Match report
That’s all from me; I’ll leave you with Dom Fifield’s piping hot match report from Selhurst Park. Bye!
For Crystal Palace, there are clear signs of improvement after a dreadful few months in the league either side of their run to the FA Cup final. Andros Townsend ran the show, and Palace’s front four were all excellent, relentlessly pressing and interchanging to leave Stoke in disarray. They climb to eighth, and their slow start is a distant memory.
Stoke’s rock-bottom confidence has taken another hit today, but they at least have a forgiving fixture list; aside from a trip to Old Trafford, their next league opponents are West Brom (H), Sunderland (H), Hull (A) and Swansea (H). No need to panic just yet, but the table makes for grim reading.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | Burnley | 5 | -5 | 4 |
| 17 | AFC Bournemouth | 5 | -6 | 4 |
| 18 | West Ham | 5 | -6 | 3 |
| 19 | Sunderland | 4 | -5 | 1 |
| 20 | Stoke | 5 | -11 | 1 |
Full time! Crystal Palace 4-1 Stoke City
That’s it. Stoke at least ended their scoring drought at the death, but there was little else to cheer as Crystal Palace dominated the game.
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GOAL! Crystal Palace 4-1 Stoke (Arnautovic)
Those hardy Stoke fans who are still here get their reward, as Bony’s cross deflects into the path of Arnautovic, who fizzes the ball inside Mandanda’s far post!
91 mins: From a Stoke attacks, Zaha picks up the ball near the corner flag, and races the entire left of the field, before his shot is deflected behind, denying a breakaway goal even more remarkable than Townsend’s.
89 mins: Allen finds Walters who motors beyond Kelly, shifts the ball onto his left... and fires wide of the far post. That should have been 4-1. Three added minutes.
86 mins: This one is winding down, with Palace fans singing themselves hoarse. Stoke are trying to carve out a consolation goal, but their hearts aren’t in it.
4 - Stoke have conceded four goals in six of their last 11 Premier League games. Woeful.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 18, 2016
The teams are in for Spurs v Sunderland, which you can follow with Rob Smyth right here:
84 mins: Townsend, who has been brilliant, is replaced by Lee Chung-yong.
83 mins: Flamini gets caught napping by Diouf, who tees up Bony, unmarked in the middle. The striker slips as he tries to control it, allowing Delaney to get back. Bony desperately needs a goal.
81 mins: If the score stays the same, this will be Palace’s first win by a four-goal margin since the 5-1 win over Newcastle last November, and Stoke’s first defeat by a four-goal margin since last Saturday.
80 mins: Bony sums up a poor day, struggling to get the ball under control before blootering it into the stand from an admittedly tight angle.
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78 mins: Joe Ledley, industrious in midfield all afternoon, has picked up a knock apparently – along with Tomkins’ injury, the only negative for Palace today. Bringing on Delaney and Flamini at least shows the hosts have a bit of squad depth these days.
76 mins: Puncheon is booked for a lunge on Arnautovic, and there’s a change for Palace, with Mathieu Flamini coming on for his home debut in place of Joe Ledley. Yes, I’d forgotten about that one, too.
Townsend breaks at blistering pace down the left, before cutting inside, then changing direction with an outrageous heel-flick, sending Joe Allen and Ryan Shawcross skittering into different postcodes, then curling the ball inside Given’s far post from 20 yards. Magnificent.
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GOAL! Crystal Palace 4-0 Stoke (Townsend)
What a goal from Andros Townsend, the man of the match by some distance!
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GOAL! Crystal Palace 3-0 Stoke (McArthur)
One for the dubious goals panel (if that’s still a thing), as McArthur collects the ball from the free kick and fires on goal. It’s curling towards the far corner, but Geoff Cameron intervenes to make sure, the ball deflecting in with Given heading the other way. Game over!
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70 mins: Arnautovic has had to continually track back to deal with the marauding Townsend, and his frustration gets the better of him, giving away a cheap free kick on the right...
There’s been a goal in the other top-flight game going on right now: Charlie Austin has given Southampton the lead at home to Swansea.
68 mins: A change for Stoke, around an hour too late, with Diouf on in place of the ineffective Bojan to offer more support to Bony.
