Crystal Palace put on a masterclass performance as they completely outshined Wolvehampton Wanderers in a Premier League showdown on a Saturday afternoon. Oliver Glasner’s squad didn’t even need to hit peak form to dispatch Rob Edwards’ team, moving up to fourth place as a result of their victory.
Jean Philippe Mateta had a golden opportunity to break the deadlock in the first half but disappointingly missed a one-on-one chance with Sam Johnstone, leaving the game goalless at halftime. However, Palace kicked it up a notch after the break, responding to a brief period of Wolves’ aggression. Daniel Munoz opened the scoring by slotting the ball into an unguarded net after Johnstone committed to a dive to block an Adam Wharton shot.
The second and clinching goal came from a spectacular curling effort by Yeremy Pino from just outside the box, leaving Johnstone helpless as Wolves struggled to clear their lines. The scoreline reflected Palace’s dominance over the home team, who remained at the bottom of the Premier League table.
Although the Eagles faced a few challenging moments, one intriguing incident stood out amidst recent Premier League football. Palace’s goalkeeper, Dean Henderson, made a bizarre save with his foot from a Wolves’ free-kick in the first half, with replays revealing a slight deflection on the ball that contributed to the unusual stop.
The intriguing aspect of the play was how the ball reached Henderson, stemming from a peculiar defensive response by Palace. The resulting Wolves free-kick was placed at the edge of the box, with Palace forming a typical defensive wall. Yet, Joao Gomes saw an overlooked opportunity and opted to send a low free-kick around the wall, requiring Henderson to make an unorthodox save with his feet.
The absence of a ‘draught excluder’ – a player lying behind the wall – in Palace’s defensive setup was an unusual sight in modern Premier League matches. Despite Gomes trying to exploit this gap, Henderson’s unorthodox save prevented an unexpected turn of events, preserving Palace’s advantage.
Looking ahead, it remains to be seen if Palace will adapt their defense strategies in similar scenarios in the future after the curious circumstances of this match.
