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Wilfried Zaha underlined his importance to Crystal Palace with a crucial double as his side picked up a first Premier League win of the season by battling back to beat Aston Villa 3-1.
The influential forward swiftly cancelled out Ollie Watkins’ early opener at Selhurst Park before converting on the rebound after his second-half penalty was saved by Emiliano Martinez.
Substitute Jean-Philippe Mateta grabbed the Eagles’ clinching goal with his first touch, with Zaha again involved.
Star man Zaha, who claimed the opener in Monday’s 1-1 draw at Liverpool, has now scored in each of the Eagles’ last seven top-flight victories and was afforded a standing ovation when he was brought off late on.
Patrick Vieira’s hosts also had a Jeffrey Schlupp goal disallowed for offside during a dominant performance. Villa faded fast from the rapid start and, although they hit the crossbar through Leon Bailey at 1-1, manager Steven Gerrard leaves south London with plenty to ponder.
Buoyed by an impressive display against Jurgen Klopp’s Reds, Palace were back on home soil and seeking to kick-start their season from a points perspective. Yet the defensive solidity on show at Anfield was temporarily replaced by disarray during a costly lapse inside five minutes.
Tyrone Mings’ searching pass forward was helped on by the head of Bailey, easily splitting the Eagles’ backline and giving England striker Watkins time and space to confidently dispatch the ball beyond Vicente Guaita…
