December 28 2020

Wilfried Zaha

Crystal Palace end 2020 with a 1-1 draw against Leicester City at Selhurst Park.

Roy Hodgson made five changes to the team which lost 3-0 to Aston Villa on Boxing day. Tyrick Mitchell, James Tomkins and Nathaniel Clyne replaced Patrick van Aanholt, Scott Dann and Joel Ward in defence.

Andros Townsend was favoured over Eberechi Eze on the wing, and Jairo Riedewald came in for James McArthur.

The visitors had a penalty in the 20th minute when Tomkins fouled Luke Thomas in the box.

Kelechi Iheanacho stepped up to take the penalty but his shot was saved by VICENTE GUAITA, diving to his left.

Soon after Iheanacho had another chance to put the Foxes ahead, but failed to get a decent header on a cross.

Palace had limited chances in the first half, but Townsend should have done much better with a cut back from Jeffrey Schlupp, but his tame shot went wide of the post.

However the Eagles took the lead 13 minutes into the second half when Wilfried Zaha drove at the Leicester defence and swept the ball out to Townsend on the right wing.

Townsend's deep cross found Zaha at the back post and the Ivorian's side foot volley flew past Kasper Schmeichel.

Wilfried Zaha volleys @CPFC in front 💥

Should Kasper Schmeichel have done better? 🤔#PLonPrime #CRYLEI pic.twitter.com/EhkyoszlNd

— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) December 28, 2020

Sadly Palace couldn't hold onto the lead - seven minutes before the end Harvey Barnes stuck a clinical shot low down to GUAITA's left hand side which nestled into the back of the net to make the score 1-1.

The score stayed 1-1 at the final whistle and the Eagles ended December with 1 win, 3 draws and 2 losses.

"It's just passion I play with!"

"When we play, we have someone up our backsides the whole time... why can't we do the same?"

🗣 @wilfriedzaha #PLonPrime #CRYLEI pic.twitter.com/QsRN5RaXkT

— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) December 28, 2020

Palace: GUAITA, Mitchell, Kouyate, Tomkins, Clyne, Townsend, Milivojevic, Schlupp (Ayew, 84), Riedewald (McArthur, 74), Benteke, Zaha

Subs not used: McCarthy, Eze, Butland, Batshuayi, Ward, van Aanholt, Sakho

Leicester: Schmeichel, Justin, Evans, Thomas, Amartey, Perez, Praet (Vardy, 66), Barnes, Mendy, Choudhury (Tielemans, 57), Iheanacho (Gray, 72)

Subs not used: Ward, Soyuncu, Morgan, Albrighton, Fuchs, Ndidi

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