Palace ride their luck to hold out for all three points against Saints

Crystal Palace 1

Edouard 38

Southampton 0

An Odsonne Edouard goal was enough for Crystal Palace to see off Southampton this afternoon – but the visitors will rue a string of missed chances in the second half which should have seen them leave south London with at least a point.

Edouard tapped in Tyrick Mitchell’s centre after 38 minutes to send the Selhurst Park crowd wild – it was the least that Palace deserved as they dominated the first half almost from start to finish.

But in a classic game of two halves, Stuart Armstrong hit the post and Che Adams twice shot straight at Palace ‘keeper Vincente Guaita when clean through on goal, as the Eagles rode their luck after the break.

Palace started the better of the two, captain Luka Milivojevic curling an early free-kick over the Saints bar, then seeing an effort from outside the box blocked.

And the Eagles really should have been in front on 15 minutes. Great link-up play between Edouard and Eberechi Eze set Wilfried Zaha free in the box, but he dragged his shot wide to the right of the Southampton goal.

Eze then had two chances in little over a minute. First he saw a decent low effort pushed round the post by Saints’ ‘keeper Gavin Bazunu, then he narrowly missed the target with a near-identical effort.

Eduard had the ball in the net a minute later, stroking it under the body of Bazunu, but an offside earlier in the play denied him.

Palace were battering the Southampton goal by now, defender Joachim Andersen’s header from a corner was the latest effort saved by Bazunu – and it appeared only a matter of time before the home side would take the lead.

And indeed it was. Seven minutes before the break Mitchell whipped a low ball across the face of the box from the left and Edouard tapped home from close range.

Southampton were abject in the first half and Ralph Hasenhuttl cannot have been impressed.

But his side were reformed in the second period, and should have been level when Adams shot straight at Vincente Guaita, having been put clean through.

Armstrong then saw an effort hit the side netting, but the south coast side were growing in confidence.

Saints then produced a sweeping move and Armstrong again had a great chance on the left, but this time his low effort bounced back off the post.

At the other end the unusually quiet Zaha saw a shot blocked by Lyanco.

And as the clock ticked down Saints wasted another glorious chance midway through the half.

Palace sloppily lost possession in the left-back position, and when Joe Aribo squared for Adams, he had to score, but once again could only hit his shot straight at Guaita.

James Ward-Prowse then hit a 25-yard shot wide of the Palace goal, but Palace held out for the win in what was their final home game before the break for the World Cup.

Teams:

Crystal Palace: Guaita, Ward, Mitchell, Milivojevic, Guehi, Olise (Riedewald, 86), Eze (Ayew, 63), Zaha, Schlupp, Andersen, Edouard (Hughes, 75)

Southampton: Bazunu, Lyanco, Celeta-Car, Aribo, Ward-Prowse, Adams, Perraud (Djenepo, 75), Armstrong (Mara, 86), Salisu, Elyounoussni (Edozie, 75), Diallo (Maitland-Niles, h/t)

Referee: Michael Salisbury