66 mins: ...from which Palace fans appeal for two penalties in quick succession, firstly when Benteke is barged over by Cameron. We’ve seen similar given in the league this season. Ledley is then brought down by Bojan, who slipped with the ball rolling out of play – that would have been very harsh.
65 mins: Townsend, the best player on the pitch so far, has Martins Indi on the back foot, before cutting inside and firing a shot that deflects behind...
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63 mins: Puncheon is able to gallop deep into the Stoke area, before slipping the ball to Zaha, who sees his angled shot deflected wide. Martins Indi deals with the corner.
62 mins: Craig Pawson has had a decent game, but he misses a clear foul on the edge of the Palace area, with Walters getting his heels clipped by Ledley. Stoke do win a free kick some 20 yards further back, and Johnson hits a daisy-cutter straight at Mandanda from a long way out.
60 mins: A first yellow card, as McArthur takes one for the team, bringing down Walters in midfield to prevent a dangerous Stoke break. From the free kick, the ball ricochets to Bojan, who tries a cross from the right. It drifts out of play, with only Bony in the penalty area anyway.
58 mins: Zaha comes back to challenge Bojan, but he shouldn’t have bothered – he clatters him to the ground, giving away a free kick which Martins Indi flicks up artfully and volleys at goal. It’s deflected wide, and from the corner, Shawcross shins the ball wide at the far post.
55 mins: Bojan has a half-chance, firing a foot wide of the near post from an unforgiving angle. The game is getting stretched.
53 mins: Delaney robs Bony of the ball and Palace fly forward again, with Townsend crossing from an angle when he could have shot. Stoke are forced to scramble it away, before another excellent Towsend delivery causes havoc – Shawcross coming mighty close to toe-ending the ball past Given, who makes a good reaction save.
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52 mins: Bojan had to intervene there; Shay Given was out of position. Stoke have really missed Jack Butland.
50 mins: Palace are more than capable of striking on the counter, and Benteke leads a break upfield, which results in a free kick. Townsend is in place to whip another ball in with his left foot – it’s terrific, zipping across the six-yard line and causing chaos in the Stoke defence. Palace win a corner, and Dann gets on it, but Bojan, all 5’7” of him, clears off the line!
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48 mins: Arnautovic wins a corner as Stoke start on the front foot. Bojan takes it, after Craig Pawson has a word with Jon Walters and Martin Kelly about penalty-area grappling. It’s aimed at Shawcross, but Palace get it away...
46 mins: Whelan gets down the right, and forces McArthur into a skewed clearance behind the goal. From the corner, Shawcross gets a header on goal, but it’s straightforward for Mandanda. It’s a shot on target, at least.
Peep!
No changes for the visitors, but one for the hosts: Damien Delaney is on, replacing James Tomkins, who picked up a knock at the end of the first half.
Since Xherdan Shaqiri equalised at Middlesbrough on 13th August, Stoke have scored just once in the Premier League – Bojan’s consolation penalty against Manchester City. Will Mark Hughes chuck on Peter Crouch or Mame Biram Diouf at half-time?
Half time: Crystal Palace 2-0 Stoke
Palace dominated the opening stages, going 2-0 up after 12 minutes, but it’s been a more even contest since Stoke woke up around 35 minutes in. It’s not quite over yet. Back in a few.
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45 mins: The free kick is cleared, and Palace end the first half on the front foot. Tomkins, who scored the first goal, is limping as he heads off the field.
44 mins: Stoke are making things harder for the hosts in midfield now, as the first half comes to a scrappy conclusion. Stoke win a free kick out on the right touchline, after Benteke concedes a foul. One minute of added time.
43 mins: Both managers said before the game that they wanted to see calm, controlled possession. Both managers will be disappointed.
41 mins: Palace’s full backs get forward, with Martin Kelly looking for Joel Ward at the far post. Martins Indi heads the ball away, before Zaha hauls Arnautovic down. Both wingers have given away cheap free kicks as Stoke have tightened up defensively.
40 mins: Stoke have had one touch in the Crystal Palace penalty area. One! Perhaps Alan Pardew is onto something with his penalty area entries chat.
