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Premier League
Aug 22, 2015 at 3pm UK
 
AV

2-1

Dann (71'), Sako (87')
FT(HT: 0-0)
Souare (77' og.)

Live Commentary: Crystal Palace 2-1 Aston Villa - as it happened

:Headline: Live Commentary: Crystal Palace 2-1 Aston Villa - as it happened: ID:241004: from db_amp
Relive Sports Mole's live coverage of Crystal Palace's 2-1 win over Aston Villa.

Bakary Sako marked his Crystal Palace debut with an 88th-minute winner in this afternoon's 2-1 win over Aston Villa at Selhust Park.

The clash seemed destined to be heading for a draw after Pape Souare's own goal cancelled out Scott Dann's opener in the final quarter.

However, the ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers winger put a mixed bow behind him in the closing stages to drill home the winner.

Below, relive the drama with our live text commentary.

Like David Cameron and Pringles, we just can't get enough of the Premier League. One gameweek just isn't enough - and we'd secretly watch it on a plane if needed. What does the hustle and bustle of English football throw up today then? I'm glad you asked because we'll be bringing you LIVE text commentary as Crystal Palace host Aston Villa at Selhurst Park. I'm Shane and I'll be bringing you all of the action as both sides look to bounce back from defeats against bigger boys last time out.
Before we have a look at the team news, let's remind ourselves how Palace and Villa got on last week, shall we? You don't have much of a choice to be fair.
So, Palace, who beat Norwich City 3-1 away on the first day of the season, welcomed Arsenal here last Sunday, where they went down 2-1 in slightly unfortunate circumstances. Joel Ward cancelled out Olivier Giroud's opener, before Damien Delaney went and stuck it into his own net early in the second half. It was a bigger gaffe than Donald Trump and Bill Gates's house, but there was an element of bad luck.
And Villa also succumbed to a narrow defeat against a top-four side, as Adnan Januzaj struck the only goal as Manchester United left Villa Park with a 1-0 victory last Friday - yes FRIDAY! I know, right. I didn't see the game, but apparently the Villans could've emerged with a point on another day. Another big test for them today.
Of course, Palace couldn't be considered one of the big boys of English football just yet, but they've been superb at Selhurst Park since Alan Pardew took over and Tim Sherwood's side simply have to play very, very well in order to leave with anything.
Incidentally, Pardew coming up against Sherwood seems like a managerial match-up that could quite easily come to blows. Two very passionate coaches with a penchant for an occasional fist-pump in the direction of their opposite number. Who's your money on if it does?
Team news? Anyone? Okay, but before we get it out (the team news that is) let's see what the boys down at Sports Mole HQ have had to say on this one. See you in a minute.
CRYSTAL PALACE XI: McCarthy, Ward, Delaney, Dann, Souare, McArthur, Cabaye, Zaha, Puncheon, Sako, Murray
VILLA XI: Guzan; Bacuna, Richards, Clark, Amavi; Gueye, Westwood, Sanchez, Grealish; Gestede, Agbonlahor
CRYSTAL PALACE SUBS:Hennessey, Bamford, Lee, Jedinak, Gayle, Mutch, Kelly
VILLA SUBS: Bunn, Baker, Sinclair, Veretout, Ayew, Traore, Hutton
Right, we'll have to start with Palace and it looks like Spurs target Yannick Bolasie has been omitted from the matchday squad. Make of that what you will. Alan Pardew makes two changes in total from the defeat to Arsenal, with Bakary Sako replacing Bolasie for his debut, while Glen Murray spearheads the attack instead of Connor Wickham.
On to the Villans now and Mr Sherwood makes three changes from the defeat at home to United. Jack Grealish comes back into the first XI following a turbulent few months in which he definitely made headlines for the wrong reasons. He replaces Jordan Veretout, while Carlos Sanchez joins him in midfield at the expense of Scott Sinclair. Finally, Jordan Ayew drops out of attack for Rudy Gestede, who partners Gabby Agbonlahor up top. That's your lot!
I don't want to alarm you, but these sides didn't exactly play out a couple of crackers last season. This fixture at Selhurst Park last year was settled by a Christian Benteke goal as Paul Lambert's Villa beat Neil Warnock's Palace. What a difference a year makes. Did Palace have their revenge at Villa Park? Actually, no. It was a 0-0 draw. Let's hope this one throws up something a little more entertaining.
DID YOU KNOW? That victory at Selhurst Park was Villa's only win away to Palace in the last 35 years! Sadly, the last four meetings in all competitions have produced just three goals. Three. With a capital T. Let's ignore those silly stats because the power of positive thinking can do wonders. Let's will a 5-5 draw using only our minds.
PREDICTION! Five minutes from kickoff, which means it's time to get a pre-match prediction wrong. And I'm on a 2-0 Palace win this afternoon. They've got enough quality going forward to hurt Villa today and it should be a relatively comfortable win. That's your cue to leggit down the bookies and put the mortgage on a 3-1 Villa victory.
Let's go out and about and see what others make of this clash.
Alvin is on a 2-1 home win. Best of luck to him.

