Minute-by-Minute Review: Palace 0 - 2 Arsenal

(First match after Ollie's departure mid-week. Keith Millen is the caretaker boss.)

3'- Sagna to Giroud, heads just over the bar.
8'- Gnabry for Flamini. Tweaked something.
9'- 100 total passes to 17 for the visitors in the early stages.
13'- As expected, Arsenal dominating possession.
14'- A roar as Palace cross midfield with a solid attack for the first time. Bannan loops a header over the bar. Great stop by Delaney on the floor inside the box at the other end.
22'- Speroni bobbles a high ball in the air, but luckily, Gabbidon is fouled for a free kick. Strong winds playing havoc with that one.
25'- Thomas' low shot from 25 yards goes wide left.
28'- Chamakh shoots it right at Szczesny from the top of the arc.
30'- Chamakh's short pass to Guedioura from the arc, again goes right at the keeper. 4-1 shot advantage for Palace.
33'- Free kick comes back to Bannan, curls it just wide from outside the box.
35'- Cazorla sprays it wide from a tight angle.
37'- Free kick finds Delaney, hits off Ramsey for a corner. Dikgacoi's resulting header goes the wrong side of the post.
38'- Speroni gets an arm out on a shot from up close.
39'- Guedioura most optimistic from almost 50 yards out. Not far off, in reality.
40'- Close range free kick headed out by Ward.
41'- Jedinak looped one to Chamakh at the six, but he can't leap high enough for a header.
44'- Giroud shoots one into the turf, handled by Speroni.
45'- One minute added on.

47'- Guedioura's challenge in the box clips Gnabry. Arteta shoots the penalty past the tips of Speroni, to his right. 1-0. Early goals in the half costing Palace again.
50'- Gnabry clips one just wide of the post off Delaney.
52'- Guedioura pivots and blasts the free kick into the wall.
54'- Sagna crosses to Giroud, headed wide from three yards out.
56'- Moxey from an acute angle on the counter shoots one that's held easily by the keeper.
58'- Bolasie on for Thomas. Ramasey breaks the far corner flag. Gives up on fixing it.
61'- Bolasie looking good early. Guedioura tried a bicycle kick; off the mark. Great fan support, as always.
65'- Arteta denies Chamakh a goal-scoring opportunity. Red card. Arsenal down to ten men.
68'- Bolasie tripped up on the edge of the box. No foul given. Looked like he got clipped.
69'- Sub for Arsenal. Wilshere for Gnabry.
72'- Kebe in for Guedioura. Monreal in for Cazorla.
74'- Off a one-two pass, Ward hits the bar after a deflection.
75'- Off the quick corner, Jedinak's screamer saved well off the volley. Nearly equalized.
77'- Gayle on for Bannan.
84'- "Arsenal cannot wait to get out of here." Chamakh chests it down in the box, but can't get a shot away.
87'- Ozil miscues after being found on a wide open cross. Giroud finishes off a run with a header from eight yards out. 2-0.
90'- Four added minutes.

FINAL: PALACE 0 - 2 ARSENAL

My "Man of the Match":

Jedinak. Set up some great opportunities, and nearly scored one from a volley that would've been another "Goal of the Year" contender.

Pleased with the effort from Palace. After the mid-week departure of Ollie, they could've folded up shop, but they hung well for 87 minutes, nearly equalizing a few times. Looking to grow on that effort at West Brom next Saturday.

Minute-by-Minute Review: Palace 1 - 4 Fulham

2'- Gayle on the early break tests Stekelenburg early, forcing a save on his right-hand side.
6'- Campana's free kick from 20 yards deflected off the wall for a corner.
7'- A header by Mariappa finds the net! High and long in the air off of Berbatov, before being tucked away. Nicely done. 1-0.
11'- Fulham a tad frustrated by the ref's whistles.
14'- Bolasie looking good in his first start back. Moving well.
15'- O'Keefe steals and strikes well wide left from distance.
18'- Defense going well. Forcing Fulham to retreat. Berbatov had to move away from Jedinak.
19'- What a strike by Kasami. Chests it down, strikes it across on the volley from an acute cross, angled into the far corner from just inside the box. Masterful. "Goal of the Year" candidate. 1-1.
24'- Definite shift since the Fulham goal. Palace look shaken.
29'- Ward's cross finds Bolasie, but he can't get much on the header in close.
30'- Alarms going off towards the end where Palace is attacking. Upper boxes, looks like.
32'- 59% to 41% possession in Fulham's favor. 6-3 shots to Palace.
33'- Bolasie's drive straight at Stekelenburg.
38'- Those boxes are filling back up after being evacuated.
42'- Cross tried to find Gayle, grabbed by the keeper.
45'- Fulham free kick straight into the wall, then Sidwell blasts the rebound into the top left corner from the top of the arc. Bolasie should kick himself for giving that one up. One added minute.
45'+2- Moxey's drive deflected away for a throw.

