If only Palace could click this effectively more often – they would be so much higher in the table

You have to wonder where Patrick Vieira’s Crystal Palace side would be in the Premier League table if they took their chances with the same aplomb as they did in their 4-1 win at Watford on Wednesday evening.

Throughout the course of the season – Norwich away and Brighton, Newcastle and West Ham at home – Palace have failed to capitalise on their creative exploits and kill off their opponents.

There were plenty of narratives heading into the encounter that could have played a factor in hampering the Eagles. This was their second game in the space of a week, missing their first choice goalkeeper through injury and taking on the double act of Roy Hodgson and Ray Lewington, who know a handful of the squad inside out.

But it was Palace who took early control of the game.

Jean-Philippe Mateta, who was perhaps playing with a point to prove against Hodgson after starting only two games under the ex-England manager during their time together last season, opened the scoring after 15 minutes at Vicarage Road.

The chance was gone for Mateta – his back was facing away from goal, and he had bodies around him. However, he had the confidence to hit the ball on the turn, and luckily for the French forward, his shot deflected off Kiko Femenia and bamboozled Ben Foster.

Considering many would have thought that Mateta’s Crystal Palace career was over, the 24-year-old is now Vieira’s clear frontrunner when it comes to leading the line in attack. His mobility, link-up play and presence to hold the ball seems to be the perfect counterbalance that Vieira is looking for and the reason behind Odsonne Edouard and Christian Benteke’s lack of game time.

Watford found their way back into the game only three minutes after Palace took the lead, with Moussa Sissoko being allowed to evade every Palace shirt in the box and jump above the lost Jack Butland to plant home the equaliser.

Instead of allowing their heads to drop and Watford to take control of the game, Palace’s midfield remained compact and continued to break up the Hornets’ advances towards goal.

A vital problem in recent weeks for Vieira has been the imbalanced midfield three. But since Cheikhou Kouyate returned from his Africa Cup of Nations win with Senegal, it has unlocked Conor Gallagher’s freedom to venture forward and hunt for goals.

And with his first sight of the net, the Chelsea loanee showed why he will be fighting for his place at Stamford Bridge next season with his 42nd-minute strike.

Plucking the ball out of the sky from a Tyrick Mitchell cross with an elegant touch, Gallagher deceived Hassane Kamara and manipulated the ball past the left-back to place an inch-perfect shot past the motionless Foster.

Come the second half, Watford were growing frustrated in their attempts to get towards the Palace box and take shots at Butland.

Hodgson side’s efforts were nearly rewarded in the 71st minute when Kamara lifted the ball back into the box from a corner, but Emmanuel Dennis, who has escaped the Palace offside trap, rushed his shot high over the bar when he had time to take a touch just in front of goal.

It felt as though a familiar tale from the rest of the season was about to play out.

Palace had been somewhat subdued in the second 45, and Watford had been amplifying their pressure and started to have a clearer sight of goal – the equaliser looked inevitable.

But where Vieira’s substitutions have been heavily criticised this season, the introduction of Jordan Ayew dragged Palace up the pitch and secured their first Premier League win of 2022 and their second away victory of the season.

Ayew carried the ball down the right-hand side and crossed into Wilfried Zaha, who finished with a clinical left-footed shot to rubber-stamp the three points.

Zaha had deserved the goal – tracking back for his side all evening and causing havoc down the left with Mitchell.

With Watford accepting defeat, in the 90th minute, the 29-year-old scored his 55th Premier League goal and Palace’s fourth of the evening with a stunning right-footed shot that curled around Ben Foster and into the net.

It was the conviction that Palace had been crying out for all season.

It clicked at Vicarage Road, but Vieira has to find a formula that sees the likes of Zaha, Mateta and Gallagher scoring freely with a fearless streak.

The Eagles moved up to 11th in the Premier League with that victory and nine points clear of the relegation zone.

Although their top-flight status for the 10th season in a row is yet to be confirmed, the focus could now be allowed to switch to the FA Cup as the Eagles take on Championship side Stoke City for a place in the quarter-finals next Tuesday.

STAR MAN

Wilfried Zaha. Scored two important goals at the end and was selfless for the entire evening.

BEST MOMENT

Gallagher’s goal. The touch, the elegance, the precision and the sheer ease of it all to him was outstanding.