Crystal Palace took on Stoke City with the hope of bagging their second victory of the season on Saturday. The Eagles are struggling at the bottom of the table five points off safety at the start of the match. Roy Hodgson made a few changes to his line-up and also chose to go with the 4-5-1 formation.
The most noticeable change, with regards to team selection, was his decision to opt for goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey over Julián Speroni. And it paid dividends as Crystal Palace managed to keep things tight at the back and secure 3 crucial points against the Potters through a Mamadou Sakho strike late in stoppage time.
Stoke City took the lead in the 56th minute through a wonderful Xherdan Shaqiri solo goal but Crystal Palace equalised three minutes later through Ruben Loftus-Cheek. And just when it looked like it would end in another stalemate, the Eagles pushed and ensured victory through an unlikely source. The result gives Roy Hodgson’s men a massive boost going into the busy month of December.
Let’s shed some light on how each Crystal Palace player fared against Stoke City.
GK: Wayne Hennessey – 7/10
Came back in the starting eleven, and did his duties well when called up. He could do little about the goal and had a largely quiet match.
RB: Joel Ward – 6/10
The right-back put in an industrious performance and kept the Stoke City attackers mostly at bay.
CB: James Tomkins – 7/10
The English centre-back defended well and looked assured in the Palace backline. A happy return to first-team football for him.
CB: Mamadou Sakho – 8/10
The French defender was named the Eagles’ captain for the day. However, the 26-year-old almost gifted Stoke City a goal when he gave away the ball in the first half. He was also at fault for the Potters’ opening goal as he failed to close Xherdan Shaqiri down. But the ex Liverpool player showed great mental strength to come back and eventually score the winner that gives Crystal Palace three vital points in their quest to save themselves from relegation.
LB: Jeffrey Schlupp – 6/10
The left-footed defender did the little things right but was guilty of letting Xherdan Shaqiri cut in and make a mazy run towards goal. Unfortunately, it resulted in the Potters taking the lead but he recovered well and kept pushing until the end.
CM: Yohan Cabaye – 6/10
The French midfielder broke up the play in the midfield well but could have easily been sent off in the first half for a rash challenge on Ramadan Sobhi.
CM: Luka Milivojević – 7/10
The Serbian international battled well against the midfield trio of Stoke City and put in a decent shift to earn the Eagles an important win.
CM: James McArthur – 6/10
The midfielder made some great runs into the box but was unfortunate not to score when the Potters’ goalkeeper Lee Grant denied him.
RM: Ruben Loftus-Cheek – 8/10
After an uneventful first half, the Chelsea loanee came alive in the second half. The English footballer scored the all-important equaliser which started the Eagles’ comeback.
LM: Andros Townsend – 6/10
The English winger had a disappointing game but came up with a handy assist when Crystal Palace needed to respond. But unfortunately, he faded even more as the game progressed.
ST: Wilfred Zaha – 7/10
The Stoke City defenders marked him out of the game. He was still one of the brightest sparks of this Crystal Palace line up and looked dangerous going forward.
Substitutes
ST: Christian Benteke – 5/10
The Belgian forward came on at half-time and got a really good chance to score. But he snatched at the ball and grazed the side-netting.
