CRYSTAL PALACE 0 SOUTHAMPTON 1

BY AYODELE ODUMADE AT SELHURST PARK

Crystal Palace lost their fifth straight game and first under their new manager Roy Hodgson, as they were beaten by Southampton. They became the first team ever in the premiership to lose their first five games.  If Hodgson did not know the size of the job he took on after this performance he would have a clearer idea.  Their performance was no different to the four games under the previous manager Ronald De Boer and they will need to find a spark from somewhere soon. The continued absence of their star player Wilfried Zaha is not helping their cause in anyway.

This is the worst start to a Premiership season by the Eagles in which they have failed to gain a point so far and have not even scored a goal.

There were just seven minutes on the clock when Cedric Soares fed the ball to Dusan Tadic. Tadic’s cross was half cleared by the Palace defence and Steven Davis swept the ball home to give the Saints the lead.  That was a nightmare scenario that Hogdson could not have anticipated.

The visitors looked sharper and kept the ball. This was a recurring theme of the first half, as the Eagles just could not get the ball off the Saints.

Christian Benteke had a chance to level the scores from close range but Fraser Forster saved his shot when it seemed easier for him to score.  On the half hour mark Benteke played a one-two with Ruben Loftus-Cheek but his shot was wide. The game remained 0-1 at the break.

In the second half Palace improved. They should have drawn level.  Jason Puncheon hit a shot inside the Southampton area but a combination of a block and save from Forster kept the ball out and helped to preserve the Saint’s lead. 

Although Palace had the odd chance, Southampton were in control for most of the game. Palace’s next three games are against Man City, Manchester United and Chelsea.