Crystal Palace vs Leicester: Roy Hodgson's side win without Wilfried Zaha

Crystal Palace secured their first Premier League victory without Wilfried Zaha in over two years as Luka Milivojevic's outstanding finish inspired them to overcome Leicester 1-0.

Without their most influential player they followed successive defeats to end the wider run of 13 league defeats that had come when Zaha was unavailable.

During those 13 fixtures - their last league success without him came at struggling Sunderland in September 2016 when Alan Pardew remained manager - they had scored only three goals and conceded 28.

The lack of a consistent goalscorer remained a concern at Selhurst Park but their captain Milivojevic produced a fine first-half finish to give them the lead they retained to move up to 15th and clear of the Premier League's bottom three.

Teams

Crystal Palace XI: Guaita, Wan-Bissaka, Sakho, Kelly, Van Aanholt, Milivojevic, McArthur, Meyer, Kouyate, Townsend, Ayew

Leicester XI: Schmeichel, Pereira, Morgan, Maguire, Fuchs, Mendy, Ndidi, Gray, Maddison, Albrighton, Vardy​

Show latest update

2018-12-15T11:08:46.130Z

Good morning and welcome to The Independent's live coverage of today's Premier League action, with five games kicking off at 3pm which you can follow right here as the goals go in.

 

Once matters are wrapped up at the Etihad Stadium where Manchester City take on Everton, we'll turn our attentions to the 3pm games where the standout fixture sees an in-form Tottenham buoyed by their Champions League progression in mid-week take on a Burnley side looking to continue their rise up the table, having moved out of the relegation zone last weekend.

 

Elsewhere, Crystal Palace will be without the suspended Wilfried Zaha as they face Leicester, while Watford will hope to record a much-needed win against Cardiff in order to get back into the top half of the league.

 

An important match at the foot of the table sees Newcastle travel to Huddersfield, while the final 3pm kick-off sees Wolves and Bournemouth meet in a clash that features two sides chasing European football next season. The final game of the day sees basement side Fulham host West Ham in a London derby from 5.30pm.

• Mark Critchley
• 15 December 2018 11:08

2018-12-15T14:06:15.043Z

Team news incoming...

• Jack de Menezes
• 15 December 2018 14:06

2018-12-15T14:07:03.166Z

TEAM NEWS: CRYSTAL PALACE VS LEICESTER CITY

 

• Jack de Menezes
• 15 December 2018 14:07

2018-12-15T14:08:15.150Z

TEAM NEWS: HUDDERSFIELD VS NEWCASTLE

 

• Jack de Menezes
• 15 December 2018 14:08

2018-12-15T14:09:16.490Z

TEAM NEWS: TOTTENHAM VS BURNLEY

 

• Jack de Menezes
• 15 December 2018 14:09

2018-12-15T14:10:42.786Z

TEAM NEWS: WATFORD VS CARDIFF

 

• Jack de Menezes
• 15 December 2018 14:10

2018-12-15T14:12:02.333Z

TEAM NEWS: WOLVES VS WEST HAM

• Jack de Menezes
• 15 December 2018 14:12

KICK OFF

2018-12-15T15:01:49.180Z

KICK OFF and we're underway in today's 3PM kick offs. 

 

Comment below with your predictions this afternoon. 

 

I'm not expecting lots of goals... let's see. 

• Nathan Jacobs
• 15 December 2018 15:01

2018-12-15T15:11:21.053Z

10 minutes, 5 games, all still 0-0. 

 

My early 'few goals' prediction looks nice at the moment. 

 

Curse of the commentator to come? 

• Nathan Jacobs
• 15 December 2018 15:11

GOAL!

2018-12-15T15:13:50.016Z

​GOAL! Wolves 1-0 Bournemouth (Jimenez) 

 

Jota pounces on a misplaced pass back and makes a dart towards goal.

 

He waits for his teammates to join him and slips a delightful pass into the feet of Jimenez who just has to direct it goalwards...

 

and he does!

 

1-0 to the Wolves and they've turned around a bad run of form in the past few weeks. Can they keep it up here? Well, they've started well. 

• Nathan Jacobs
• 15 December 2018 15:15

GOAL!

2018-12-15T15:18:47.733Z

GOAL! Watford 1-0 Cardiff (Deulofeu, 16) 

 

A bit of magic from the Spaniard who jinks one way, onto his left foot, feints to shoot, but has the composure to jink once again and bring it back on to his right foot. 

 

He then has enough about him to put it past Etheridge and give Watford the early goal that'll help them settle. 

• Nathan Jacobs
• 15 December 2018 15:18

MATCH ACTION

2018-12-15T15:26:48.236Z

 Deulofeu slotting it beyond Etheridge and celebrating after his moment of magic...  

• Nathan Jacobs
• 15 December 2018 15:26

GOAL!

2018-12-15T15:43:28.756Z

GOAL! Crystal Palace 1-0 Leicester City (Milivojevic) 

 

What a strike from the Serbian! 

 

Townsend plays the ball across the box to the Palace skipper. No one chooses to close him down and his crisp shot from 25 yards finds the far corner. 

 

Leicester need to respond. 

• Nathan Jacobs
• 15 December 2018 15:43

MATCH ACTION

2018-12-15T15:48:07.156Z

He's a central midfielder. 

 

Don't know whether that's a good thing or whether it shows how poor their forwards are.... 

• Nathan Jacobs
• 15 December 2018 15:48

HALF TIME

2018-12-15T15:52:03.620Z

HALF TIME: 

 

Palace 1-0 Leicester 

 

Huddersfield 0-0 Newcastle 

 

Tottenham 0-0 Burnley 

 

Watford 1-0 Cardiff 

 

Wolves 1-0 Bournemouth 

 

Not many goals so far but Palace, Watford and Wolves take narrow leads into the break. 

• Nathan Jacobs
• 15 December 2018 15:52

KICK OFF

2018-12-15T16:00:52.730Z

And we're back underway in the 3PMs. 

 

Are we going to get a glut of goals in this second half? 

 

 

• Nathan Jacobs
• 15 December 2018 16:00

MATCH ACTION

2018-12-15T16:09:29.206Z

The weather is absolutely bucketing it down across the country. 

 

Perhaps this is why we're so low on goals at the moment. 

 

Or maybe I'm just trying to make an excuse. 

• Nathan Jacobs
• 15 December 2018 16:09

GOAL!

2018-12-15T16:12:48.646Z

GOAL! Watford 2-0 Cardiff (Holebas, 52) 

 

Another beauty from the Hornets as they look safe and secure. 

 

Deulofeu finds the full back who curls a beauty into the top right corner. 

 

They can play some really impressive stuff sometimes and they look to have done so again, today. 

• Nathan Jacobs
• 15 December 2018 16:12

2018-12-15T16:15:31.193Z

Milivojevic celebrating opening the scoring!  

• Nathan Jacobs
• 15 December 2018 16:15

GOAL!

2018-12-15T16:16:36.330Z

GOAL! Huddersfield 0-1 Newcastle (Rondon, 55)

 

What a fantastic team goal from the Magpies.

 

Perez spots Manquillo's run inside him, and the Spaniard, 25 yards out doesn't need a second invitation to curl a pass around the Huddersfield defenders to find Rondon's late run at the far post. 

 

Newcastle have had very low possession in their game but the two best chances in the half and now they've opened the scoring! 

• Nathan Jacobs
• 15 December 2018 16:18

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