Report & Highlights: 10-man Palace battle to point against Bournemouth

Summary:

• One change for Palace as Wharton returns in place of Lerma.
• 13: Muñoz’s low cross narrowly evades Mateta, after a lively start at both ends.
• 17: Huijsen miscues in front of an empty net following inventive Bournemouth corner.
• 32: Hughes’ volley from the edge of the box is blocked in a half of few chances.
• 43: Kluivert’s flick gives Semenyo the chance to shoot for Bournemouth; Eze charges it down.
• 45+1 – RED CARD: Richards picks up second yellow on the stroke of half-time.
• HT: Palace 0-0 Bournemouth
• 50: Palace make bright start to the second-half, but Lacroix can’t reach Hughes’ cross.
• 59: Evanilson’s flicked header evades Kerkez at the far post.
• 67: Henderson saves from Ouattara as both sides struggle to carve out opportunities.
• 77: Zabarnyi heads narrowly over his own bar from Hughes’ in-swinging corner.
• 81: Muñoz’s flicked finish is blocked at the near post.
• 90+4: Semenyo bends wide as Bournemouth mount sustained late pressure.
• FT: Palace 0-0 Bournemouth

Palace’s third game in the space of eight days – after difficult results on the road at Champions League-chasing Manchester City and Newcastle United – saw them make one change from the side beaten at St. James’ Park, with Adam Wharton back in the starting XI for Jefferson Lerma. Captain Marc Guéhi made his 150th Palace appearance.

When the two sides had met back on Boxing Day, a high-intensity match – albeit sparse on goalscoring opportunities – took place, and so the case proved again in a scrappy and occasionally stop-start first-half in the Selhurst sunshine.

It started brightly enough, with Palace seeing more of the ball, but Bournemouth equally dangerous on the break.

The first real opportunity went the way of the Eagles after a fine searching pass in behind set Daniel Muñoz – fresh from signing new terms with the club earlier this week – racing towards the byline.

With the flag initially staying down, the Colombian flashed a low ball across the goal which Jean-Philippe Mateta came within inches of reaching – only for the flag to then go up anyhow.

Moments later, Bournemouth – with their first sustained attack – should have scored. A clever corner-kick routine involving three players led to Antoine Semenyo firing a ball diagonally through a crowd of bodies, but it skipped off the knee of Dean Huijsen – unmarked in the six-yard box – and ended up, thankfully, in the grasp of Dean Henderson.

What followed was a match full of combative duels and hard running from both sides – but broken up by a succession of fouls, and yellow cards from referee Sam Barrott.

Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott, in particular, was the subject of widespread calls from the Selhurst faithful for a second booking after appearing to drag back Ismaïla Sarr, who was racing towards the penalty area.

Will had a half-chance with a hooked volley – blocked on the edge of the box – in a half light on them, whilst Semenyo also saw an effort charged down at the other end after clever footwork from Justin Kluivert.

Then, on the stroke of half-time, a potential game-changing moment – against Palace. Kluivert burst away from Chris Richards on the halfway line and the American appeared to make, if at all, the slightest of contact – but it was enough, despite earlier calls, for him to be handed a second yellow card.

Palace faced the prospect of a full second-half with 10 men.

It said much of the Eagles’ character, therefore, that in another combative half, Oliver Glasner’s side certainly gave as good as they got.

Maxence Lacroix was inches away from reaching Hughes’ teasing free-kick on the 50-minute mark, while at the other end, Evanilson’s flicked header wasn’t too far from falling kindly for Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez in front of goal.

Chances were at a premium where effort was not. Henderson was called into action 10 minutes later to keep out another Dango Ouattara drive – Palace doing superbly, with their numerical disadvantage, to restrict the visitors to half-chances at best.

Indeed, as the half wore on, Palace went increasingly direct – and carved out a handful of chances of their own.

One such diagonal ball led to Muñoz winning a corner – a profitable route for Palace this season – and when the delivery came in from Hughes, Bournemouth were fortunate that Illya Zabarnyi, backpedalling, flicked his header over the bar, when it could have easily dropped beneath the bar and into the net.

Moments later, Muñoz was involved again, his clever movement drawing him to the near post to reach Sarr’s teasing low ball in – but the attempted flicked finish was crowded out.

Into the final 10 minutes, and Bournemouth – looking to take advantage of the circumstances – were the side who got into more advanced positions.

But Palace’s defensive line held firm – despite a late aerial bombardment, and a curling effort from Semenyo in injury time which flew wide of the mark – to claim a well-earned 10th Premier League clean sheet of the season, against the odds.

Palace: Henderson (GK), Richards, Lacroix, Guéhi, Muñoz, Wharton (Kamada, 75), Hughes, Mitchell, Sarr (Devenny, 90+1), Eze (Lerma, HT), Mateta (Nketiah, 75).

Subs: Turner (GK), Clyne, Chilwell, Esse, França.

Bournemouth: Kepa (GK), Smith (Araujo, 84), Huijsen, Zabarnyi, Kerkez, Adams (Tavernier, 61), Scott (Cook, HT), Semenyo, Kluivert, Ouattara (Brooks, 69), Evanilson.

Subs: Dennis (GK), Senesi, Soler, Jebbison, Hill.

As It Happened