It is a decade since Wilfried Zaha made his debut for Crystal Palace. Ten years since a slight, 17-year-old local lad stepped onto the pitch at Selhurst Park for the first time. During his tenure with his boyhood club, he has scored 46 goals, some of which have proved to be more important than others.
Wilfried Zaha’s Best Goals in a Crystal Palace Shirt
3. Scissor Kick Against Swansea City
Palace – then managed by Sam Allardyce – were playing poorly against a Swansea City side in the relegation zone, while the Eagles sat just outside. A win would have been vital, but a win did not come.
Allardyce’s side were getting frustrated by the Swans’ defensive tactics. It was a game that Palace fans had seen several times before in the recent Premier League era. As the game entered the final ten minutes, they were fighting a lost cause. However, as the 83rd minute struck, up stepped Zaha.
Martin Kelly’s ball into the box was by no means magnificent. In fact, the poor quality of the ball made the goal harder for his team-mate to score. Zaha had to readjust his body, meaning turning away from goal. The Ivorian’s connection, though, was sweet. It was perfectly-timed, placed perfectly; perfectly enough for it to stretch beyond Lukasz Fabianksi’s reach.
2. Winner vs Huddersfield Town, 2018/19 Season
Out of the three goals chosen, this was trademark Wilfried Zaha.
The flicks and tricks, the echoes of boo’s around Huddersfield Town’s John Smith’s Stadium, the jubilant celebration that followed is what the Palace fans have become used to. It is second nature to hear booing from the opposition when Zaha is on the ball. When his tricks come to fruition, most at Selhurst Park don’t even bat an eyelid anymore.
As he received the ball back from Jordan Ayew, Zaha surged towards the corner flag. Approaching the edge of the box, instead of setting up for a cross, he danced past the already flagging Florent Hadergjonaj into the box. At an acute angle, the Ivorian international made an audacious attempt at goal. An audacious attempt that found the back of the net, beating Jonas Lossl before he could even think about saving it.
1. Winner vs Brighton & Hove Albion, 2012/13 Play-Off Semi-Final
The stage was set perfectly. Only one man could deliver for Ian Holloway’s side in Brighton that night and it was Wilfried Zaha.
He had already scored earlier in the game. Palace were edging closer to sealing their place at Wembley for the play-off final. But Zaha helped make sure that they would be their.
Kagisho Dikgacoi fed the ball into waiting Zaha at the edge of the box. Facing away from goal, he laid himself up with his right-foot, swivelling beyond the pressing Brighton defender and positioning himself in the perfect position to score.
Pandemonium followed. Promotion followed weeks later, and Wilfried Zaha cemented himself in Crystal Palace history.
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