Bournemouth resilience rewarded as Junior Stanislas hits winning penalty against Crystal Palace
AFC Bournemouth 2-1 Crystal Palace: The home side regained their lead after Sakho conceded a late penalty
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
Mamadou Sakho’s France call-up may be on stand-by after the Crystal Palace defender gifted Bournemouth a late winner on Monday night.
The former PSG centre-back has been linked with a potential recall to Didier Deschamps’ Bleus squad after two years in international wilderness after an impressive start to the season with the Eagles, but at the Vitality Stadium his wild elbow on Jefferson Lerma allowed substitute Junior Stanislas to secure all three points for the Cherries from the spot.
Two moments of real quality had left the score level up to that point with David Brooks curling in his first Cherries goal after just four minutes before an excellent, although clearly offside, Patrick van Aanholt fired home after the break.
In a game expected to be filled with goals it didn’t take long for the first one to arrive with Brooks opening the scoring by finishing a smart move that started with a Ryan Fraser cross to Calum Wilson with an even smarter finish. It was the first shot on goal in the game.
Palace responded through Max Meyer, making his first league start since arriving in the summer, firing a shot from distance that was well gathered by Asmir Begovic before Nathan Ake nodded another Fraser cross wide down the other end.
In a game where both teams looked to exploit on the break it was no wonder play swung from end to end, with Luka Milivojevic having a shot blocked on the edge of the box after good work from Meyer and James McArthur nodding just wide from the German’s flick-on, only to be flagged offside.
Things didn’t get much better form the Scottish international as he collided with team-mate Patrick van Aanholt off the ball. much to the delight of the home fans, but while McArthur then blazed a good chance in the box over, his colleague dusted himself off and equalised with a thunderbolt from Zaha’s pass, despite replays showing he was clearly a yard or two offside.
Video Assitant Referees were trialed in the Premier League two weeks ago and there will surely only be further calls to implement it in the top flight sooner rather than later after Van Aanholt’s goal.
Palace grew in confidence in the second half while Bournemouth had to withhold pressure, something they haven’t been used to at home this season where they have scored nine goals in four games. Club record signing Lerma - who was also booked late on for a tussle with Eagles sub Cheikhou Kouyate - impressed in the middle of the park as the Cherries start to blend big name arrivals with the lower league stars that have got them this far in just a few short years.
Wayne Hennessey, quietly going about having his best season in a Palace shirt, then kept his side in it with two excellent saves, first from Wilson at close range and then from a Gosling header before Sakho’s stray elbow handed Bournemouth the points.
Zaha continued to rile the home fans by simply existing – and clashed with his marker Simon Francis on more than one occasion – but it was Meyer who quietly thrived the most for the away team in central midfield. It still feels like Hodgson hasn’t quite found his ideal formula for Palace yet this season, with the Eagles badly missing Yohan Cabaye and Ruben Loftus-Cheek who both left in the summer, the former to the UAE on a free and the later back to Chelsea. Eagles fans are hoping Meyer can fill that Cabaye-shaped hole and on Monday night’s performance he could turn out to be the bargain of the summer.
Bournemouth, meanwhile, remain unbeaten at home this season and Eddie Howe will have been pleased with the response to last week’s shock 4-0 defeat at Burnley. If they continue their start to the season who’s to say they couldn’t do what the Clarets did last season and upset the Top 7 pecking order?
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments