Crystal Palace 3-0 Tottenham Hotspur
Wilfried Zaha has long been linked with Spurs. Those rumours even reared their head again last month, although not as vigorously as in previous summers when it was rumoured that, at one point, he was deeply unhappy at being denied the opportunity.
To his credit, the winger knuckled down and played a key role in another Palace survival mission.
After staying at Selhurst Park and missing out on potential big league and European encounters, how sweet this must have been for the Ivory Coast winger – Saturday lunchtime at the Palace in the Premier League and a winner against the early league leaders.
The headlines that follow will be about a team-mate who made an instant impact but Zaha’s contribution cannot be underestimated.
Make no mistake, Crystal Palace deserved the three points – their first win of the campaign and a first win for new boss Patrick Vieira against the team who were his arch-rivals when he was captain of Arsenal.
Highlights of the game
Vieira named the same starting XI as in their 2-2 draw at West Ham prior to the international break with summer signings Odsonne Edouard and Michael Olise named on the bench.
Tottenham boss Nuno Espirito Santo made three changes to the side that began the victory over Watford.
Davinson Sanchez missed out as he needs to follow Covid-19 protocols having being involved with Colombia, while Son Heung-min injured his calf on international duty and joined Steven Bergwijn on the sidelines.
Spurs were also without Giovani Lo Celso and Cristian Romero for the same protocols.
That meant a debut for Emerson Royal and starts for Harry Winks and Lucas Moura.
That was attributed to an error from Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris and he was under the spotlight again eight minutes in as a poor throw to Eric Dier resulted in the player taking a clattering from the onrushing Jordan Ayew, on the day of his 30th birthday.
Dier tried to hobble on but had to leave the fray a few minutes later with Welsh international Joe Rodon replacing him.
With Premier League highlights few and far between, that was the most notable moment of the first half until a minute before the break when Zaha beat Emerson and then Pierre Emile Hojbjerg before pulling the ball back to Conor Gallagher whose shot was blocked by Lloris.
The second half had to be better, and it was.
Three minutes after the restart, Moura cut inside and fired an effort that Vicente Guaita saved. It proved to be Spurs’ only effort on target.
Palace came again and from another Zaha cross which Spurs failed to clear, Gallagher drove a shot which was goalbound until hitting Rodon.
The contest really came alive when a challenge on Moura left the player down but play continued and promising young defender Japhet Tanganga stopped Zaha in his tracks.
Both players were booked amid the ‘pushing and shoving’ that followed and, from that moment, the home side had the bit between their teeth.
At that point Tanganga needed composure but, three minutes on, he lunged in recklessly on Ayew and a second yellow card duly followed.
The SBOTOP Premier League betting odds swung in the Eagles favour and the next key moment arrived 14 minutes from the end.
Sergio Reguilonheaded off the line before Ben Davies blocked a Gallagher cross with his hand and Zaha coolly stroked home the penalty.
From then, Spurs looked a beaten side but there was more as a new boy made an instant impact to grab the morning headlines.
Edouard gained a good reputation at Celtic and is now an instant hero at Selhurst Park after a wonderful cameo as substitute.
He had been on the pitch for half a minute when his first touch in a Palace shirt was to control Zaha’s low ball into the box before stroking into the far corner.
Then, in the third minute of stoppage time, three of Vieira’s signings combined to deadly effect assub Olise found Gallagher who shifted the ball onto Edouard and he again despatched the ball beyond Lloris.
What an eight minute-debut!
What an afternoon for Palace!
Key statistics
This was Zaha’s first goal and assist in 13 Premier League games against Tottenham.
Edouard’s goal 28 seconds after coming on as a substitute was the fastest goal scored by a player on their Premier League debut, breaking the record set by Thievy for West Brom against Crystal Palace in February 2014 (36 seconds).
Edouard is the first player to score a brace on his Premier League debut as a substitute since Sergio Agüero for Manchester City in August 2011 (v Swansea City).
Palace are the first ever side to start a top-flight campaign with four consecutive London derbies. They were without a win in their last 11 such games in the Premier League until today.
On the two previous occasions in which Spurs started a season with three clean sheets (1924-25 and 2005-06), they lost 2-0 in their fourth game.
What’s next?
Palace have a tough encounter next as they travel to Merseyside to take on Liverpool a week today.
Spurs have a busy period and are in action in Europe in midweek.They visit Rennes of France on Thursday (September 16) before hosting archrivals Chelsea in the Premier League next Sunday (September 19).
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