Likewise, Luke Carey also fancies a 2-1 win. So myself, Luke and Alvin all on a home victory this afternoon, folks. Unlucky Villa. Let's not write them off yet.
Incidentally, United's visit of Newcastle at Old Trafford has just finished 0-0...
Seven minutes until showtime folks. Let's go.
Here come the players, as they're welcomed on to the field by the Palace cheerleaders. 'Glad all Over' echoes around the Selhurst Park. Beautiful day. Beautiful atmosphere. Let's go.
KICKOFF: And we're off at Selhurst Park. As we noted, previous meetings haven't exactly been excited, but let's hope that this one breaks the mould.
Good defending by Damien Delaney, as Gestede goes through on goal at an angle, but the Palace centre-back throws himself in the line of fire, and the block ricochets off the Frenchman and out for a goal kick. Good start by Villa.
The Gestede vs. Delaney battle goes on, as they contest a header and Delaney comes off the worst with what was effectively a headbutt. But he's back up. That could be an interesting duel this afternoon.
There's definitely goals in this. It has that feel to it I think. Decent first eight minutes or so, and Gestede has just attempted an overhead, but he completely missed the ball.
Zaha goes down in the box under a challenge from Gueye, but referee Keith Stroud is having none of it.
Bakary Sako is enduring a mixed debut thus far. Playing at number 10, the debutant is struggling to have much of an influence in this first 13 minutes or so. He looks nervy.
CHANCE! Oh no it could, and certainly should, be 1-0 to Villa, as Delaney's scuffed clearance is pounced on by Westwood, who plays in Agbonlahor but he fluffs his one-on-one with McCarthy. Really poor attempt that.
BOOKING: Joel Ward is booked for scything down Jack Grealish, but the referee plays advantage for the challenge and Amavi whips a cross into the box and it's headed out for a corner, which comes to nothing. They could've done with the free kick instead.
SHOT! Good effort from Sanchez, who nicks the ball off Cabaye, before dropping the shoulder and launching an effort at goal, but it flies narrowly over the bar.
It has to be said that Villa are the better team in this half. We're midway through the half and Sherwood will fancy his chances of seeing his side earn a half-time lead.
SHOT! Villa continue to threaten as Gueye fires wide of McCarthy's goal in an effort that was never troubling Palace. There's a drinks break now which, given the 30 degree heat, is understandable.
The drinks break is finished and, after both managers had a quick chat with their troops, we're back underway.
Good goalkeeping from Alex McCarthy as he plucks a Jack Grealish corner out of the sky despite pressure from Gestede. That drinks break has taken the sting out of this one somewhat.
Superb through ball by Grealish for Agbonlahor, who gallops at goal from the left-hand flank, but his touch is shocking and it rolls into the arms of McCarthy. He's not covering himself in much glory this afternoon, Agonlahor.
Palace have a free kick in a decent opportunity now after Agbonlahor fouled Puncheon. They'll whip this into the box now...
Oh lord it's a poor delivery from Cabaye, whose free kick doesn't even beat the first man. So bad from the Frenchman, who has looked a little off today.
SHOT! Better from Palace as Sako takes aim from about 25 yards, but his effort was never beating Guzan, who collected comfortably.
Four minutes until the break and it looks like we're heading into the interval goalless. Mixed first half. Villa had the best chance through Agbonlahor, but he fluffed his lines.
We expect about two minutes of added time given the drinks break.
