Crystal Palace returned to winning ways in the Premier League with a well-deserved 3-2 win over a limited Wolves side at Selhurst Park.
Odsonne Edouard opened the scoring in the second half when he converted from Tyrick Mitchell, but Hwang Hee-chan soon levelled.
Palace were the controlling side throughout the affair, and they made sure of victory when substitute Jean-Philippe Mateta assisted Eberechi Eze and then Edouard for his second. Palace conceded a late goal to Matheus Cunha but that was not enough to deny them a second win in their first four games of the new season.
Dom Smith was at Selhurst Park witnessing the action…
Sam Johnstone — 7
Tipped the ball over when Pedro Neto’s whipped effort was threatening to dip under the crossbar.
Joel Ward — 8
Few full-backs are as aerially dominant as the Palace captain. Another excellent display.
Joachim Andersen — 7
A sliced clearance early on flew dangerously close to Johnstone’s goal, but he progressed the ball and blocked well from Pedro Neto.
Marc Guehi — 7
Quietly kept Palace ticking over, distributing the ball to unmarked team-mates and using his physicality to outmuscle Wolves’s attackers.
Tyrick Mitchell — 8
Another great performance in a good start to the season for the England international. Assisted Edouard’s goal with an inch-perfect cross.
Cheick Doucoure — 7
Made a couple of misplaced passes but was otherwise busy and industrious — a reminder to Palace fans of how vital it is that the club did not sell him.
Jefferson Lerma — 7
Sir Alex Ferguson once said that if Park Ji-sung had yellow paint on his studs, the whole pitch would haved ended up yellow after each match. The same is true of Lerma.
Jeffrey Schlupp — 6
A little too often the ball didn’t stick to him when he was fed out wide on the left. Wasted a first-half opportunity with the goal gaping.
Eberechi Eze — 8
Came to life after 15 minutes when a marauding run forward saw him brought down in the box but harshly denied a penalty despite a VAR check. The match-winner.
Jordan Ayew — 7
Carried the ball forward down the right flank whenever he had the chance. Decision-making a little too safe at times though.
Odsonne Edouard — 8
At the double. Scored Palace’s first with a smart front-post finish, before tucking the ball beautifully past an unmoved Sa for the second.
Subs:
Jean-Philippe Mateta (Schlupp, 71’) — 8
Intelligent flicked header to assist Eze, and then grabbed another assist for the third.
Will Hughes (Edouard, 90’) — N/A
Subs not used: Henderson, Tomkins, Riedewald, Clyne, Ahamada, Rak-Sakyi
