Crystal Palace 1 AFC Bournemouth 0 – Schlupp scores winners as 10-man Eagles deservedly pick up maximum points
BY RICHARD CAWLEY
Jeffrey Schlupp scored the winning goal as Crystal Palace put in a terrific display to overcome Mamadou Sakho’s early dismissal.
The French centre-back started in the Premier League for only the third time this season due to injuries to Gary Cahill and Scott Dann but lasted just 19 minutes. Referee Anthony Taylor quickly showed a red card for his high challenge on Bournemouth’s Adam Smith.
Sakho waited at the tunnel entrance to see if VAR would give him a reprieve – but the decision was upheld.
Palace’s cause was not aided by Patrick van Aanholt going off with what looked to be a calf injury.
It left a defensive rejig as Cheikhou Kouyate dropped to centre-back, Schlupp coming on to replace the Netherlands international.
The first period was lacking in quality moments in the box.
Palace’s tactic was to try and counter through the pace and trickery of Wilfried Zaha. Appeals for a penalty were ignored by Taylor as the winger went down under pressure from Chris Mepham.
Ayew produced an excellent run moments before Schlupp’s goal – drifting into the box despite a swarm of light-green tinted shirts around him. Schlupp produced the same kind of positive surge in the 76th minute and his strike fizzed past the outstretched hand of Cherries keeper Aaron Ramsdale.
Ramsdale tipped over a James McArthur shot as Palace looked to add extra security to the scoreline.
The Eagles defended with the kind of resoluteness expected of a Roy Hodgson side. Martin Kelly made two vital interventions in the second half – getting a critical touch to deny Callum Wilson at the back post and also producing a block after Vicente Guaita parried a Jefferson Lerma shot which had taken a nick off Kouyate.
PICTURES BY KEITH GILLARD
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