Crystal Palace made it four wins from four in the Premier League with an impressive 2-0 victory over Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.
Goals from Luka Milivojevic and Jordan Ayew were enough for the Eagles to take all three points from a disappointing Bournemouth side.
Crystal Palace Make It Four Wins From Four in the Premier League Against Bournemouth
Impressive Display From the Visitors
Palace’s opening goal was a moment of pure brilliance. Following a foul on Wilfried Zaha on the edge of the box, Luka Milivojevic stepped up to curl a free-kick into the beyond Aaron Ramsdale and into the top corner.
It was an almost trademark routine from Palace and Milivojevic, who was making his return to the starting line-up. Team-mate Zaha was the catalyst, before the Serbian took over and found the back of the net from the dead ball.
The Eagles found their wings following the opener, as their confidence began to show. Passing was slick, and key man Zaha looked refreshed from the enforced hiatus.
Lack of Creativity From the Hosts
The Cherries lacked the any sort of creativity during the first half. David Brooks – returning to the starting line-up after over a year on the sidelines – looked their only threat.
Brooks was the only player for Bournemouth who looked like they could make something happened. He often found his way beyond the opposition defence, but his team-mates could not find the back of the net.
The hosts failure to register a shot on target was alarming. Whereas Roy Hodgson’s men looked fitter and quicker on the ball, Eddie Howe’s side were off the mark and slow, often passing from side to side with little threat.
Despite changes during the second half, Bouremouth could not break down the strong defence ahead of them. Arnaut Groeneveld looked threatening at times, but could not turn that threat into a consistent end product.
Palace Utilise Left-Hand Side
Much of their play throughout came down the left-hand side. Unsurprising, considering Bournemouth’s inexperience at right-back and Palace’s pace and trickery of Patrick van Aanholt and Zaha.
A clever interchange between the aforementioned pair brought Palace’s second goal. Van Aanhholt overlapped his team-mate, who subsequently found the Dutch left-back driving into the box. The Dutchman then found Jordan Ayew in empty space inside the box, who then drove a low shot past Ramsdale.
Ayew’s goal was his ninth of the season, and meant he over took Tony Yeboah as the top-scoring Ghanaian in Premier League history.
Unsurprisingly, their visitors heatmap showed just how much of their came down the left-hand side. Play down the right-hand side was virtually non-existent in comparison to the left.
Part of the reason why Roy Hodgson utilises the left-hand side so much is not just to do with Zaha, but also his set-up. With Ayew operating from the right-hand side to accommodate Christian Benteke, begin in a traditional 4-3-3 shape. However, the Ghanaian tended to find himself drifting in from the right, closer towards his Belgian counterpart.
Well-Drilled Visitors See Out the Second Half
Throughout, Palace were a cohesive unit across the pitch. Even before the season was suspended, this was a common theme in Roy Hodgson’s side.
One of the Eagles’ biggest strengths under their 72-year-old manager is their defence. Every player knows their role, and while they are directed by Hodgson during training, Gary Cahill takes over as leader during games.
The 34-year-old has proven to be a shrewd signing by Palace, having arrived on a free transfer last summer. Having initially joined as a back-up option, Cahill has become one of their main leaders in the dressing room, using his experience to his advantage at the back.
A clean sheet for the visitors meant it was four in a row for Hodgson’s side, a Premier League first for the visitors.
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