Crystal Palace vs Wolverhampton Wanderers. Premier League.
Selhurst Park.
Match report and free match highlights as Crystal Palace move above Wolves in the Premier League courtesy of Ebere Eze's strike; Wolves have gone eight league games without a win
Saturday 30 January 2021 20:58, UK
Crystal Palace secured their first Premier League victory in four games as Ebere Eze's fine second-half strike was enough to secure a 1-0 win over Wolves at Selhurst Park.
Following an opening half devoid of clear-cut chances between two sides short of form, the hosts took the lead on the hour-mark as Eze collected Jordan Ayew's pass to flash a fierce shot beyond Rui Patricio.
Wilfried Zaha came close to doubling Palace's lead when his effort struck the crossbar while Willian Jose went closest to salvaging a point for the visitors when Vicente Guaita kept out his close-range header.
The result moves Palace above Wolves into 13th place while Nuno Espirito Santo's men have now gone eight league games without a win, the worst winless run of his tenure.
Palace and Wolves have matched each other stride for stride this term and entered the game locked on 23 points, the seventh time this season they have had an identical points tally ahead of a round of Premier League fixtures.
Roy Hodgson had made six changes to the Palace side which were beaten at home by West Ham in midweek, and the hosts made a bright start as Nathaniel Clyne collected Michy Batshuayi's lay-off but the full-back's right-foot shot from the edge of the box cleared Patricio's crossbar.
Wolves had been winless in seven league games and the visitors offered very little as an attacking threat in the first period, with full debutant Jose caught on his heels from Ki-Jana Hoever's fine delivery the closest they came to an opening.
Instead, it was Palace who ought to have broken the deadlock three minutes before the break when another shot from Clyne deflected off Conor Coady and fell kindly for Batshuayi six yards out, but the striker sliced his right-foot effort over.
Sky Sports' Efan Ekoku said on commentary: "Roy won't believe what he is seeing. The Belgian fluffs his lines. He could have gone with the side-foot option to keep it down but that is what happens when you are lacking in confidence."
Confidence has been an issue recently for both these sides, with not a single attempt on target from either team prior to the restart, but within 11 minutes of the second period Jose was denied a first Wolves goal when he met Daniel Podence's cross but his half-volley on the turn was tipped brilliantly over by Guaita.
The save proved a turning point as four minutes later, Palace were in front. Ayew found Eze in space on the edge of the box, and after the former QPR winger lost Leander Dendoncker with a drop of the shoulder, his fierce left-foot drive flashed beyond Patricio for his third goal of the season.
Sky Sports' Paul Merson said: "What a big goal this is. He hit it as hard as he could, it wasn't far from the goalkeeper, but it was a great strike. Eze is a class player."
With Wolves facing the prospect of another disappointing result, Nuno turned to Adama Traore on the bench, but it was Palace who very nearly doubled their lead on the counter as Batshuayi fed Zaha in a two-v-one situation but the forward's effort came back out off the bar.
Afforded the reprieve, Wolves came close to levelling with 12 minutes remaining when Jose rose to meet Pedro Neto's corner but Guaita was alert to keep out his firm downward header, but Wolves again lacked the authority shown in their previous two seasons as their poor form continued in the capital.
Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson: "It's a big win. We've been stuck on close to 23 points for a little while so it was good to move away from that total. With the quality and organisation Wolves have, I imagine they will soon move up the table so to take three points off them today is really important.
"Every victory is so important. You are looking at a point a game really to keep you in the league. Our attitude was good from the start. We played against a well-organised team. We knew we would find it hard. A good goal opened it up for us. We held out and if Wilfried Zaha's shot had gone in we might have had a quieter last few minutes than we had!
"In the second half we went back more to the system we have had. We brought Eze into the middle more but we ended up with Wilfried Zaha more central again. Jordan Ayew in particular, his work-rate was exceptional, and it is that type of work-rate that has given us the three points."
Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo: "First half, the organisation was good but not so much offensively. The second half was not so great. We did not move the ball well. Not a good game.
"We were organised but we didn't threaten enough like we should do. We should have defended well. We had a few chances also but we didn't recover the ball like we should do. We have a lot of concerns - creativity, speed and breaking the lines - we should do better.
"It takes hard work and commitment from all of us. It's something we have to sit down and talk about. We must improve fast. I don't think it has to do with confidence. It is about finding our game. We must be much faster when we recover the ball. We were always a threat on the counter-attack, now we make too many passes."
This game was threatening to meander into a forgettable stalemate when Eze came alive in the 60th minute. Cometh the hour, cometh the man - and the 22-year-old provided the one moment of class which proved decisive. It was Palace's first shot on target.
Four of Eze's five Premier League goal involvements for Palace this season have come in home games, including all three of his goals.
Hodgson said: "Eze is a player who is going to improve all the time. He's got a good idea of what's around him and what's happening in the game, but what I feel will improve him most is that he's getting used to the intensity of the Premier League and is playing with better players.
"The work rate and determination to get back into defensive positions is what he's making major strides with and that's quite simply because he's moved up a gear by playing in the Premier League."
Crystal Palace travel to face Newcastle on Tuesday in the Premier League; kick-off is at 8.15pm. Wolves host Arsenal on the same night at Molineux; kick-off 6pm.
