Mamadou Sakho helped Crystal Palace to victory on his debut, while Luka Milivojevic also shone.
Mamadou Sakho enjoyed an impressive Crystal Palace debut
Crystal Palace are out of the relegation zone following Saturday’s 1-0 victory over fellow strugglers Middlesbrough.
The win was classic Sam Allardyce and his first at home.
While naturally a lot of the praise has gone to Patrick van Aanholt, the scorer of the goal, it was a win that owed much to a solid defensive performance as Palace kept only their third clean sheet of the season – no Premier League side has kept fewer.
That they played Middlesbrough, the division’s lowest scorers, certainly helped but so too did the displays of two men who have spent even less time at the club than van Aanholt; Mamadou Sakho and Luka Milivojevic.
| Match | Interception | Duel Won | Total Tackle | Total Clearance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luka Milivojevic | C. Palace vs Middlesbrough | 3 | 6 | 2 | 2 |
| Mamadou Sakho | C. Palace vs Middlesbrough | 0 | 4 | 1 | 6 |
On his debut Sakho was a composed yet domineering figure and as the stats show often on hand to clear the ball when necessary, while the back four he was a part of were diligently shielded by Milivojevic who looks a player ideally suited to this league.
Crystal Palace’s Patrick van Aanholt celebrates scoring their first goal
Although the goals have somewhat dried up recently, Palace’s big problem this season has been their defence.
They will face far sterner tests than Boro’s attack, but on this evidence Sakho and Milivojevic have helped make it a much more organised and formidable unit.
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