Half- Hangeland off for Fulham. Amorebieta replaces him. Thomas comes on for Palace, replacing Campana.

47'- Thomas' cross headed away for a corner.
49'- Speroni kicks it off Berbatov. Saves the bacon with a save off the rebound.
50'- Berbatov heads one in off the corner, in off the post. 3-1.
53'- Rare drop-ball after possession is tied up.
55'- Ball judged to have gone over the line after Senderos knocks it in from three yards. 4-1 now.
56'- Chamakh in for Puncheon.
63'- Long ball for Bent, slid and held on to by Speroni.
65'- Gayle whistled offside after a missed foul call, arguably.
69'- Phillips in for Gayle.
73'- A Chamakh cross deflects away for a corner.
75'- Mile looks absolutely dejected after misplaying a pass for Delaney.
77'- Duff comes in for Bent. Ward shoots high and wide.
80'- O'Keefe shoots and nearly gets it through the keeper.
81'- Richardson yellow card for Fulham.
82'- Free kick by Thomas on the edge of the box flies over.
87'- Nice save by Speroni off of a Kasami blast.
88'- Moxey's screamer from 30 yards out has to be parried away.
90'- Rodallega in for Berbatov. Three added minutes.
90'+2- O'Keefe tries a flick on for Moxey, but it's too far ahead of him.

FINAL: PALACE 1 - 4 FULHAM

My "Man of the Match":

Mariappa. At least we didn't suffer another goose-egg.

(Premier League Facebook Page)

 

So we remain in 19th, having scored six and conceded 17. Oh, and we get to face leaders Arsenal at home early Saturday. Lovely.

Minute-by-Minute Review: Liverpool 3 - 1 Palace

Pre-match- Was Ollie singing a bit of "You'll Never Walk Alone?" Shudder.

3'- Palace fans again loud, and setting smoke flares.
6'- Free kick headed away by Delaney for a corner.
7'- Stuck in our defensive end. Can't get past midfield.
8'- Jerome couldn't direct the close header from Puncheon's cross. Nice movement.
9'- Chamakh half-diving again, a la last week. Might've slipped, though.
10'- Jedinak's free kick blasts against the wall. O'Keefe picks up a yellow.
11'- Moses almost had a dink in from Enrique. Came off his foot and Speroni dives on it.
13'- Another Palace free kick comes to nothing.
14'- Suarez scores. Enrique passes it back into the box, Suarez slips and taps it home. 1-0.
15'- Sturridge shoots low and hard, but Speroni saves well.
17'- Sturridge makes back and forth cutbacks, hits it into the far post and in. Deja vu from last week. Two quick goals, and it almost seems out of reach already.
22'- A Puncheon pun from the commentators. "Holloway wants Palace to throw some punches." "Is that why Puncheon's in there, then?"
24'- Chamakh to O'Keefe. Shot blocked at the edge of the box.
26'- Kebe misses an open net. Then shots are deflected, and the rebound is sent over the bar.
29'- Decent spell of possession for Palace. But no positive results.
30'- Jerome's cross deflected. Sakho almost knocked it in for an own goal.
37'- Moxey fouls, questionably inside the box, but a penalty is given. Looked like the foul was committed outside the 18.
38'- Gerrard slots the penalty home to Speroni's right. 3-0.
39'- Suarez to Moses right on the goal line. Knocks it off the crossbar on a bounce.
43'- Jedinak fires well wide left after O'Keefe's drive was blocked.
45'- Sturridge's low drive saved easily by Speroni. One added minute.
45'+1- Suarez's shot saved well by Speroni.

Half- Gayle and Campana coming on for Jerome and Kebe.

46'- Sakho heads wide off a corner.
49'- Suarez handball. Protests.
51'- 320 minutes without a league goal for Palace.
55'- Chamakh has little power on a header off of a cross.
65'- Puncheon's shot deflected and awkwardly handled by Mignolet.
66'- Luis Alberto for Moses.
67'- Agger for Sakho. Gayle just blasts one inches over the bar.
68'- Bolasie for Chamakh. Good to see him fit again.
76'- Sterling gets a yellow.
77'- Campana's free kick sails home. Gayle claims a touch, and he indeed had a flick off his head from a tight angle. The drought is over! 3-1.
84'- Speroni just gets it away from a rushing Suarez.
85'- Sturridge hits it off the post, but offside was whistled.
88'- Aspas enters for Sturridge.
90'- Four added minutes.
90'+4- Aspas with a yellow.

FINAL: LIVERPOOL 3 - 1 PALACE

My "Man of the Match":

Dwight Gayle. Lone scorer, but continues to impress me, even in a brief outing.

International break next, then Palace hosts Fulham on Monday the 21st.