Premier League GW26 - Crystal Palace vs Burnley

Crystal Palace vs Burnley | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

The Premier League encounter between Crystal Palace and Burnley, managed by Oliver Glasner, was quite the spectacle for fans at Selhurst Park. With neither team having won in a while, the setting was set for an important match.

Crystal Palace:

With 25 points, Crystal Palace is in 15th place after scoring 28 goals and giving up 44. The Eagles are 22 points behind fifth-place Tottenham Hotspur with 13 games remaining in their quest for a Europa League berth. In their most recent Premier League game, Crystal Palace drew 1-1 with Everton at Goodison Park to earn a point, bringing their winless run to three games (W0 D1 L2).

Burnley:

In their most recent league game, Burnley lost 5-0 against Arsenal at Turf Moor, bringing their winless run to seven games (W0 D2 L5). With 13 games left, Burnley is currently in 19th place with 13 points, seven points outside of safety.

Line ups:

CRYSTAL PALACE (3-4-2-1): Sam Johnstone; Joel Ward, Chris Richards, Joachim Andersen; Daniel Munoz, Tyrick Mitchell, Jefferson Lerma, Adam Wharton; Jordan Ayew, Odsonne Edouard; Jean-Philippe Mateta.

CRYSTAL PALACE SUBS: Dean Henderson, James Tomkins, Nathaniel Clyne, David Ozoh, Franco Umeh, Naouirou Ahamada, Kaden Rodney, Matheus Franca, Luke Plange.

BURNLEY (4-4-2): James Trafford, Lorenz Assignon, Dara O'Shea, Maxime Esteve, Charlie Taylor; Wilson Odobert, Josh Brownhill, Sander Berge, Johann Berg Gudmonsson; Zeki Amdouni, David Datro Fofana.

BURNLEY SUBS: Arijanet Muric, Jack Cork, Jay Rodriguez, Manuel Benson, Hjalmar Ekdal, Vitinho, Josh Cullen, Jacob Bruun Larsen, Hannes Delcroix.

Selhurst Park Stadium | Picture Credits: We are Palace

First Half: Stalemate and a Game-Changing Red Card:

Both sides were unable to overcome the impasse in the tense early exchanges. However, the thirty-fiveth minute proved to be a pivotal moment.

James Trafford of Burnley demonstrated his ability to stop shots as he stopped Ayew's well-placed shot and made a critical close-range block, even though the offside flag was eventually raised.

The final man for Burnley, Brownhill, hauled back Lerma and was given a red card, marking the game's turning point. Palace were now in the lead by numbers, which decided the second half.

The first half ended goalless, despite Palace's superiority. The decision to fire Brownhill tipped the scales, giving Burnley a mountain to climb.

Second Half: Ayew, Richards, and Mateta Shine:

As the second half progressed, Palace took advantage of Brownhill's absence.

Palace's perseverance paid off as Richards broke the deadlock with a calm and composed header after Ayew produced a wonderful cross. Joy and relief exploded throughout Selhurst Park.

After assisting with the first goal, Ayew signed his signature to the scoreboard. Fans celebrated as Ayew slid home Franca's low ball, igniting the crowd. Palace was ahead 2-0 at this point.

Vitinho, a replacement for Burnley, had a bad start, giving up a penalty that Mateta easily converted. Palace won the match as they increased their lead to 3-0.

When Fofana nodded the ball home, Burnley appeared to have a consoling goal, but VAR came into play. Burnley's fury increased when they saw that the goal was disallowed because to Assignon's offside position on the goal line.

Oliver Glasner had the most successful debut at Selhurst Park. Crystal Palace exploited Brownhill's red card to demonstrate their supremacy. A resounding 3-0 victory highlighted the performances of Richards, Ayew, and Mateta, indicating a positive start under their new boss. Burnley suffers another blow in their struggle to survive as the Eagles fly. The drama in the Premier League goes on, and tonight's win will be enjoyed by Palace supporters.

A goalless first half as both teams did not score | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

Richards scored a goal and broke the deadlock for Palace | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

Ayew scored a goal and doubled Palace's lead | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

Mateta's goal gave Palace a strong lead of 3-0 | Picture Credits: Premier League Website