FULL TIME: Crystal Palace 2-0 West Bromwich Albion
A brilliant attacking display from Crystal Palace, with Zaha their main man. They go third in the table, and look good enough to keep this run going. They’re a quality side, the real deal. As for West Brom, there’s no need to be kicking anyone when they’re down, so let’s not labour the point, but that was miserable. Sunderland at home next, though, and the only way from this is up.
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90 min +3: Hennessey has had bugger all to do this afternoon, but he’s kept his concentration beautifully. McManaman turns Kelly inside out down the left, then batters a shot goalwards from a tight angle. It’s parried brilliantly by the keeper, who wants that clean sheet. And he’s going to get it.
90 min +2: McClean curls a fine cross into the Palace box from the right. It’s claimed by Hennessey under pressure from Rondon.
90 min +1: There will be four added minutes. And they will be played in quite the celebratory atmosphere. “We’re gonna win the league!” chirp the home fans. Well, why not? What’s the point in sport if you’re not allowed to dream? They’re going third, after all.
90 min: Man of the match Zaha, his work here done, is replaced by Ledley.
GOAL! Crystal Palace 2-0 WBA (Cabaye 89 pen)
Cabaye lashes the spot kick into the right-hand portion of the net. Game over!
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Penalty for Palace!
88 min: Zaha has been twisting Brunt’s blood all day, and now he earns Palace a spot kick, burning his opponent on the outside. Brunt slides in and that’s a clear penalty kick.
86 min: A rare attack from West Brom, McManaman twisting and turning down the left to earn a corner. The set piece is cleared, whereupon Yacob and Zaha tangle down the Palace right. Yacob clatters Zaha, and is then pushed in the throat for his trouble. Two yellows.
84 min: More brilliant work from Zaha down the right. He nearly finds Bolasie in the centre. Then another phase of attack, and Souare is in space on the other wing. His early cross from deep is overcooked, but very nearly floats into the top right, Paul Konchesky During The 2006 FA Cup Final style. Very nearly, but not quite.
82 min: Souare whips an inviting cross into the box from the left. It’s not far from Campbell’s brow, but McAuley clears. A fine move set in motion by the excellent Bolasie, who evaded a couple of challenges in the centre circle with a clever dinked header and burst of pace.
81 min: See 77 min.
79 min: A busy couple of minutes for Campbell. Now he’s booked for an agitated tangle with Chester.
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78 min: Campbell strips the ball off the eternally hapless Dawson on the right-hand corner of the West Brom box. He then falls over, looking for a penalty, when he really should be shooting. He’s not getting it.
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77 min: One hundred and twenty quality-free seconds pass.
75 min: Gayle is replaced with Fraizer Campbell.
73 min: Rondon, with McClean in space down the right, creams a comically bad pass deep into the stand. The frown on McClean’s brow could plough concrete.
72 min: Rickie Lambert, the unused striker, is sitting on the WBA bench with a face on. As the old joke goes, like the Titanic and Lawrie McMenemy, he should never have left Southampton.
70 min: McManaman comes on for Morrison. West Brom fan JR in Illinois is, understandably, still unhappy. “I think I’d rather they played entertaining football in the Championship than this. Of course we can watch every Premier League game here but we only get a couple Championship games a week and I’d hardly ever see them play, so I suppose it’s a catch-22. I didn’t understand what was wrong with Steve Clarke.” You and a million Liverpool fans.
GOAL! Crystal Palace 1-0 WBA (Bolasie 68)
What a goal this is! Cabaye’s corner was dreadful, cleared by the first man. But he soon makes up for it. Puncheon picks up the clearance, and dinks Cabaye into space with a sliderule ball down the left. Cabaye drops a shoulder and sends a dipping cross to the far post, allowing Bolasie to crash home from close range! That’s Bolasie’s first goal here since January 2013. Against Wolves in the Championship, for the record. You can’t say it hasn’t been coming.
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67 min: Corner for Palace down the left this time. Cabaye takes. It’s cleared, but ...
65 min: The ever-excellent Zaha wins a corner down the right. Gayle can’t connect at the near post. Cabaye has another lash from distance, but it’s blocked and then cleared by this resolute West Brom defence.
64 min: McClean has a hopeful dig from 25 yards. Hennessey, who hasn’t had much to do, gathers with ease. The home support cheer in the ironic style.
