SKY SPORTS
Eberechi Eze scored a superb double as Crystal Palace secured a dominant 2-0 win over Bournemouth at Selhurst Park.
The in-form Eze opened the scoring from close range after a fine piece of skill from Wilfried Zaha (39), then added a stunning second after collecting Michael Olise’s cross-field pass, cutting inside, and finding the top corner from the edge of the box (58).
Bournemouth, meanwhile, offered practically nothing as an attacking force, failing to even register a shot on target, the defeat meaning they are still not mathematically safe from the drop, despite being eight points above the relegation zone in 14th.
Player ratings
Crystal Palace: Johnstone (7), Ward (8), Andersen (8), Guehi (7), Mitchell (8), Doucoure (7), Hughes (8), Eze (9), Olise (8), Zaha (7), Ayew (7).
Subs: Edouard (6), Riedewald (6), McArthur (6).
Bournemouth: Neto (6), Kelly (6), Mepham (6), Zabarnyi (6), Vina (5), Lerma (6), Billing (6), Rothwell (6), Outtara (5), Christie (5), Solanke (6).
Subs: Moore (6), Brooks (6), Smith (6), Cook (6), Anthony (6).
Player of the match: Eberechi Eze
How Palace eased to victory
Palace looked the more threatening side from the start, with Olise in particular causing problems. After curling an early effort a few yards wide, he produced a delightful cross which an unmarked Zaha somehow failed to convert from only three yards out, mistiming his shot and failing to make a proper connection.
Team news
- Roy Hodgson replaced the injured Jeffrey Schlupp with Will Hughes for Crystal Palace.
- Gary O’Neil handed a full Bournemouth debut to £24m January signing Illia Zabarnyi.
A flashpoint followed when Jefferson Lerma went to ground in the Bournemouth box after Joachim Andersen’s hand appeared to make contact with his face, but a lengthy VAR check ruled in favour of the Palace defender, much to Lerma’s frustration.
The opening goal arrived soon afterwards and it was beautifully worked, a slick passing move ending with Zaha spinning away from his marker superbly and producing a cut-back which was flicked on to Eze by Jordan Ayew, the 24-year-old finishing emphatically.
Zaha, well-shackled by makeshift right-back Chris Mepham in the early stages, had come alive by that point and almost added a second soon afterwards, collecting Andersen’s stunning cross-field pass and firing a wicked effort just wide of Neto’s left-hand post.
Bournemouth could barely get out of their own half and the game continued in the same way after the break, with Will Hughes, excellent in midfield, drawing a parry from Neto with a well-struck shot from the edge of the box following a corner.
Zaha was then forced off, replaced by Odsonne Edouard, after appearing to injure his hamstring, but his withdrawal did not seem to affect Palace’s performance as they continued to pin Bournemouth back and create chances.
