Crystal Palace 0 – 2 Manchester City: City Slickers Hurt Kopites as Eagles Fly to Beach!

This match kicked off twenty minutes after Chelsea reinvigorated Manchester City’s title bid with a surprise 0 – 2 victory at Anfield against Liverpool. As a result it took a mere four minutes from kick off for City to take the lead knowing their fate is in their own hands, win their last four games and they will be Champions. As for Crystal Palace survival was assured with three wins in a week and after five consecutive wins their seasons’ objectives was achieved, but against Manchester City they were caught cold early on Edin Dzeko heading home a Yaya Toure cross on just four minutes.

After such a good season it is slightly unfair to say Crystal Palace was on the beach after all with survival assured their job this campaign was done. Yet a combination of Manchester City’s riches and talented squad and their urgency to capitalise on the earlier result did Liverpool no favours as Crystal Palace could not live with Manchester City’s early pace or fast start. Dzeko got between Dann and Mariappa exploiting the freedom of the penalty area to convert Yaya Toure’s cross.

Yaya Toure controlled the game in midfield as new title favourites City outclassed a tired Palace side that never recaptured the heights of their victories against Chelsea and Everton. Crystal Palace was lethargic, unable to live with the calm anchoring control in midfield given to city by Javi Garcia or Vincent Kompany at the back. City needing the win to keep their title chances on track had the game sown up two minutes from halftime on forty three minutes when Toure swapped passes with Nasri to curl a shot past Speroni into the top corner after slipping past Delaney.

Crystal Palace’s race for this season looks run. Manchester City controlled the game and City’s supporters celebrated the victory vigorously and while Palace offered up a few corners while closing the back door in the second half they never really got close to City’s level of performance. Effort and commitment was there as always from Palace as it has been all season under Pulis but Palace was on the back foot from the start but come the end Palace knew they had nothing riding on the match and could just play the match knowing safety was assured.

Liverpool visit Selhurst Park next Monday night keen to banish the memories of Chelsea and force City and Chelsea to play for the title right to the end of the season. The motivation for Crystal Palace is they will be performing under lights and they will want to give their excellent home campaign this season a proper send off in front of a passionate home support. Also in such a competitive league and in front of a global television audience against Liverpool Palace will want to do themselves justice profiling their style of play to a wider audience whilst maintaining competitive integrity in the league.

West Ham United 0 – 1 Crystal Palace: Pulis Enjoys Jedi Powers!

A fifty ninth minute penalty from Mile Jedinak gave Palace victory in this London derby at West Ham United. It puts Crystal Palace six points above their London rivals making it mathematically impossible for Palace to be relegated this season. Before the match an emotional minutes applause took place to mark the untimely death of Dylan Tombidas, West Ham United striker who died of cancer aged a mere twenty years old.

The Hammers approached the game in a direct style knocking long balls up striker Andy Carroll to limited effect with little or no sign of a plan B or any variety in their play. Crystal Palace on the other hand had the magic of a Jedi in their line up and had the better of the chances with attractive pacey counter attacking football matching West Ham United’s threat. KG Dikgacoi went close with a header cleared off the line by Andy Carroll. Bolasie and Puncheon were dangerous on the flanks and it was Palace who took the lead from the spot when Cameron Jerome was fouled by Pablo Amero and Palace’s Jedi captain converted the spot kick.

This was a match short on quality and clear cut chances. After the penalty substitute Joe Cole went close for West Ham United and when Andy Carroll did outmuscle a well drilled Palace defence led by Delaney and Dann he was foiled by the magnificently consistent Julian Speroni. This result led to the travelling Palace fans singing the praises of manager Tony Pulis upon Palace’s survival. West Ham United fans were not so impressed with Sam Allardyce singing, ‘’you don’t know what you’re doing’’ at substitutions, and jeering the team off at fulltime.

Palace on the other hand took the plaudits of their supporters upon the final whistle celebrating mathematical safety with three games to spare. Indeed German style celebrations with the fans met the final whistle and a sense of unity permeated around the club, Palace fans celebrating safety for the first time in their Premier League history. Crystal Palace return to Selhurst Park under no pressure to face two massive games against Manchester City and potential Champions elect Liverpool with Fulham away on the last day of the season.

Crystal Palace can enjoy their last games of the season playing pressure free football with potential revenge on the minds of the Palace players against Fulham for the Cottagers 1 – 4 victory at Selhurst Park earlier this season. Victory at the Cottage for Palace could see Fulham relegated to the Championship. Victory for Palace over West Ham United has seen Palace pick up five wins on the spin and fifteen points from the last fifteen available. The best run for Crystal Palace in the top flight since 1992/93.

Everton 2 – 3 Crystal Palace: A Hard Day’s Night for Toffees as Pulis’s Palace Hit Magical 40 Points!

