Jeffrey Schlupp’s strike 14 minutes from time helped Crystal Palace’s 10 men earn a 1-0 win over Bournemouth and temporarily move up to fifth in the Premier League.
Roy Hodgson’s side played 71 minutes with a numerical disadvantage after Mamadou Sakho was sent off for a rash tackle, but their makeshift back four produced a dogged display to make it back-to-back victories.
Eddie Howe saw Bournemouth’s poor run of form continue, with the Cherries struggling to create chances throughout at Selhurst Park and they are now on a run of four straight defeats.
Jeff Schlupp is the answer. #CPFC | #CRYBOUpic.twitter.com/NhCGnYh8DV— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) December 3, 2019
This was the first Premier League fixture to be broadcast live on Amazon Prime and both teams forced corners during the opening 10 minutes of the 7.30pm kick-off.
It was Palace who were enjoying the lion’s share of possession without creating many chances, but their fortunes took a turn for the worse after 19 minutes.
Sakho – on his second league start of the season – recklessly slid in on Adam Smith and caught the Cherries full-back high on the knee, which saw referee Anthony Taylor pull out a red card despite the defender initially getting the ball.
Although the Eagles centre-back waited by the tunnel, VAR confirmed his fate and Hodgson’s problems increased not long after when Patrick Van Aanholt suffered a hamstring injury and had to be replaced by Schlupp.
This meant the Selhurst Park club now had centre-back Martin Kelly playing on the right of the back four, midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate at the heart of defence and Schlupp – usually a winger – filling in at left-back.
Despite that, Bournemouth’s first opportunity of the contest only arrived with 39 gone when Arnaut Danjuma and Dominic Solanke combined to set up Philip Billing, but he curled tamely into Vicente Guaita’s arms from 14 yards out.
Palace survived until the break and Hodgson made a second substitution as James McCarthy came on for wide-man Andros Townsend to try and give the home side more control in the centre of midfield.
Kelly had to be alert two minutes into the second half when Harry Wilson almost picked out his namesake Callum Wilson for a goal, but the Eagles defender cleared the cross.
Howe had seen enough and introduced Ryan Fraser for Danjuma with 26 minutes left while Simon Francis also entered the fray for Diego Rico.
The hosts, in a 4-3-2 formation, were still a threat on the break and Wilfried Zaha had penalty appeals waved away in the 70th minute after colliding with Chris Mepham.
Bournemouth wanted to be down the other end of the pitch in their attempts to end a run of three straight defeats, but Palace put them on the verge of four with 14 minutes left at Selhurst Park.
Schlupp – minutes after blocking a shot by Francis – raced past Jefferson Lerma and Dominic Solanke before dribbling into the area and rifling an effort past Aaron Ramsdale from 12 yards out.
The Palace fans erupted after the former Leicester ace scored for the second consecutive match and, despite Lerma testing Guaita from range, Hodgson’s men held on for a brilliant victory.
