Report & Highlights: Palace overturn Saints to end 2024 on a high

Summary:

• One change from Boxing Day draw at Bournemouth as Richards replaces suspended Guéhi.
• Hughes wears the captain’s armband for the first time.
• 8: Eze teed up on the edge of the box but effort kept out by Ramsdale.
• 14 – GOAL: Dibling slots Saints into the lead after piercing run from Walker-Peters.
• 25: Lerma stings the palms of Ramsdale at the end of lengthy Palace move.
• 31 – GOAL: Chalobah heads home Palace’s equaliser from a near-post corner.
• 35: Sarr bursts clear but is denied one-on-one by Ramsdale; Lerma’s overhead kick also kept out.
• 37: Mitchell’s cross turned goalwards by Muñoz; deflected away by Walker-Peters.
• HT: Palace 1-1 Southampton
• 52 – GOAL: Eze’s low rocket of a half-volley gives Palace the lead.
• 64: Henderson denies Fernandes after brilliant solo run.
• 69: Eze’s free-kick deflects narrowly over the bar as Palace seek clincher.
• 80: Bednarek deflects Sarr’s low cross towards his own goal but Ramsdale reacts.
• 90+2: Muñoz finds space on the counter-attack but Ramsdale gets down to save.
• FT: Palace 2-1 Southampton

The Eagles went into the match hoping to finish 2024 on a high, making just one change from the 0-0 draw at Bournemouth on Boxing Day: Chris Richards replaced the suspended Marc Guéhi, with Will Hughes taking the captain’s armband for the first time.

They started brightly, as well, with some decent approach play affording Ebere Eze room to let fly from the edge of the box after eight minutes – but his low effort was hit too close to Aaron Ramsdale.

Yet perhaps buoyed by that typical new manager bounce, the Saints took the lead inside quarter-of-an-hour, Kyle Walker-Peters beating Daniel Muñoz to the byline and squaring the ball for Adam Armstrong, who turned the ball across goal for Tyler Dibling to tap home.

And the next opportunity went the Saints’ way too as a ball into the box was flicked on by near seven-foot Paul Onuachu, and James Bree, connecting on the stretch, hit an effort which bounced into the ground and – thankfully – into Dean Henderson’s gloves.

That was not to say, however, that Palace were not carrying any threat, as Oliver Glasner’s side were moving the ball around quickly – but the Saints’ amassed numbers behind the ball meant the Eagles were finding it difficult to get many shots away.

After threatening on the edge of Southampton’s box for a sustained two or three minutes, they did get one fierce effort away – Jean-Philippe Mateta laying off for Jefferson Lerma to strike 25 yards out – but Ramsdale was again equal to it.

Inroads were gradually being made, however, and one flowing move on the half-hour mark involving Lerma and Hughes saw Ismaïla Sarr force Ramsdale into a save with his feet at his near post.

From the subsequent corner, Hughes went near post with his delivery, and Trevoh Chalobah got a thumping header to it which hit Ramsdale and squirmed over the line. The Southampton players appealed for a Mateta push on their goalkeeper, but upon review, VAR awarded Palace their goal.

Moments later, the Eagles could have taken the lead – a flick-on from Mateta dropping invitingly into the path of Sarr, who ran clear, but was denied at the near post by a superb save. Southampton failed to clear the subsequent corner and Lerma attempted a spectacular overhead kick, but was denied by Ramsdale once more.

The chances were flowing and spaces opening up, and just seconds later, Tyrick Mitchell’s inviting low ball in went through a crowd of bides to find Daniel Muñoz at the far post – but his stabbed finish hit Walker-Peters, who knew little about it, on the heel, and it bounced clear from the goal-line.

That was as close as Palace would come to taking the lead before half-time – but on the 52-minute mark, they would take a deserved lead.

After a corner was only half-cleared, Muñoz hooked the ball into the box, Richards chested it down to the edge of the area and Eze – instinctively – half-volleyed a wonderful hit into the bottom-left corner from the edge of the area, his fifth goal of the season in all competitions.

Palace continued to press forwards and Muñoz again threatened to get on the end of a clever Mitchell ball, but it was the Saints who had the next chance of the match when Mateus Fernandes beat two Eagles on the edge of the box and hit a rising drive goalwards; Henderson got a strong hand to the shot to tip the ball over the bar.

But it was Eze who was the game’s growing influence, and after a delightful piece of skill on the edge of the box on 69 minutes to draw a foul – and yellow card – for Taylor Harwood-Bellis, the Palace No. 10 stepped up to take the free-kick himself.

As Selhurst held its collective breath, his clever attempt beneath the wall took a nick off a jumping defender and deflected towards the top corner, beating Ramsdale – but also, by inches, the crossbar.

The final quarter of the game grew increasingly scrappy as both sides defended stoutly, but Palace almost stretched their lead when, with 10 minutes remaining, Sarr beat Walker-Peters for pace and turned the ball across the box, where Jan Bednarek inadvertently poked it towards his own goal; Ramsdale did well to react again.

The final five minutes prompted a raft of changes from both managers as they sought a late impact, but passed without great incident – save for a late Muñoz half-chance – as Palace won their last game of a calendar year on a high for a fourth time running.

Palace: Henderson (GK), Muñoz, Chalobah, Lacroix, Richards, Mitchell, Lerma, Hughes (Doucouré, 86), Sarr (Nketiah, 90+4), Mateta, Eze (Kamada, 86).

Subs: Turner (GK), Clyne, Riad, Kporha, Devenny, Schlupp.

Southampton: Ramsdale (GK), Walker-Peters (Manning, 86), Bednarek, Harwood-Bellis, Wood, Fernandes, Bree, Dibling (Lallana, 86), Aribo (Ugochukwu, 51), Armstrong (Sulemana, 65), Onuachu (Archer, 65).

Subs: McCarthy (GK), Sugawara, Taylor, Bella-Kotchap.

As It Happened