62 min: Chester is booked for amateurishly bowling Gayle to the ground down the left. A free kick in a dangerous area, and a chance for Palace to load the box. Cabaye can’t beat the first man with his delivery. That’s dismal. He claims a hand ball against Gardner, more in embarrassment than expectation. It’s hit his right arm, which was dangling limply, but the referee’s not having it.
59 min: Bolasie and Souare are doing a lot of progressive work down this left wing. With Zaha a terror down the right, Palace have a lovely balance in attack. But West Brom are holding firm right now, keeping their shape. For all their domination of territory and possession, and pretty passing, Palace haven’t been able to carve their opponents open. Yet.
57 min: Zaha has been Palace’s star this afternoon. He dances down the right, sashays inside, and feeds Puncheon, who hasn’t got his shooting boots on today. From the edge of the box, it’s three rugby points.
55 min: Kelly slips the ball down the right for Zaha, who curls a low cross towards Gayle at the near post. Gayle flicks. It’s deflected out for a corner. The set piece is punched clear by Myhill. Cabaye hammers a volley goalwards from the edge of the area. It’s deflected. Then Bolasie is in acres down the left. He rolls a cross into the mixer, but with several team-mates waiting to shoot, Rondon steps in to intercept.
53 min: Not a whole lot going on since the restart. To the credit of the Selhurst Park faithful, the atmosphere’s still bubbling along nicely. Hardly a cauldron, of course, but there are plenty of bigger venues in this league that would be shrouded in near silence when served with fare like this.
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50 min: Cabaye is back on. Bolasie rolls a ball down the left wing to release Souare into acres of space, though he’s overcooked the pass and it runs out of play. West Brom were light at the back there.
47 min: Cabaye is down having taken a crack on his ankle. Gardner stamped on it, but completely accidentally, on the follow-through while kicking the ball. Cabaye had come to him. Cabaye is in a lot of pain, though it looks temporary as he’s hobbling off and preparing to continue. He’s exchanged a friendly nod with Gardner, too, an acknowledgement that the contact was accidental. Everyone playing nicely.
And we're off again!
“Is there any team in the league that plays less interesting or exciting football than West Brom?” asks JR in Illinois. “Have they even strung together more than three passes in a row today? They just don’t look like doing anything here. This is downright awful. And I say this as a Baggies fan.” Well, that first half wasn’t brilliant. But Pulis will be pleased with his side’s solidity, if nothing else. Palace were all over them, but weren’t given many clear-cut chances. I’d say the only way is up, but they’ve replaced Berahino with Gardner, which suggests even more of a defensive mindset. Needs must, perhaps.
Half-time entertainment with Alan Pardew and Derek Jameson:
It never gets old, does it. Did they sing that? They surely did.
HALF TIME: Crystal Palace 0-0 West Bromwich Albion
Morrison wins the ball of a dawdling Cabaye near the left-hand corner flag. He breaks into the area, slips the ball back to McClean, who looks to bend one into the top right. it’s blocked. And that’s that for the half. Palace should be leading. But they’re not. Tony Pulis will take a strange sense of satisfaction from that. Alan Pardew will be frustrated. It’s going to be a very interesting second half. Don’t go anywhere!
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45 min +1: The first of two added minutes sees Souare whistle a shot-cum-cross in from the left. A dangerous ball, but one that’s smothered by Myhill, who has been West Brom’s best player in an otherwise miserable half for them.
45 min: Zaha races after a long ball down the right. Brunt sticks an arm out and shoves him to the ground. It should be a free kick just outside the area, but the referee waves play on. That’s preposterous.
43 min: Fletcher battles under a high ball down the inside-right channel. He goes down cheaply having been brushed by McArthur, and claims a penalty. Come on now. A corner on the right, though. The ball’s lumped into the middle, where Chester and Kelly do-si-do. A mild kerfuffle, which ends with a free kick awarded against Chester. For a second there, it looked as though West Brom were going to finish this half with an absurd smash and grab against the run of play.
41 min: West Brom have only seen 27% of the ball in the last five minutes. Zaha once again skates down the right, powering past Brunt and then McClean, shooting from a tight angle and bringing another fine save out of Myhill. The keeper parries, and Puncheon can’t make anything of the rebound.
39 min: Puncheon Zahas in from the right and works himself a little space at the front of the box. He looks to power a curler into the top left, but gets far too much on it. West Brom are being pinned back in the final third. It looks only a matter of time before Palace break through. West Brom are desperate to hear the half-time whistle.
