Jordan Ayew says Crystal Palace’s defeat to Leicester on Sunday is a wake-up call for the team to start performing better from the first whistle.
The Eagles looked sluggish from the off at the King Power Stadium and went into the break two goals down after Ademola Lookman and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall took advantage of some slack defending to punish the visitors. The second half saw an improved performance, with Ayew winning the penalty that Wilfried Zaha eventually converted after two bits at the cherry following encroachment from Kasper Schmeichel after the keeper had kept out the first spot kick.
Despite that, Ayew warned his Palace teammates that they could ill-afford to make the same slow start in their next fixture when they head to Wembley next Sunday to face Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals. The Blues recently romped to a 6-0 over Southampton and scored four of those goals inside the first 30 minutes at St Mary’s Stadium.
READ MORE: Marc Guehi error, Conor Gallagher underwhelming: Crystal Palace player ratings vs Leicester
“We didn’t start the game well,” Ayew explained to Premier League Productions after the full-time whistle. “It was all about the first half and we needed a better half than that. We paid the price and conceded two goals. In the second half, we were a better team. We pushed and managed to come back. But it’s a wake-up call for us and we know it’s important for us to have a good start and build on it. The most important thing is that it happened now and not against Chelsea, so now we have one week to prepare and we’ll do our best to do better in that game.”
“It shows we need to be consistent and we need to work on it,” he added. “We’ve come to the end of a good run. The most important thing is that it happened today and not next week though so we can build on this. It’s going to be very important to have a good start in that game.”
Eagles boss Patrick Vieira was equally upset with how side performed in the first half and lamented their inability to deal with Leicester’s intensity during the period. The Foxes ended the first 45 minutes with 60% possession and with six shots on Vicente Guaita’s goal, with Palace’s best effort a Jean-Philippe Mateta effort that won Palace a corner.
“The performance, especially in the first half, Leicester were the better team,” admitted Vieira in his post-match press conference. “I think they started the game with better intention. The pressing was really high, and it was impossible for us to play. We didn't play quick enough. We didn't play forward enough.
“We didn't take enough risks to find our midfield three. In the first half, we didn't compete well enough. They were the better team, they were more aggressive. And then in the second half, we started quite well. And we were better at the tempo that we put in our game. We created a couple of situations and chances but it was too much for us to climb.”