A night of high emotion at Goodison Park got off to a poignant start as Everton and Crystal Palace football clubs paid their respects to the ninety six football supporters who lost their lives at Hillsborough on the twenty fifth anniversary of the disaster in 1989. Children stood along the length of the pitch holding Liverpool and Everton scarfs linked together during a minutes applause. It was a moving and fitting tribute.

The game had important implications for both teams. If Everton avoided defeat they would return to the Champions League positions and as for Crystal Palace any victory would see them reach the magical forty point mark. It was Crystal Palace that took the victory to land a damaging blow to Everton’s Champions League hopes and secure the tally of forty points, leading to manager Tony Pulis to declare Palace safe in the Premier League at the end of a season for the first time.

When the match kicked off Everton started well but Yannick Bolasie and Jason Puncheon’s pace on the wings troubled Everton and brought Crystal Palace into the match. Palace’s pace moving the ball up the field and the precision with which they passed it from back to front was impressive with Maroanne Chemakh in from the start for the injured KG Dikgacoi playing in a deep lying position, holding the ball up well in support of the attack.

Indeed it was this combination that gave Palace the lead on twenty three minutes when Bolasie’s pace led to a cross which was palmed back into play by Tim Howard for Maroanne Chemakh to calmly control the ball and tee up Jason Puncheon by laying the ball off for him to slot the ball home past Howard on the half volley from the edge of the box.

Palace led 1 – 0 at halftime but Everton dominated the possession statistics with Speroni saving well from Lukaku and Aiden McGeady putting a long range curler over the Palace crossbar. Yet Yannick Bolasie remained dangerous not far short of unplayable and narrowly missed the chance to double Palace’s lead when he struck the post from range. The Eagles did double their lead four minutes into the second half when defender Scott Dann scored his first goal for Palace when he rose unchallenged in the Everton box to head home a Bolasie corner. Defenders such as Baines and Stones failing to deal with the danger.

Everton seemingly got back into the game on sixty one minutes just past the hour when substitute Stephen Naismith bundled home a Leighton Baines nod back from a deep cross at the near post by Kevin Mirallis to make it 2 – 1. The scoring continued and Crystal Palace fought back on seventy three minutes when Cameron Jerome finished off a classy move of neat pace and passing from the whole Crystal Palace team especially Bolasie Puncheon and Chemakh to make it 3 -1. Everton made it a nervous finish for the loud and boisterous travelling army of Crystal Palace fans by making it 3 – 2 on eighty six minutes when Kevin Mirallis tapped home when a Naismith shot was deflected into his path by a Julian Speroni save.

Between this 3 – 2 result to get Palace to forty points there followed a nervous twelve minutes (8 of which was stoppage time). The toffees had chances to equalise during this time but Speroni was again fantastic saving superbly from substitute Leon Osman with his feet to turn the ball past his far post.

Palace reach forty points and historic safety with four matches left this season. It is a tremendous achievement by the Palace management and playing staff. Tony Pulis came in in November in this campaign when Palace had seven points from thirteen matches, since then Pulis has picked up thirty three points from the next seventeen games a magnificent achievement that rightly sees Tony Pulis up for consideration for manager of the year.

Now Crystal Palace have secured a second consecutive season of Premier League football for the first time in their history they now face the very exciting prospect of Crystal Palace enjoying regular spells at top flight level under the tutelage and guidance of Pulis’s expert leadership. For this reason alone Crystal Palace fans could not be happier, even if the antics of the bizarre Vincent Tan wants to sully Palace’s name and reputation over a farfetched espionage saga. Pathetic is not the word but when all is said and done this campaign as well as being enjoyable it may turn out to be one of the most significant in the clubs proud recent history.    

Crystal Palace 1 – 0 Aston Villa: Punch and Julian Show Puts Palace on Brink of Historic Survival!

A second half goal from Jason Puncheon and a fabulous save from Julian Speroni combined to give Palace a vital 1 – 0 win at Selhurst Park, moving Palace above Villa and into twelfth place and virtual safety. Aston Villa came to Selhurst looking for a point and was ultimately behind the pace of the game with Ledley and Jedinak controlling the midfield for Palace with Bolasie looking dangerous on the wing and Puncheon joining him to terrorise the Aston Villa defence.

An injury to KG Dikgacoi saw Maroanne Chemakh coming off the bench for the second match in succession to combine well with Cameron Jerome bringing the Crystal Palace attack further up the field exploiting Jerome’s hold up play to push Aston Villa onto the back foot. Palace thought they could have had a penalty which was turned down when a well worked free kick led to Bolasie being felled in the box only for replays to show he had tripped over his leg and it was not a foul. In the second half referee Howard Webb awarded Palace a penalty for a hand ball by Nathan Baker only to reverse the decision after consultation with his linesman. To say the least the home supporters thought this was another refereeing performance characterised by mediocrity and average decision making.

