Palace could not have started the 2018/19 Premier League campaign any worse than that of the previous season.
As many of you know (this is a Palace blog after all!), not only did it take our beloved Eagles 63 days to obtain a single point but it took them 63 days to score a single Premier League goal.
To put that into perspective, Palace went 5,433,200 seconds, 90,720 minutes, 1,512 hours and 17.26% of the entire calendar year without scoring a goal. Thankfully, we will not have to worry about those kind of statistics this year as the Eagles did both this weekend in the comfortable win at Fulham.
I say “comfortable” but the first thirty minutes were anything but as the hosts got off to a great start and owned much of the possession of the first half. Leave it to our biggest signing of the summer (shout out to Steve Parish) to keep us organised and strong in defending – Roy Hodgson has been nothing short of amazing since taking control and Saturday’s game was a microcosm of his reign after extending his current deal.
The back four were strong and organised. Our attack was opportunistic and fast. Luka Milivojevic and James McArthur were stoic and ready for the challenge. Overall there was not much to complain about. Waking up Sunday morning and seeing Palace second in the table was a welcome and refreshing sight to behold.
Some quick positives that stood out for me:
Aaron Wan-Bissaka – Not much left to be said after everyone and their mothers praised the young right back and rightfully so. He has proved that not only does he belong in the Premier League, but he may become one of the best in his position.
Wayne Hennessey – The much maligned keeper performed brilliantly in goal. Many people thought Wan-Bissaka was the man of the match and while that may have been the case, my choice was Hennessey. Turn any of the saves he made into goals and that is a very different story. He was outstanding.
Jeffrey Schlupp – Scored his first league goal for Palace on his 100th league appearance. He tends to disappear at times defensively at times it seems but a solid game from him.
Christian Benteke – Looked like the Benteke of old – winning aerial duels with ease and looked to be a formidable weapon going forward. This is a big year for him and so far he is looking up to the challenge.
Pape Souare and Cheikhou Kouyate – Both donned the red and blue for a few Premier League minutes. I have always rooted for Pape after his car accident like most fans and it is hard not to pull for a guy like that. Kouyate looks to be a great option off the bench at the moment when our midfield tires and we need a boost.
NBC Sports Gold – All of you non-American Palace fans do not have to deal with the dumpster fire that was NBC Sports Gold. In order to watch the majority of Palace matches, a NBC Sports Gold Premier League package is required. It is a streaming service that you can use on your computer, mobile, or (as I do) on an Amazon Fire Stick as watching them on a phone or computer just is not the same. Last season, the app was such a mess with lag and pauses that they offered a refund to keep the service. This year, for at least the opening game, the service was perfect and there was not a single time where the screen was loading or frozen. Hats off to the NBC folks (sup Rebecca Lowe!)
Three points always feels good. Three points on opening day always feels good. You may say that I feel “Glad All Over!”.
UP THE PALACE!
