Sam Allardyce’s side claimed a vital 1-0 win over their relegation rivals and temporarily moved out of the drop zone.
Crystal Palace’s Patrick van Aanholt celebrates scoring their first goal
Crystal Palace proved a lot of doubters wrong after their 1-0 Premier League victory over Middlesbrough, with many consigning the Eagles to relegation, despite manager Sam Allardyce’s experience.
Life at Selhurst Park hadn’t been rosy for Allardyce, but this win – courtesy of a goal from new signing Patrick van Aanholt – will be a massive boost to the club, who found themselves out of the relegation zone prior to Leicester City’s surprise win over Liverpool.
The performance was a typical Allardyce showing, with Palace fighting for every ball, remaining solid at the back and ultimately grinding out the win, with every player working for one another.
While it’s very premature to say that Palace will stay up, with Allardyce at the helm, they’ve got the right man for the job – after all, there is a reason why he hasn’t been relegated from the Premier League yet.
Crystal Palace fans
From March last season, Sunderland lost just once – to eventual champions Leicester – with a much inferior squad than what Palace currently possess, which bodes well for the Eagles’ survival hopes.
Keeping a clean sheet was vital for the home side last weekend, having been woeful at the back for much of the season, and January’s defensive arrivals indicated that they are likely to play a vital role in what supporters will be hoping turns into a real upturn in form.
By beating Boro as well, they’ve dragged another team right in that relegation mix, and with Bournemouth dropping like a stone, it’s very possible that Palace could be in the lofty heights of 14th if they can build from this.
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