Crystal Palace 4-1 Leeds United
As Premier League contests go, this was hugely entertaining and highly enjoyable.
Three goals inside the opening half an hour and two sides committed to attack meant Premier League highlights were aplenty.
Among those, a gem of a free-kick, an own goal and a disallowed goal – just another normal yet debatable afternoon in the top flight suburbs with the help of VAR.
Highlights of the game
Aiming for ‘bouncebackability’, the hosts were without captain Luka Milivojevic as he began a three-match suspension following his sending off at Wolves, while James Tomkins was out through injury.
On a brighter note, both Gary Cahill and Jordan Ayew were once more available with the veteran defender on the bench and the latter leading the Eagles’ frontline.
Leeds had no such luck with Rodrigo (coronavirus), Kalvin Phillips and Diego Llorente on the sidelines, although winger Raphinha was named among the subs following an ankle problem.
Leading their line was six-goal top scorer Patrick Bamford on familiar turf, even if he failed to score in six Premier League appearances while on loan at Palace in 2015-16.
He was to be in the headlines again as the afternoon progressed.
From the outset, both sides showed real purpose and with talisman Wilfried Zaha (who has knuckled down after failing to move on) and exciting youngster Eberi Eze proving dangerous, Roy Hodgson’s men were on the front foot from the start.
After Dutch defender Patrick van Aanholt shot straight at Illan Meslier, they took a 12th minute lead as Eze delivered a superb corner and Scott Dann leaped highest to powerfully head home, despite Meslier getting a hand to it.
Leeds thought they had levelled within a few minutes as Bamford was expertly found by Mateusz Klich and dinked the ball over Vicente Guaita. That VAR ruled the goal out – Bamford was marginally offside as he pointed to where he wanted his team-mate to play the ball – once again showed the folly of how the law is being interpreted.
If the visitors felt aggrieved, they would have been more frustrated soon afterwards, even if they must have admired the finish.
After being fouled by Robin Koch, Eze picked himself up and curled a delightful 25 yard free-kick over the wall and into the top corner.
It was a superb goal and one he will always remember as his first ever strike for Palace.
Leeds refused to be dispirited and deserved to pull one back with the Klich- Bamford combination proving clinical.
The Polish midfielder nodded the ball into the path of his team-mate and the confident Bamford finished emphatically with a sweetly-struck shot into the bottom corner.
The game was evenly poised but a freak goal three minutes before the break put the ball firmly in Palace’s court.
The lively van Aanholt drove down the left and as Helder Costa slid in to try and intercept, the ball flew off the Portuguese winger’s foot and flashed in at the near post, flat-footing Meslier who couldn’t react quickly enough.
After that, Palace smartly allowed Leeds plenty of possession but ensured they restricted them to long range opportunities.
Indeed, after the break, apart from a powerful Jack Harrison effort and a low strike from Ezgjan Alioski, Guaita was rarely tested and it took a fine challenge from Alioski to stop Zaha from adding the fourth.
Ayew promptly did just that after Zaha’s vision and accuracy caught the visitors on the counter.
For Leeds, looking to win three successive Premier League away games for the first time since August 2002, fortunate was not on their side.
The scoreline was also harsh as Bamford missed a free header to reduce the arrears soon afterwards and Raphinha went close with a free-kick.
It was Palace’s day.
In their first top-flight clash since January 1998, their Premier League know-how, plus an element of luck, ensured that.
Key statistics
Zaha has equalled his haul of seven goal involvements in 38 Premier League games last season in just eight this term (five goals, two assists).
No side has scored more direct free kicks in the Premier League in 2020 than Palace, Manchester City and Southampton, all with three.
Bamford has become the first Leeds player to score in the opening four away games of a top-flight campaign.
Leeds (17) have conceded more goals than any other side in the Premier League this season.
They are winless in their last five trips to Selhurst Park (drawn two, lost three) and have only won one of their past 21 league matches in London (drawn six, lost 14).
They have not won an away PL game after conceding the first goal since December 2002 against Sunderland and have lost all 36 Premier League games when trailing by two or more goals at half time.
The Eagles have scored more than once in only two of their 13 Premier League matches at Selhurst Park in 2020.
What’s next?
It’s international break time.
After that, Palace travel to Burnley two weeks today (November 21), while Leeds entertain Arsenal the following afternoon in a clash which will evoke memories of some heavyweight meetings of yesteryear.
The SBOTOP Premier League betting odds are certainly worth looking at.
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