C Palace 0 - 2 SwanseaGloom for Crystal Palace after Tammy Abraham inspires Swansea to easy win
Away team scorersTammy Abraham 44
Jordan Ayew 48
Crystal Palace’s reinvention under Frank de Boer was always going to take time but it appears that, in the short term at least, their supporters’ patience is going to be severely tested. This was a third straight Premier League defeat for a team struggling badly to come to terms with the ways of their new manager.
Palace were dreadfully poor here, conceding either of side of half-time through goals from the excellent Tammy Abraham and the lively Jordan Ayew, and rarely if ever looked like hurting opponents who also came into this match looking for their first victory of the campaign. Swansea City deserved to triumph but that they barely had to get out of third gear to do so was damning of the hosts, who have now lost seven of their last eight top-flight games and head into the international break having to contend with that familiar sinking feeling.
These teams both came into this encounter on the back of midweek victories in the Carabao Cup yet it quickly became apparent that those results had not injected any zest and daring into either side. The build-up play in both directions was cautious and plodding, with Swansea’s players content to pass the ball among themselves and Palace’s seemingly happy to let them do so. When the hosts, again lined up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, did obtain possession they frequently lost it in careless fashion, prompting groans from a crowd basking in late-summer heat.
Chances were few and far between prior to the interval with the clearest, and first, coming Swansea’s way after three minutes. Abraham delivered a left-wing cross into the area and towards his strike partner Ayew who, at full stretch, sent a diving header just wide of the far post.
From there the visitors fell into a pattern of retain and control but while they dominated possession, their lack of thrust allowed Palace to make inroads. Twice inside 12 minutes James McArthur, who kept his place in De Boer’s starting lineup having scored both goals in the 2-1 victory over Ipswich Town on Tuesday, had efforts on goal, though neither were particularly threatening. How the hosts missed the drive and awareness of Ruben Loftus-Cheek, with the 22-year-old, impressive since arriving on loan from Chelsea, out with a groin strain.
Swansea continued to proceed with caution yet it was they who again came closest to scoring, first via Abraham’s opportunist shot which Wayne Hennessey saved and then, from the resulting corner, a header from Alfie Mawson that landed just wide of the post. Palace, sleepy at the back as well as disjointed in attack, did not heed the warnings and a minute before the break they fell behind.
Leroy Fer delivered a cross into the area following a period of sustained Swansea pressure and despite stumbling and having to cope with the close attentions of Martin Kelly, who had only just come on for the injured James Tomkins, Abraham was able to steer the ball past Hennessey with a side-footed volley from the edge of the six-yard box.
The shot was Swansea’s first on target in the league this season and led to jeers from some home fans when the half-time whistle blew shortly after.
De Boer brought Chung-yong Lee on for Patrick van Aanholt at the start of the second period and changed to a 4-3-3 formation in order to get Palace back into the contest but it took only three minutes for the hosts to fall further behind, with the nature of the goal only adding to Palace’s torment.
Kelly was far too casual with possession as he looked to advance from near the halfway line, allowing Kyle Naughton to intercept and quickly deliver a pass into the path of Ayew who, clean through, pushed the ball past the outrushing Hennessey, watching as it ricocheted off the goalkeeper and dribbled into an empty net .
De Boer soon made another substitution, bringing Yohan Cabaye on for Luka Milivojevic in a clear attempt to inject more creativity into his side, and it had something of an effect as those in red and blue began to advance into their opponents’ area.
Lee and Cabaye both appeared set to have shots on goal from close range only to be prevented from doing so via excellent tackles by Martin Olsson and Mike van der Hoorn. Andros Townsend also went close with a side-footed shot that drifted just wide of the far post but overall the Palace threat was minimal in the closing stages and Swansea, having all but retreated, were able to see out the win with relative ease.
Guardian