Summary:
- One change for Palace as Hughes replaces injured Schlupp
- Olise curls wide in tight opening
- Palace mount pressure as first-half wears on
- Zaha comes close to volleying in the opener
- Doucouré and Hughes both have volleyed efforts blocked
- Clever Zaha turn and Ayew flick tee up Eze to slam home first goal
- Zaha goes close to curling in a second
- HT: Palace 1-0 Bournemouth
- Hughes has fierce volley beaten away by Neto
- Zaha departs with an injury shortly after the restart
- Eze rockets home wonder-goal to reflect Eagles' dominance
- Palace continue to press for a third
- Moore heads over rare Bournemouth chance
- FT: Palace 2-0 Bournemouth
With Premier League status mathematically sealed last weekend, the talk of Selhurst Park was whether the Eagles could overhaul Chelsea – two points ahead of them at the start of play, albeit having played a game fewer – and move up into 11th.
But up against a Bournemouth team who themselves were on the verge of securing safety, there remained plenty to play for – reflected by a cagey opening period of few chances.
The closest either side came in the opening quarter saw Michael Olise, at the end of a delightful left-to-right move, jink inside and bend narrowly wide of the far post.
But as the first-half wore on, and backed by a superb Selhurst Park roar in the penultimate home game of the season, so too did Palace’s dominance of the encounter.
Shooting opportunities – and corner-kicks – began to pile up for Palace in quick succession, Wilfried Zaha miscuing from a threatening ball in from Olise, and Cheick Doucouré and Will Hughes both having volleys from the edge of the box blocked, causing goalmouth scrambles to ensue.
It was going to take a moment of quality to break down the visitors’ organised back-line – and, as has so often proven the case down the years, Zaha was the man to provide the inspiration.
A brilliant turn near the touchline flummoxed the winger’s marker and made room for a low cross which was impudently flicked on by Jordan Ayew – and Ebere Eze, inside the six-yard area, thrashed home with glee.
The brilliance kept on coming. A superb 60-yard ball forwards from Joachim Andersen found Zaha leading a counter-attack all by himself and, after turning his marker, he darted towards the penalty box and curled a superb effort narrowly wide of the top corner.
Palace did not want the half-time whistle to come – and neither did their supporters – but their dominance continued upon resumption of the action.
With the club’s Goal of the Season voting already open, it seemed Palace’s players were on a mission to get their name on the shortlist – Hughes’ brilliant improvisation seeing him volley first-time from the edge of the box, well beaten away by Neto.
There was a moment of concern, however, for Zaha who pulled up after a driving run and, early in the second-half, was replaced by Odsonne Edouard.
On Palace pressed – and when their deserved second goal did arrive, it wasn’t half spectacular.
Unchallenged near the halfway line, Olise looked up and saw Eze equally in space on the left flank, pinging a pinpoint 40-yard ball into his feet. There was still plenty of work to do at that stage – but the No. 10 got his 10th of the season with a darting run between four defenders and a thumping finish from the edge of the ‘D’.
Not only did it mark double figures for goals for Eze, but also assists for Olise, who became the first Palace player to register that total in a single Premier League season – and in some style.
The goal was the crown on a second-half which Palace, otherwise, saw out comfortably – albeit with Kiefer Moore heading over at the back post for Bournemouth, who endured a tough afternoon in SE25.
There were also warm receptions of note for second-half substitutes Jairo Riedewald and James McArthur in midfield.
Three points, five wins from eight games played under Roy Hodgson, and two brilliant goals. Not enough to see Palace up into 11th, as they remain behind Chelsea on goal difference – but more than enough to delight the Selhurst Park faithful, who witnessed one of the Eagles’ best all-round displays of the season.
Palace: Johnstone (GK), Ward, Guéhi, Andersen, Mitchell, Doucouré (McArthur, 81), Hughes (Riedewald, 76), Eze, Zaha (Edouard, 51), Ayew, Olise
Subs: Guaita (GK), Clyne, Richards,, Lokonga, Ahamada, Mateta
Bournemouth: Neto (GK), Mepham, Zabarnyi, Kelly, Vina (Smith, 60), Rothwell (Cook, 81), Lerma, Ouattara (Anthony, 72), Billing (Brooks, 60), Christie (Moore, 60), Solanke
Subs: Travers (GK), Stephens, Stacey, Senesi