HALF TIME: Palace 0-0 Villa
Well, that was useless. Agbonlahor had the best chance but he wasted it following a one-on-one. Both these sides put the 'stale' in stalemate it has to be said.
RESTART! Welcome back and there's two subs to tell you about. Jordan Mutch and Dwight Gayle come on to replace Wilfried Zaha and Glen Murray. No surprise there.
CHANCE! Where was this Palace in the first half? Mutch plays a brilliant first-time cross as Sako looked certain to tap home at the far post, but Richards slid to keep him out. Fine tackle.
SHOT! Villa fashion their first attempt of the half as right-back Bacuna marauds forward before drilling wide.
BOOKING: Gestede goes into the book for fouling Scott Dann on the edge of the box, and Cabaye will be licking his lips here.
This kinda sums up Cabaye's afternoon. His free kick bounces off the wall and ricochets out for a corner, with Cabaye's delivery then snapped up by Guzan.
At the other end, Villa have a corner now after good work from Grealish, whose left-footed drive deflects off Souare.
CHANCE! Gestede could've done far better here. He gets the run on his marker but his glancing header flies wide. Poor that.
GOAL! Crystal Palace 1-0 Aston Villa (James McArthur)
GOAL DISALLOWED
Aston Villa fans celebrating now, and it took a long, long time for that to be chalked off. Dwight Gayle's curling effort is deflected home by McArthur, who was offside. That's cruel because it was only chalked off about a minute after the celebrations! But it looked the right decision.
CHANCE! Palace well on top as they search for a legitimate goal, and it should've come here when Sako side-footed Joel Ward's cutback just wide of Guzan's goal. Should've scored though - or at least hit the target.
Bacuna whips a fantastic cross into the box now, but Agbonlahor lacked both the height and the guile to connect with his header.
Another drinks break. It's 30 degrees folks, so we can't begrudge them a bit of hydration. The problem is that the last time we had one of these, it took the tempo out of the game completely.
GOAL! Crystal Palace 1-0 Aston Villa (Scott Dann)
This time the needle on 'Glad All Over' need not abruptly be lifted as Dann out-climbs Clark to thump home a fierce header. What a brilliant goal that is. Huge goal for the hosts
We haven't seen much of Aston Villa since that goal. It's been all Palace as they hunt a second, but they're yet to threaten one it seems.
GOAL! Crystal Palace 1-1 Aston Villa (Pape Souare OG)
Where did this come from? I'll tell you: Adama Traore! What a run from the ex-Barcelona starlet, who ghosts pasts two players on the right flank but his low cross is deflected home by Souare. What a first impression to make in English football on his debut.
Nine minutes to go and it seems we're heading for a stalemate. Check out that Traore run on MOTD later. Fantastic.
BOOKING: Clarke goes into the book for a foul on Dwight Gayle. He won't complain about that one.
BOOKING: Bacuna goes into the book now for time wasting on a throw-in. Just throw the thing pal.
GOAL! Crystal Palace 2-1 Aston Villa (Bakary Sako)
Oh my word Jordan Amavi might just get beaten up by Tim Sherwood after this. He inexplicably tries to run the ball out of defence, before getting his pocket and Sako, from a tight angle, drills a left-footed past into the corner of the net past Guzan for what looks like the winner.
FOUR MINUTES ADDED ON:
FULL TIME: Crystal Palace 2-1 Aston Villa
That's all she wrote! Bakary Sako is the hero as Crystal Palace win 2-1 in dramatic circumstances!
That's all from us. Cheers for joining our live text commentary and we'll see you next time!

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