38 min: Sheer brilliance from the lively Zaha, who again comes inside from the right to cause Brunt all sorts of blood-twisting trouble. He makes space to shoot from a tight angle, and batters one on target. Myhill, at his near post, stands up strongly to arm the ball out for a corner, which is cleared with ease. Magnificent play by Zaha, yet again, and the goalkeeping wasn’t too shoddy either.
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36 min: Zaha glides in from the right, then plays a clever dink down the inside-right channel for Gayle. Brunt comes across to close the space down. Gayle should be powering into the box to shoot, but he fails to control properly, and opts to go down instead. No penalty. The referee could book him for diving, but doesn’t.
34 min: Cabaye slides in on Berahino, as the striker pootles around the centre circle. That was a bit reckless. A yellow card? Nope. That’s two he’s bodyswerved now. On another day, he could be walking.
33 min: Zaha is a menace. He dribbles down the right with extreme prejudice. He eventually takes it out of play, but only because West Brom have three men on him.
31 min: Brunt is back. His first act is to head a deep Souare cross from the left clear. But Cabaye brings it down and pearls a shot goalwards from distance. A fierce effort, but straight at Myhill.
29 min: Zaha is fouled by Yacob as he skedaddles down the right. A free kick that’s lumped into the area. A bout of head tennis. Zaha takes a fresh air shot. West Brom half clear. Palace come back at the Baggies down the left. Cabaye lumps a dismal shot over the bar when in space on the edge of the area. West Brom are hanging on a bit here.
26 min: ... Brunt takes an awful crack on the nose. The free kick’s pulled back to the edge of the area. Brunt rushes in to shoot. He’s closed down by Zaha. His shot balloons over the bar. Zaha, turning in the challenge, accidentally crumps his elbow on Brunt’s hooter. A lot of claret. Ooyah, oof. He has to go off for treatment. No sub.
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25 min: McClean makes ground down the right. Souare performs a preposterous high-kick across him. A foul, and a booking. Free kick, just to the right of the Palace box. From which ...
24 min: Evans, with a jiggered hamstring, limps off and is replaced by Chester.
23 min: All a bit scrappy right now. A few petty fouls in the midfield. One free kick not given, though, is Puncheon’s shove on Morrison, who was making good at pace down the inside-left channel. West Brom are quite rightly aggrieved.
21 min: Zaha and Kelly combine down the right. Good work which earns a corner down that flank. The set piece is mopped up easily enough by the visitors. Palace are well on top right now.
18 min: Zaha diddles Berahino in a tight spot near the byline on the right. He chips across to Bolasie, who rises to head but is stopped by McAuley, who might be tugging his shirt. Only a wee bit though. West Brom clear.
17 min: Cabaye comes sliding into the back of Yacob. He should be yellow-carded, but the referee wasn’t watching, as Zaha had been clattered a nanosecond earlier. Palace get the free kick, and their man escapes a booking.
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16 min: Souare is busy hoofing a long ball up the left wing. Mid hoick, he’s clattered by McClean, who is booked for the late intervention. He can have no complaints.
14 min: Hennessey prepares to take a goal kick. All 20 outfield players are standing in a portion of the pitch not much wider than the centre circle. Hmm.
12 min: McClean drives in from the right and sends a rising shot over the bar from 25 yards. It’s not much, but it’s something for West Brom, who have been struggling to impose themselves, that early Berahino half-chance apart.
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11 min: Dawson’s misery continues. A throw deep in Palace territory down the right. He flings it into play, then fails to control a simple return. The crowd critique his efforts in the sarcastic style as the ball arcs into the stand.
9 min: The Baggies can’t get hold of the ball at all. This is one-way traffic. Palace will be wanting to strike while the iron is hot.
7 min: Dawson plays a loose ball inside from the right. Puncheon snaffles it up, then lays off to Boalsie, whose raking diagonal ball forward towards Zaha on the right is no good. Dawson won’t be looking forward to his half-time chat with Tony Pulis. Then, seconds later, another Palace attack, the ball finding Zaha down the right wing. He jigs inside and nudges the ball past Brunt. A chance to shoot from ten yards, but he drags a lame effort wide of the right-hand post. West Brom are all over the shop right now, and Palace are very much on the front foot.
6 min: Dawson dawdles on the WBA right. Bolasie is on him in a flash, and strips the ball off him. He bursts down the Palace left, glides inside, and whistles a daisycutter goalwards from the left-hand edge of the D. Myhill is behind it all the way and swallows it up.
