A day that began with talk of Alan Pardew getting the sack ended with the Crystal Palace manager musing on peanut butter. What a difference a 3-0 victory makes.
An unspectacular but well-organised win over Southampton gave Palace their first three points in the Premier League since September. It also brought an end to a run of six straight defeats and earned the Eagles their first clean sheet of the season.
Two goals from Christian Benteke bookended a rare strike from James Tomkins, but according to Pardew the victory had been made possible by a lively week on the training ground.
Reports before the game had suggested that Palace’s players had taken control of Friday’s final training session, so desperate were they for defensive drills. Pardew denied insurrection but confirmed he and his players had found a shared appetite for solidity.
“We had a training session on Thursday that was the complete opposite of today. Sometimes you need that on the training ground,” he said. “You’ve got frustration: we were tight, giving the ball away in our team play.
“On Friday, it wasn’t so much the team wanted defensive work, they needed it. At times, when you’re getting the criticism you’re getting, it’s like your favourite peanut butter or something – you long for it. They longed for defensive work and I wasn’t going to let them down.”
Pardew stressed that defensive solidity had been “the only box to tick” in this match. That was borne out by a team selection that brought Damien Delaney and Joe Ledley back into the side. Ledley’s energy disrupted Southampton’s normally smooth passing game but it was Delaney who made the difference. The Republic of Ireland international used all of his 35 years’ experience in a performance that was as intelligent as it was combative.
“He’d be the first to admit he’s not blessed with masses of talent,” said Pardew of his centre-half, “But he’s got masses of personality, of desire and of leadership. The back four was better for having him in it today.”
After a cagey opening to the game, Palace took the lead in the 33rd minute thanks to a gift from the pitch and from Fraser Forster.
Southampton were in possession and, as is their wont, had pushed their defensive line up high. The right back Cédric Soares found himself under pressure on the halfway line and turned the ball backwards, forcing José Fonte to chase the ball back to his own corner flag. The Portuguese then tried to play a simple back pass to Forster but it lacked enough power to reach the keeper, himself under pressure from Benteke. As Forster approached to clear, the ball hit a divot, spinning up and over his clearing boot. Benteke gathered the ball and needed no invitation to turn it home.
Given recent events that include last week’s 5-4 surrender at Swansea, Palace’s opening goal was not a cause for wild celebration at Selhurst Park. But, two minutes later, the fans allowed themselves to erupt as the home side doubled their lead.
A deep free-kick was launched into the box – a consistent tactic from the home side – and was cleared behind by Fonte. Jason Puncheon opted to drill the corner low across the box, which caused chaos in the Saints backline. After two deflections, the ball fell to Tomkins, who could barely believe his luck. He hit his shot at Forster but still the ball squirmed into the net.
From that point on Saints dominated possession but clearcut chances were few and far between. Charlie Austin should have done better with a near-post header, while substitute Shane Long saw his first touch, also a header, turned wide by Wayne Hennessey. But Palace, led by Delaney and their captain, Scott Dann, stood strong under the pressure. With four minutes of the match remaining the Eagles wrapped it up, Puncheon’s alertness to a deflected shot embarrassing the Saints defence. His cut-back provided Benteke with a second finish only marginally more difficult than his first.
Claude Puel blamed his side’s defeat as much on the state of the Selhurst Park turf as anything else, though this will no doubt be born of frustration at his side’s inability to deliver a win that could have cemented their place in the top half of the table. “It was the bad pitch that gave opportunities to the opponent,” he said.
“It’s not an excuse for us; we did not play well in the first half. But to play the second half on a bad pitch against a team that was 2-0 up was impossible.”