38 mins: Palace pick up the ball in midfield and flood forward, but Townsend, running into a dead end, gives away a free kick. Palace are pressing really well; Stoke are somehow finding themselves outnumbered all over the pitch.
36 mins: Allen’s delivery looks overhit, but drops sharply at the far post, forcing Dann to head away with Shawcross closing in. Stoke corner, but they play it short, and give the ball away. Baffling.
34 mins: Walters chases down Cameron’s diagonal ball, and after his first cross is cleared, he wins a free kick. Plenty of bodies up from the back for Stoke...
32 mins: Palace have eased off the gas a little after that breathless opening spell. Stoke fans: what exactly is going on this season?
30 mins: Wilfried Bony has been isolated so far, and Walters’ low cross from the right towards the striker is collected by Mandanda, prompting shouts of “Steeeeeeve” from the Selhurst Park faithful.
26 mins: Zaha battles Martins Indi for the ball, and draws a cheap foul from Bojan. Townsend whips it towards the far post, where Tomkins almost gets his head to it. If it ain’t broke, etc and so on...
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24 mins: Townsend, who has made a terrific start, moves back to the left and lofts a cross inches over Benteke’s head. Stoke need to get their act together here; Palace are dominant.
23 mins: Applause around Selhurst Park for Pape Souaré (squad number 23) who is recovering after a car accident last week.
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22 mins: Palace charge up the other end, Townsend switching to the right and drawing a clumsy foul from Martins Indi. He takes the free kick himself from the right corner of the penalty area – and almost catches Given out with a swerving shot on goal.
21 mins: Dann gives the ball away, allowing Bony to dart forward and shoot on goal, but he scuffs his effort wide of Mandanda’s far post.
19 mins: Palace putting unnecessary pressure on themselves with a couple of loose touches at the back, but Stoke’s fleeting spell of pressure is ended when Bony drifts offside.
18 mins: Martins Indi skips forward, but is immediately swamped by red and blue shirts. Palace break, and Benteke holds the ball well before teeing up Puncheon, whose 25-yarder is struck firmly, but straight at Given.
16 mins: Palace again roll past Stoke’s two-man midfield, and Puncheon forces a corner off Arnautovic. Benteke gets a head to the ball under pressure from Shawcross, but it loops harmlessly towards Given.
14 mins: Bony tries a flick-on into the path of Arnautovic, but Joel Wards gets back to cover. The Austrian gets up gingerly after the full-back’s challenge.
Two set-pieces where Stoke just didn’t get organised, and they find themselves two goals down after less than 15 minutes. Mark Hughes looks absolutely furious.
GOAL! Crystal Palace 2-0 Stoke (Dann)
And another! This time, it’s Palace’s other centre-half, rising to head home from a corner, with Stoke’s defence all at sea.
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Palace won a free-kick to the right of the area, having kept Stoke under pressure. Townsend swings it into a tricky spot close to the far post, and with Jon Walters leaving it for Shay Given, and Given staying on his line, Tomkins nips in to prod the ball home!
GOAL! Crystal Palace 1-0 Stoke (Tomkins)
Palace take the lead through new man James Tomkins!
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7 mins: The corner is cleared, but worked back to Zaha, who shimmies to the byline and crosses. The ball hits Glenn Whelan just below the shoulder. His arm was raised, but Craig Pawson isn’t interested.
6 mins: Bojan presents the ball to Andros Townsend with a careless sideways pass, and the winger sprints to the touchline, with Johnson getting back well at the expense of a corner...
4 mins: Stoke spray the ball around midfield, before Martins Indi, stepping in from the left, almost cuts the Palace defence open with a through ball – but Jon Walters is a yard offside.
2 mins: Bruno Martins Indi, who has moved across to left back from central defence, is drawn out of position by Jason Puncheon, who finds Zaha down the right. He wins a corner, which Stoke almost break from – but Arnautovic can’t get the ball under control.
We're off!
‘Glad All Over’ rings out, before Craig Pawson gets us under way.
Five minutes until kick-off. Why not pass the time with a quick game of ‘spot the manager’, featuring this Tom Jenkins shot from the 1990 FA Cup final:
Mark Hughes speaks! “We’re pleased to have Glen [Johnson] back, he gives us that calmness in possession. Bojan has shown really good intent in training, so we’re pleased he’s back as well. We’ve played three of the top five, so it’s been tough... we have talent in the group, so we’re looking for a result here. We haven’t been resolute in our games so far, and we’re trying to reshuffle our defensive personnel.”