4 min: Zaha earns a corner for Palace down the right. Puncheon takes. Gayle drops back to the edge of the box, a training-ground routine. He’s running away from the goal, but takes the ball down, turns, and lashes a shot goalwards. An ambitious effort, and one that’s deflected wide right. The second set piece comes to naught. So that didn’t quite work, but again, full marks for expansive thinking.
2 min: A blistering atmosphere at Selhurst Park as ever. The most buoyant crowd in the Premier League? They’re right up there. It’s always an event. There’s a loose ball on the right-hand edge of the Palace box. Berahino has time to create something, but plays a ludicrously ambitious first-time lob towards the top left. It’d work at Twickenham later on, but not here.
"Be loud! Be proud! Be Palace!"
Does that work, or is it terrible? Not sure. It’s a thin line. But full marks for effort, anyway. Palace get the ball rolling, a long ball down the left nearly releasing Gayle. But the Palace man has his elbow on McAuley’s neck. Free kick.
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The teams are out! Palace in their modern red and blue; West Brom with their classic navy and white, as natty as ever. Their badge isn’t as good as the one they had in the 1970s, though. Then again, can any club say that? Nope! We’ll be off in a minute.
Both of these clubs have sent their players out in some fine threads over the years. Palace mainly play in red and blue these days, although they have the occasional dalliance with white, and one such effort from the late 70s stands as their signature strip. Genuinely beautiful.
West Brom’s famous navy and white stripes were perhaps best rendered in the late 1970s. The Ron Atkinson era, Cunningham, Batson and Regis, all that. But I don’t have a photo of that to hand. No matter, this one from earlier in the decade isn’t too shabby either. The fondly remembered Jeff Astle sporting a long-forgotten crest: A for Albion, doubling as a cage for the Throstle. Never quite caught on like the other great stylised badges of the 1970s: the Derby ram, the Forest tree, the Leeds smiley. Shame, as it’s a beauty too. No accounting for taste and trends.
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Two changes for Palace from the team that started the game at Vicarage Road last weekend. Joe Ledley and Bakary Sako drop to the bench, with James McArthur and Wilfried Zaha moving on up. Meanwhile a boost for the Baggies, who were preparing for life without injured trio Jonas Olsson, Gareth McAuley and Salomon Róndon: McAuley and Róndon make the starting XI.
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The teamsheets
Crystal Palace: Hennessey, Kelly, Hangeland, Dann, Souare, McArthur, Cabaye, Bolasie, Puncheon, Zaha, Gayle.
Subs: Mariappa, Bamford, Campbell, Alex McCarthy, Sako, Ledley, Gray.
West Bromwich Albion: Myhill, McAuley, Evans, Dawson, Brunt, Morrison, Yacob, Fletcher, McClean, Rondon, Berahino.
Subs: Chester, Gardner, Anichebe, Gamboa, Lambert, McManaman, Lindegaard.
Referee: Jon Moss (W Yorkshire)
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Good afternoon!
With the best part of a fifth of the season gone, Crystal Palace are: four points clear of the champions Chelsea; one point ahead of Liverpool; level on points with Tottenham Hotspur and Everton; one point behind Arsenal; and just the one win behind Manchester City. Manchester United aren’t exactly a dot in the distance either. Palace have won at Stamford Bridge, and were unfortunate in all three of their league losses this season, against Arsenal, Spurs and City. They’re in a good place right now. And that place could be third in a couple of hours.
All hail Alan Pardew, then. Tony Pulis, formerly of Palace but on the West Bromwich Albion bench today, thinks Pardew’s earned a crack at the England job. “He has got to be looked at.” Fair enough. Here, perhaps Pardew could return the favour and big up Pulis for the Welsh gig? After all, Palace wouldn’t be where they are today without their former manager. He hauled them off the bottom of the table in 2013-14, keeping them up against the odds with a remarkable run of form, the signature results of a memorable campaign being a trend-starting victory over Jose Mourinho, and the miracle of Crystanbul. He never gets relegated, you see.
With that trend in mind, Pulis could do with a result today, his Baggies coming off the back of a spirit-sapping 3-2 defeat at home to Everton, having at one point being two goals up. They’re in the lower reaches of the early Premier League table, having got off to an undistinguished start to their season. Having said that, they’ve showed signs of the old Pulis tenacity elsewhere, winning their last two away games at Stoke City and Aston Villa. They’re quite capable of pulling off another smash-and-grab heist this afternoon. Palace are the favourites here, and yet good luck calling the outcome, because both of these managers know exactly what they’re doing. Lunch is served. But it can wait! Because it’s on!
Kick off: 12.45pm.
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