‘Thank the sweet Football Lord’ Crystal Palace Fans On Cloud Nine After Important 2-1 Win vs Stoke

Full Time: Crystal Palace 2-1 Stoke City

Crystal Palace registered their only second win of the Premier League season, when they defeated Stoke City 2-1 at the Selhurst Park, on Saturday.  

After a rather uneventful first-half, things burst into life when Xherdan Shaqiri ran past four Palace players to slot home past Wayne Hennessey to hand the visitors the lead in the 53rd minute. However, the lead lasted for only three minutes, as Ruben Loftus-Cheek reinstated the parity, converting a cross from Andros Townsend.  

With under five minutes left to play, Stoke had a brilliant chance to win the game, but captain Ryan Shawcross missed an absolute sitter. And they were made to pay for the miss, as Mamadou Sakho scored in the fourth minute of the added time to clinch three points.  

While the win doesn’t change their place in the league table, the Eagles are three points off 17th-placed West Bromwich Albion and will look to get on a run of wins from here.

Here’s how the Palace players fared on the day:

Crystal Palace Player Ratings

Wayne Hennessey – 6/10

Didn’t have a whole lot to do between the sticks, but was alert when he was needed to be. Not a lot he could do about Shaqiri’s goal. 

Joel Ward – 6/10

Strong and steady at the back, without really standing out on the day.  

James Tomkins – 7/10

Returning to the starting line-up, the former West Ham United man put in a solid display in the heart of the defence. 

Mamadou Sakho – 6/10

The Palace captain for the day, Sakho did not have the best of the games defensively, gifting possession in a dangerous position once, before being caught out by Shaqiri, leading to Stoke’s goal. He turned into the hero by scoring the winning goal late in the game.  

Jeffrey Schlupp – 6/10

Apart from the goal that was conceded from his flank, the former Leicester City man was fairly solid and did most things right.  

Luka Milivojevic – 6/10

Was his usual combative self in the middle of the park, going about making challenges and trying to set his team on the front foot.  

Yohan Cabaye – 6/10

Lucky to have not been booked for a poor challenge on Ramadan Sobhi in the first period. Not at his best, but got stuck in. 

James McArthur – 6/10

Made a couple of decent forward runs into the box and had an effort saved by Stoke’s Lee Grant with the scoreline at parity.  

Ruben Loftus-Cheek – 7/10

Did not have the best of the first-halves, but grew into the game and was at the right place at the right time to level things up after Shaqiri’s goal. 

Andros Townsend – 6/10

Was mostly ineffective for large parts of the game, but got the assist for Loftus-Cheek’s goal.  

Wilfried Zaha – 6/10

Was well marshalled by the Stoke defence for long phases of the game, but was the biggest threat going forward.  

Substitutes

Christian Benteke – 5/10

On for McArthur at half-time, the Belgian did little of note. Snatched at a good opportunity and sent his effort wide.

Here’s how the Palace fans reacted to the win: