Villa 2 Crystal Palace 0 – Christian Benteke red card compounds miserable afternoon for Eagles
BY SAM SMITH
A Trezeguet brace consigned Crystal Palace to a fifth successive defeat in the Premier League.
The Aston Villa winger was twice allowed to drift into the Palace earlier too easily to score for the hosts – whose victory hands them a big boost in their fight against relegation.
Mamadou Sakho had a goal controversially disallowed early on. The defender climbed highest to meet a corner, and the ball went in via the defender’s shoulder. But Jon Moss – controlling VAR – decided the ball had hit Sakho’s arm.
This was a feisty game. Wilfried Zaha’s trip on Ezri Konsa earned him a yellow card. Reactions from Tyrone Mings and Sakho meant they faced a similar punishment.
Former Villa pair Jordan Ayew and Christian Benteke both went close for the Eagles, but this was a poor performance by Roy Hodgson’s side.
Mbwama Samatta somehow headed over Ahmed Elmohammady’s cross before a similar move led to Jack Grealish having an effort saved by Vicente Guaita.
And Villa eventually led in first-half added time. Trezeguet was allowed to meet Conor Hourihane’s free-kick unmarked and side-foot into Guaita’s net.
Martin Atkinson awarded the hosts a penalty early in the second half when Grealish fell easily under a challenge by Patrick van Aanholt, but VAR overruled the decision.
The hosts continued to be on top and Trezeguet took advantage of some sloppy defending to net a second for Dean Smith’s side.
The Eagles barely offered a semblance of a response. Van Aanholt was denied by Pepe Reina when he was put through on goal, but that was as good as the South Londoners could muster in another worrying display.
At the other end, Trezeguet – who was sent off in the reverse fixture at Selhurst Park earlier this season – almost grabbed his hat-trick but Matt Targett’s cross just evaded the Egyptian.
To compound things further for Palace, Benteke was shown a red card by Atkinson after the final whistle and will miss the next three games.
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