There was a late goal at Vicarage Road... where it’s finished Watford 3-1 Manchester United. Things looking distinctly brighter for Watford than at half-time against West Ham, but that’s three defeats in eight days for José Mourinho.
Alan Pardew speaks, using the phrase ‘penalty area entries’ in his pre-match spiel:
“We’ve spent a lot of money on him, and he needs to come into the team and show his worth… I’m trying to ask them to play with more composure and more control of the game. Our penalty area entries have been very good. Connor is fit, and we’re starting with Christian, so that bodes well. We can’t expect to win today, but we want a fine performance. I think the start could be crucial for both teams”
Today’s strikers, Christian Benteke and Wilfried Bony both arrived in the Premier League from the Low Countries and immediately boosted their reputations, before big-money moves backfired spectacularly. Between them, they’ve scored 83 Premier League goals, and cost clubs a total of £113m. Here’s what they’ve had to say:
Benteke: “I will work really hard to come back as I was before. When you’re playing at 100%, you feel free... when you score goals, you feel unstoppable. It was obvious that [Jürgen Klopp] didn’t trust me, but he has his way of doing things.”
Bony: “I’ve had the best pre-season for five years... at Swansea, I played every week. [At Manchester City] I knew I wouldn’t play every game, but I got injured... [Pep] Guardiola told me he would be playing a lot of midfielders, and it would be difficult for me to play. It’s been good for me to be involved in games again.”
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Watford 2-1 Manchester United! Juan Camilo Zúñiga has scored with his first touch, and United have five minutes to avoid a third straight defeat.
James Tomkins is making his first league start for Crystal Palace today, after joining from West Ham over the summer. Plenty of eyebrows were raised when he moved for an eight-figure sum, but judging by the Hammers’ defensive efforts without him, £10m was a steal.
40 miles up the M25, it’s currently Watford 1-1 Manchester United, with Marcus Rashford equalising just a few moments ago. You can join Rob Smyth for that one, and it’s always worth taking in David Hills’ Said & Done:
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Just one change for the hosts, with summer signing James Tomkins replacing Damien Delaney in central defence. Christian Benteke leads the line, with younger brother Jonathan dropping off the bench, replaced by the returning Connor Wickham.
Mark Hughes makes two changes from the defeat to Spurs, with Glen Johnson replacing Erik Pieters and Bojan coming into an attacking line-up, in place of Giannelli Imbula.
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Team news!
Crystal Palace v Stoke
Crystal Palace: Mandanda; Ward, Dann, Tomkins, Kelly; McArthur, Ledley, Zaha, Puncheon, Townsend; C Benteke.
Subs: Flamini, Hennessey, Lee, Fryers, Wickham, Sako, Delaney.
Stoke City: Given; Johnson, Cameron, Shawcross, Martins Indi; Whelan, Allen; Walters, Bojan, Arnautovic; Bony.
Subs: Bardsley, Pieters, Adam, Diouf, Imbula, Crouch, Grant.
Referee: Craig Pawson
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Preamble
The season has barely started, but in the Premier League, there must always be a manager on the brink. This week, the axe dangles above Stoke’s Mark Hughes, with the Potters bottom of the pile.
He’s certainly playing the part, sending out teams devoid of direction and phoning in a touchline tantrum against Spurs. Today he faces Alan Pardew, a similarly irascible sort who has been in his shoes many times.
These two clubs have trodden similar paths too – both deploying Tony Pulis to secure mid-table status after decades pinballing around the leagues. Both fanbases seem to have gained perspective along the way, by and large turning up, singing loud and enjoying themselves. It can’t last.
Leicester have changed the rules, and both teams are discovering the dangers of treading water. Stoke’s starting eleven is too expensive to be so inconspicuous, while Palace’s home record (12 wins in two seasons) is hard to explain or excuse. These teams can be breathtaking and blundering in equal measure, so any result seems feasible.
Kick off is at 2.15pm BST; team news to follow.
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