Jean-Philippe Mateta scored a last-minute winner to help Crystal Palace produce one of the narrow football results of the weekend in the Premier League. Mateta scored with the final kick of the game to secure a crucial three points for the Eagles in a game that might have enormous ramifications in the relegation race. Crystal Palace made a strong comeback after falling down to a magnificent Ricardo Pereira strike in the 56th minute. Leicester had no shots in the first half, so it was a surprise lead. Crystal Palace fired 20 shots in the first 45 minutes and equalized three minutes later (59). Daniel Iversen (59) scored an unlucky own goal after Eberechi Eze’s free-kick reached the back of the net off his backside.
Crystal Palace set the tone for their win from the start, opening with a stunning save from Iversen in the seventh minute, who denied a ferocious Cheick Doucoure shot. The Foxes had no shots on goal in the first 45 minutes, although they did hit the crossbar. Victor Kristiansen lofted in a cross from the left, aiming for Kieran Dewsbury-Hall at the back post, thanks to a weak defensive pass from the Palace defense. Unfortunately, the ball struck the woodwork before the hosts could clear.
Iversen kept making crucial saves, adding two more before the 20-minute mark to deny Eze and Zaha. Joachim Andersen then nodded Michael Olise’s corner just wide, with Odsonne Edouard unable to slot home at the near post. Despite a brilliant first half, the hosts were struck an unfortunate setback late in the game. Zaha strained his groin as he reached for a Jeffrey Schlupp pass, realizing almost immediately that he couldn’t go on. When he walked slowly to the tunnel, he was met with praise and chants from the home crowd, who were there to console their hero.
Leicester didn’t have their first corner and a shot of the game until five minutes into the second half. They quickly gained the lead. Pereira’s strike was spectacular, blasting the ball into the top corner after a perfectly squared ball from Timothy Castagne. But it was a stroke of bad luck for Iversen, as Crystal Palace equalized three minutes later on a fantastic free kick from Eze that initially hit the underside of the crossbar before hitting the backside of Leicester’s goalie and bouncing over the line.
While their play was not as free-flowing as in the first half, Crystal Palace appeared more likely to take all three points – and they finally profited on their pressure with the game’s final kick. Ayew drove through the middle before sliding the ball into Mateta’s foot, who spun past Harry Souttar and finished beyond Iversen to send the Selhurst Park crowd into raptures. Crystal Palace’s sole setback came from an injury to star attacker Wilfried Zaha, who was reappointed captain by Hodgson. He injured his groin late in the first half and had to leave the pitch in tears following a brilliant first-half performance.
“It’s a lovely sensation. It’s such a relief because I think we deserved to win that game over the course of 90 minutes, especially with that first-half effort, which I really appreciated,” Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson said. “As the game progresses, we concede a pretty excellent goal, and the game appears to be petering out at 1-1. But I honestly believe that we deserved to win tonight based on how we played on the pitch, and the statistics back it up. So it’s difficult for Brendan and his side to concede a goal in injury time with the game’s final kick.”
“Football can be a harsh sport. There wasn’t much in the game; we started the second half extremely well, scored a terrific goal, and we’d had a great start up until that point. So there wasn’t much generated, but the final minute of the game is all about focus; you have to be extremely powerful and determined. Regrettably, we gave them far too much room,” Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers said. “I didn’t think we played well in the first half. We didn’t keep the ball as much as I would have liked, but we defended well. The back four and goalkeeper were outstanding, but I told the players that they needed to improve their mentality with the ball because it takes courage and fortitude to do so.”
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