Aston Villa was poor and Crystal Palace had control but without the lead the game remained tight and Villa was involved throughout although it was Palace who created the clear cut opportunities with Puncheon and Jerome both striking the post. When it arrived the winning goal came for Palace in the second half on seventy six minutes with just under a quarter of an hour to go. Jason Puncheon became Crystal Palace’s leading scorer this season. He outmuscled Ryan Bertrand to be first to a Yannick Bolasie cross to turn and score with a neat shot in off the post from eight yards out.

After taking the lead Palace gave some of the impetus away as Villa pushed for an equaliser. It was at this stage Palace could have doubled their lead when Puncheon hit the post. Yet Cameron Jerome was forced into defensive action clearing a Ciaren Clark header off the line when Clark initially beat Speroni to the ball from a corner. An otherwise anonymous and ineffectual Grant Holt spurned a great chance to equalise before Julian Speroni again starred preserving the victory with a superb save from a fantastic Andreas Weimann shot. Another example of a superb contribution from the Argentine shot stopper who had virtually nothing to do for the rest of the match, and yet his brilliance preserved victory for the Eagles.

Jonathan Parr came on for Yannick Bolasie to sure up the Palace defence at the end of the game and saw out the result with a massive 1 – 0 victory. Palace move to thirty seven points into twelfth place, clear daylight from the relegation zone. On Wednesday night the team travels to Merseyside and a battle with on form Everton in fourth and battling for a Champions League place. Pulis and his Palace team have done a fantastic job to get to this position and although not yet on forty points it is in fact Aston Villa now looking over their shoulders nervously at the relegation battle below them.

The next game over Easter sees Palace travel to West Ham United for a pulsating South vs East London derby that could see Palace move ahead of their East London hosts and neighbours possibly cementing an unlikely top half finish. However with only Manchester City and Liverpool left to visit Selhurst Park and only Fulham to visit on the road after West Ham this season a top half finish is likely to prove difficult to achieve as all the teams Palace have left to play have a lot to play for in their own right.

Cardiff City 0 – 3 Crystal Palace: Tan is the Bad Man as Pulis and Puncheon Just Perfect for Palace!

Crystal Palace was ruthless in the Welsh capital with the only piece of charity shown in solidarity between both sets of fans on nineteen minutes and twenty seven seconds with a chorus of ‘Bluebirds’ and ‘Tan Out’ as Palace fans showed support for Cardiff fans and the plight of their club. Here though the charitable sentiment ended as Crystal Palace ruthlessly destroyed Cardiff City 0 – 3 in this relegation battle to take a massive step towards safety and almost seal Cardiff City’s fate at the same time.

Ex Eagle Wilfried Zaha started on the wing for Cardiff City. He was given a heroes reception by the travelling Palace fans and was probably Cardiff’s best player in the first half only to be inexplicably substituted for Craig Noone on sixty two minutes. Part of the reason for this could be Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s frustration after he told him to celebrate if he scored against his former club only to see him acknowledge the Palace fans support at a corner. Yet the tradition in England is not to celebrate against former clubs as was illustrated by Joe Ledley when he scored on seventy one minutes to make it 0 – 2 and did not celebrate. On his substitution Palace fans sang ‘We love you Wilfried’ and ‘He is our Wilfried Zaha and he wants to come Home!’

Limited goalmouth action in the first half saw Speroni turn a header from his own defender Mariappa over the bar from a Jordon Mutch cross when under pressure from Fraizer Campbell. Palace took the lead on thirty one minutes when Jason Puncheon shot home from just inside the box. Maroanne Chemakh replaced Yannick Bolasie on sixty four minutes in the second half after being out for a month and he had an influential effect both in attack and defence as Palace counter attacked and took control of the match. Chemakh cleared a Cardiff attack after Kenwyne Jones beat Speroni to a Noone cross only for Chemakh to clear as the ball moved towards goal. Minutes later Palace doubled their lead and Chemakh was again influential, meeting a Puncheon free kick forcing a fine save from David Marshall only for Joe Ledley to mop up and knock home the rebound.

At 0 – 2 Cardiff was out of the game with less than twenty minutes to go. Desperate to avoid relegation and with problems off the field surrounding Vincent Tan their fans lost hope, urged the team forward but many believed Cardiff’s fate was sealed. Despite all this they pushed forward but were punished on the break. Jason Puncheon completed his brace making it 0 – 3 on eighty eight minutes curling a stunning shot past Marshall into the top corner from twenty yards to secure a rampant victory in this crucial relegation six pointer. The result sees Palace rise to fourteenth place in the Premier League and sends Cardiff plunging towards the Championship.

So Welshman Tony Pulis takes Crystal Palace onto thirty four points and probable safety in his native land against his boyhood club. Based on defensive organisation Pulis really has delivered. Next week Palace are at home to Aston Villa two points behind the Villains and one place behind them in the table. Victory against Aston Villa could see Palace rise into the top half of the table. Considering Palace had one win from their opening nine matches Pulis’s achievements should not be underestimated because safety could make this season one of the greatest in Crystal Palace’s long and fine history.