January 1 2018

Timothy Fosu-Mensah

Crystal Palace held Manchester City to a goalless draw and could have won it at the end. But how did the players rate? Mike Scott gives his view.

City hadn’t dropped a point in the league since August and it is typical Palace that Selhurst Park became the venue for the away side’s incredible string of consecutive wins to come to an end. The Eagles fielded a much-changed side, due to a growing list of injuries, but put on one of the defensive displays of the season…

Wayne Hennessey - 9

Sitting on the train just outside Selhurst at 2pm when the teams were announced, I could hear the groans about Hennessey regaining his place up and down a packed carriage. But three hours later, it seemed like everyone owed the big Welshman a huge apology. His performance was just about flawless, with proof beyond doubt that Hodgson has given him his confidence back.

A string of fine saves, capped by a world-class block from Leroy Sane from close range in the second half, showed how good he can be. His enormous clearances eased pressure time and again. To add to that, his game management has come on leaps and bounds, wasting valuable seconds and looking relaxed in a way you’d never have imagined possible three months ago.

Timothy Fosu-Mensah - 10

This was by far and away the Manchester United man’s finest game in a red and blue shirt and he deservedly was given man of the match. Few people have kept Sane quiet this season, but he did more than that, he totally got to the German, who was booked before half time for angrily moaning at the referee.

Defensively, he was an absolute pillar of strength; going forward and keeping possession, he was totally assured. Just about the perfect full back display, with moments of wing back skill thrown in. Any thoughts of him going back to Manchester in January must be dead in the water now.

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James Tomkins - 9

Tomkins continued his excellent form of recent weeks with another strong display, stopping City playing much through the middle and keeping Sergio Aguero quiet, sticking to him like a shadow. The afternoon was made doubly difficult when Scott Dann was injured within the first 20 minutes of the game; Tomkins still marshalled the defence and deserves immense credit for keeping the discipline required against the country’s best side.

Scott Dann - 8

Dann was stretchered off after 19 minutes, with a knee injury that Hodgson suggested may keep him out a while and will be a huge worry because of the amount of defensive players currently out. Before that, he was there for a crucial first few minutes, when Palace ensured City couldn’t assert dominance. Martin Kelly (9) replaced him and was just as effective, putting his body on the line countless times, including a block to stop a very worrying looking Kevin De Bruyne strike. Kelly has now shown he can play left, right or central.

Patrick van Aanholt - 9

Van Aanholt seems to have been lower in Hodgson’s estimations than he was under previous managers; he will have given him a happy headache after this virtually faultless performance. Like Fosu-Mensah, he let little get passed him, with so few byline crosses coming in. He timed a perfect tackle on Ilkay Gundogan in the box to prevent City getting behind the defence at one point. He was unlucky not to score too, with Ederson pulling out a fine save (nearly as fine as the penalty).

Luka Milivojevic - 8

Penalty miss aside, Milivojevic had an excellent game of blocks, slide tackles, dispossessions and well timed stops that killed many a City move in its tracks. Not noted for his heading, he did well in a fair few aerial battles, with Palace hooking balls out regularly high in the air. The recent worries about his wayward passing didn’t creep into his game at all. He seemed to have more time and chance to get forward with Riedewald on the pitch.

Yohan Cabaye - 8

Cabaye put in a great shift of defensive midfield duties, giving City much less time and space in midfield than they will have been used to in recent months. Like Milivojevic, he put in blocks and challenges on the edge of the box tirelessly and eventually he was replaced with the fresher legs of Jason Puncheon (6) with a quarter of an hour of normal time to go.

Aside from the challenge on De Bruyne which made headlines, Puncheon was solid, if wayward with his passing. He looked like a man who has barely featured. Having injured himself in stoppage time with the foul on the Belgian, he was replaced by Lee Chung-yong (6), who had little time to do much but be screamed out to shoot from 30 yards by the Selhurst faithful.

Jairo Riedewald - 10

Riedewald has barely featured for Hodgson, who didn’t appear to trust him following his one chance under the manager at Bristol City. In the side due to injuries, he took his chance with both hands, looking at ease and with bags of time on the ball against the best midfield in Europe. He broke up play like a man who’s been playing for years; his balls to Townsend and Zaha were exactly what a counter attacking side needs. When needed, his shift in defence was exemplary. He deserves a run of games now, surely…

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Andros Townsend - 8

Palace will curse two missed chances. One is the penalty, the other was a ballooned effort from Townsend from six yards out following an excellent move from Zaha after they swapped flanks. A shot on target would have been a certain goal. Aside from this, his link ups with Riedewald provided both menace and plenty of chance for the defence to have a breather and get themselves together. He chased every ball, made runs regardless of being surrounded by two or three defenders, because he knew it was helping his side cope. Palace’s most-played player of 2017 showed again why he starts every game.

Wilfried Zaha - 9

Another in the endless string of quality performances from Zaha, who was Palace’s only real hope of creating something from nothing on the break in the second half. He earned the penalty, but before that had frustrated and matched Kyle Walker, tracking back as the City wingback broke as much as causing him headaches in defence. Following Hodgson’s decision to swap Zaha and Townsend around, everything of quality came through Zaha; City barely successfully tackled him once when he was on the ball and running towards the box.

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Christian Benteke - 6

It’s almost impossible to stand in the Arthur Wait without being within a couple of seats from someone who wants to scream at Benteke for laziness at the moment. Whilst he didn’t chase down balls in the same way Townsend did, he was more in the game than against Arsenal. His hold up play was still lacking, but his aerial wins worked, with the changed formation seeing him closer to his teammates. Having said all of that, he had very few chances, with a goal line block from Eliaquim Mangala being his most noteworthy effort. None of Hodgson’s tactics appear to play to his strengths.