    “Crystal Palace are one of the clubs connected to Omeruo,” revealed a top source.

    “Hopefully, they will stay up and they could then buy him outrightly or take him on loan.”

    London club Palace are seven points clear of the relegation pack after losing four of their last five matches.

    Omeruo has already gone on loan at Dutch club ADO Den Haag as well as Middlesbrough in the English Championship.