Match Facts
- Date – 19th March 2016
- Venue – Selhurst Park
- Attendance -25,041
- Referee – Mike Jones
- Bookings -Souare, Schmeichel
- Goals – Mahrez (34)
- Star Eagle – Mile Jedinak (8.1)
Match Review
The Leicester bandwagon continues its roll towards the Premier League title as they left South London with all three points and extend their lead at the top to eight points.
It was their fourth 1-0 win in the last five games and have clearly taken a leaf out of the old Arsenal handbook by winning games in such a way, just what is required at this stage of the season.
Palace were not over-run against an impressive midfield containing N’Golo Kante and Danny Drinkwater but Mile Jedinak shone as he attempted to drag the hosts kicking and screaming out of their slumber but it was just not to be on this occasion.
The first real chance fell to the Foxes as Riyad Mahrez who broke clear from the Eagles defence to find himself one on one with Wayne Hennessey but the Welshman made an excellent save to deny the Algerian allowing Scott Dann to clear.
Pardew’s side huffed and puffed throughout the first half without creating an out and out goal-scoring chance but it was not from the want of trying. The final ball was proving to be elusive from the wide men. A half chance fell to Wilfried Zaha from a Yannick Bolasie cross too high for Emmanuel Adebayor, but the effort from a difficult angle was off target.
A bit of class shone through for the only goal of the game. Palace contributed to their own downfall allowing players to run with the ball and it was that combination of Jamie Vardy and Mahrez. The player of the year contender was unmarked on the edge of the six yard box and able to slot home to put the visitors ahead.
The reaction from the Eagles was almost immediate as Bolasie cut inside and his deflected shot off Wes Morgan was saved well by Kasper Schmeichel.
It was all change at the break as Pardew made a double substitution opting to replace Pape Souare with Martin Kelly after receiving a booking for a rash challenge in the first half and Bakary Sako entered the fray in place of a non-effective Adebayor. This allowed Bolasie to move into the lone striker role which must have raised eyebrows on the bench particularly for Dwight Gayle and Frazier Campbell.
It was the Foxes that started the second period the better with a great chance from Shinji Okazaki whose shot flew just over the bar. Palace had the better of the possession but continued to struggle to do anything with it.
The introduction of Sako was a real positive as he looked the player we saw earlier in the season. A couple of very good crosses but there was nobody in the middle to get on the end of the them. He also had two good efforts that stung the fists of Schmeichel in the Leicester goal and looked the only Palace player likely to score.
Perseverance was the key for the Eagles and a string of corners put the pressure on the visitors but they were all dealt with. The best chance Palace had of leveling things up was in the dying minutes as Scott Dann’s header from a corner fell to Damien Delaney who chested the ball down only to see his shot cannon off the bar.
It is very much a case of back to the training ground for Pardew and his management team as that first win of 2016 continues to evade this Eagles team.
TEB Verdict
Tough opponents in what is turning out to be a quite horrific run of form but there were a few positives. The problem is, we do not need positives. We need to find that winning feeling again and we could do a lot worse than looking at Leicester to see how they just seem to have made it a habit. Losing to the league leaders is no disgrace but the loss column continues to tick over with games running out.
Player Ratings (courtesy of Who Scored)
- Wayne Hennessey (6.5) – Two excellent saves even if he still needs to work on commanding his area.
- Joel Ward (7.2) -Tough time for the full back who struggled at times against a high pressing side.
- Scott Dann (6.8) – Managed to deal with most of the threat posed by the opposition strikers.
- Damien Delaney (7.3) -Another solid showing putting a foot or head in when needed.
- Pape Souare (6.0) – Poor first half which included a booking for his troubles. Replaced by Martin Kelly (6.5) on 45 minutes who added that solid presence.
- Mile Jedinak (8.1) – Another fine performance from the big Aussie who tried to force the game throughout. Often one of the first to press the opposition.
- Yohan Cabaye (7.1) -Some classy touches throughout but still goes missing during parts of the game when when needed the most.
- Joe Ledley (6.3) – No nonsense showing from the Welshman who quietly went about his business. Replaced by Dwight Gayle (6.0) on 79 minutes who was not able to make any impression on the game.
- Wilfried Zaha (6.4) – No lack of confidence but missing some urgency when required. Managed a few good runs but has to deal with being a marked man.
- Yannick Bolasie (7.7) – Lively with plenty of bursting runs but looked to struggle at times after a hefty early challenge. Prefer him to be playing out wide rather than up front.
- Emmanuel Adebayor (5.9) – Struggled to hold the ball up and win headers throughout the first half. Replaced by Bakary Sako (7.1) on 45 minutes who proved his eye for goal with a couple of stinging efforts.
Unused substitutes – Julian Speroni, Frazier Campbell, Jordon Mutch, Jason Puncheon
Match Statistics
The Who Scored man of the match was Leicester City centre back Wes Morgan (8.3) while Yannick Bolasie had the most shots (5) and the most dribbles (6). Three players shared the most tackles (5) – Mile Jedinak, Christian Fuchs and N’Golo Kante.
- Team rating: 6.77 – 7.30
- Total shots: 12 – 8
- Shots on target: 4 – 3
- Possession: 57.7% – 42.3%
- Pass success: 76% – 67%
- Dribbles: 17 – 15
- Aerials won: 30 – 26
- Tackles: 16 -30
- Corners: 10 – 7
- Dispossessed: 19 – 5
Premier League Table
| 14 | Watford | 30 | 37 |
| 15 | Swansea City | 31 | 36 |
| 16 | Crystal Palace | 30 | 33 |
| 17 | Norwich City | 31 | 28 |
| 18 | Sunderland | 29 | 25 |
