Crystal Palace played hosts to the league leaders Manchester City in a game which proved to be a stern test for the Citizens. They opted for a 4-3-3 formation to counter City’s fluid 4-3-3 formation and it worked wonders in the game as they contested for every ball in a highly entertaining goalless stalemate in London. The game was full of hard-hitting challenges where both teams had some incredible chances to score but it finished with both teams sharing the spoils.
The Citizens stretched their lead at the top of the Premier League to 14 points in the league standings. However, their incredible winning run came to an end at Selhurst Park by a dogged Crystal Palace performance.
Let’s shed some light on how each Crystal Palace player fared during the match.
GK: Wayne Hennessey – 7/10
He made some good saves to rescue his team and was reliable in goal for Palace.
LB: Patrick Van Aanholt – 7/10
He put in a lacklustre performance in the first half but grew stronger as the match went on. He made a crucial interception in the dying embers of the game to deny City a victory.
CB: James Tomkins – 9/10
He put in a tireless shift in defence and commanded his backline well to earn a rare clean sheet for his team.
CB: Scott Dann – 6/10
The centre-back got booked and fell victim to a knee injury in the first quarter of the game.
RB: Timothy Fosu-Mensah – 8/10
The Palace right-back did well to neutralise the threat of Sane and put up a good performance for his team.
CM: Jaïro Riedewald – 6/10
He defended well to shield the Eagles back four brilliantly but got outnumbered on occasions by the City attackers.
CM: Luka Milivojević – 6/10
He had a good game in the midfield and did enough to stop the City attackers. However, his late penalty miss cost Palace two points in what promised to be a match-winning performance.
CM: Yohan Cabaye – 6/10
Along with his midfield colleagues, he did okay defensively but failed to pass the ball well to feed chances to their front three.
LM: Wilfried Zaha – 9/10
The English speedster was outstanding on the counter and won his team countless free kicks in the opposition half. He was by far Roy Hodgson’s best player on the pitch.
RM: Andros Townsend – 6/10
He did well to track back and help out van Aanholt defensively. However, the winger was also guilty of missing a golden chance to put Palace ahead in the contest when he couldn’t even hit the target with his attempt.
ST: Christian Benteke – 6/10
The big striker had a quiet game and missed a few half-chances for Palace on the day.
Substitutes:
Martin Kelly – 8
He came on to defend well for his team and earn a deserved clean sheet which put a halt to City’s winning streak.
Jason Puncheon – 6
The attacker came off the bench but failed to establish himself in the game and create chances for his teammates.
Chung-Yong Lee – N/A
He came on too late to make an impact.
