In his first season with the team, Haaland has been in sensational form, scoring 34 goals in all of his appearances across all competitions.
The international player from Norway has only scored three goals in his last nine games, raising concerns about a decline in performance.
However, De Bruyne disagrees, saying that teams are better equipped to deal with him now than they were at the start of the season.
“I think it’s a bit of everything but I don’t feel like it’s different than in the beginning,” he told a press conference ahead of the Champions League clash against RB Leipzig.
“People are maybe more anticipating to his runs, there’s always the first part of the season and then the second part. In the second part, I feel teams are a lot more organised, they play for more from both sides of the table, so people are more prepared in every sense of the way.
“Maybe he was a little bit more prolific [before] when he got the chances but I don’t think we need to complain about Erling’s output. I think he’s fine.
“If we see the Crystal Palace game, he could have scored two, I don’t think there’s any issue but obviously people are always anticipating for him to score two or three goals but his average is a goal a game. It seems fine for me.
“It’s good to have different options. In the past few years, people would maybe say there wasn’t enough presence in the box and there wasn’t enough deep runs, now people are saying the opposite.
“It works in different ways. In the beginning of the season when everything was going in, we were winning a lot of games and nothing was going wrong, but then obviously when you lose a few points it’s different.
“I don’t think there’s an issue with anything going out from the team or with Erling. I know people will judge on how we play and maybe we sometimes play a better brand of football in different games or in other years but that happens.
“Crystal Palace at home for instance,he won us the game. I think the team is really happy with him, he’s really happy playing with us, so I think we’re fine.”
For failing to keep their players under control during the Premier League match at Old Trafford, Manchester United and Crystal Palace have each been fined £55,000.
During the second half of the game, a large brawl broke out, during which Casemiro was dismissed for placing his hands around Will Hughes’ neck.
Jeffrey Schlupp’s forceful challenge on Antony that resulted in both players receiving yellow cards set off the incident.
An FA spokesperson said: “Manchester United and Crystal Palace respectively accepted and denied that they failed to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion and refrained from provocative behaviour.
“An independent Regulatory Commission subsequently found the charge against Crystal Palace proven and imposed both of the clubs’ fines.”
United, who just won the EFL Cup, play West Ham in the FA Cup fifth round on Wednesday, while Palace return to Premier League action on Saturday away at Aston Villa.
The Blues have not triumphed since defeating Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge on January 15 and are currently on a terrible run.
Only three points have been earned by Graham Potter’s struggling team in their last five Premier League games, and they lost 1-0 to Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their round of 16 Champions League matchup.
The pressure on Potter increased after Sunday’s 2-0 loss at Tottenham, but James insists that everyone at the team is working hard to turn things around.
The England ace, who took the captain’s armband against Spurs when Thiago Silva was forced off by injury, said: “The media and everyone on the outside make a lot of noise about the form we’re in.
“We know where we are in the table, and we know the results haven’t been up to standard.”
“It’s something we are working on as a team and as a group. And as I said earlier, we’re sticking together to put this right.
“A lot has happened this season. We’ve had the change of ownership, new coaching staff come in and we’ve got a lot of new players and it’s not always easy to adapt straight away.
“We have to buy into what we stand for. We’re all working hard and hopefully better times are around the corner.”
Goals from Oliver Skipp and Harry Kane saw 10th-placed Chelsea leave the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium empty-handed.
And James was quick to admit that Skipp’s 46th-minute stunner was a bitter body blow.
He added: “We knew coming to Tottenham would be a tough game and our aim coming into the game was to win.
“Conceding so early in the second half didn’t help with our confidence but all we can do is work through this.
“We’re sticking together, we’re working hard and hopefully with time we can get to where we need to be.”
Chelsea host relegation-haunted Leeds in a must-win contest on Saturday before taking on Dortmund in the return leg of their knockout tie at the Bridge next Tuesday.
On Saturday, February 4, 2022.Black Stars players, Jordan Ayew and Jeffrey Schlupp, were at the centre of a scuffle that led to a red card during Crystal Palace’s narrow defeat against Manchester United.
The brawl started after Schlupp made a tackle on Antony dos Santos on the byline and pushed the Brazilian to the ground.
Carlos Henrique Casimiro got involved, confronting Schlupp while Antony got up to push the Ghanaian as retaliation for the tackle. This got Ayew to step in to protect Schlupp who was being outnumbered.
As the scuffle got heated up with many players getting involved, Marcus Rashford pulled Schlupp away while Casemiro grabbed Crystal Palace‘s Will Hughes by the neck.
The former Real Madrid midfielder got his marching orders after a VAR review of the tussle. Schlupp and Antony also got into the books of the referee while Jordan Ayew and the rest of the players who were involved walked away with no booking.
The incident occurred in the 65th minute when Manchester United were cruising to a 2-0 victory with goals from Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford.
Schlupp scored a beautiful backheel to reduce the deficit in the 76th minute but Palace could not grab the needed equaliser late in the game.
After a goalless draw at Crystal Palace extended their undefeated streak to 15 Premier League games, Newcastle moved up to third place in the standings.
The guests controlled the majority of the possession throughout the game, giving up 15 corners, but Wilfried Zaha’s injury in the second half dealt the hosts a setback.
Goalkeeper Nick Pope of the Magpies, who preserved his ninth consecutive clean sheet across all competitions, produced a spectacular leaping stop to deny substitute Jean-Philippe Mateta the opportunity to break the score.
Newcastle and Manchester United, who play the league’s top team, Arsenal, on Sunday, are now tied on 39 points.
Miguel Almiron received a cross from Joe Willock on the right side of the box, and he volleyed it goalward for the visitors’ first opportunity.
Vicente Guaita was ultimately forced to make a low stop by a crisp left-footed shot from Dan Burn, and the Magpies were back on the attack after referee Craig Pawson ruled Jeffrey Schlupp had the last touch in their struggle towards the right byline.
Despite failing to capitalize on Kieran Trippier’s ensuing corner, Newcastle continued to apply pressure as Fabian Schar flicked the ball to Joelinton, who sent a meek effort straight at Guaita from a distance of 10 yards.
Joelinton remained in the hunt for an opener and struck from close range, the ball appearing to take a deflection off Tyrick Mitchell’s arm, but a quick VAR check determined there was no handball.
The hosts survived another Newcastle set piece when Eberechi Eze was punished for bringing down Almiron on the right and the ball bounced off Schar before Guaita claimed it out of the air.
Palace could have taken the lead before half-time through Eze’s corner, which found Chris Richards in a good position in front of goal but the American – making his second start for Palace – could only nod over the crossbar.
Palace were unable to create any real chances after the break, while Newcastle could not find the finishing touch as Joelinton saw a right-footed effort blocked, Bruno Guimaraes directed a dangerous effort wide and Sven Botman missed a good opportunity to nod in an opener.
It was more bad news for the Eagles when talisman Zaha, making his 450th start, pulled up with what appeared to be a hamstring injury forcing boss Patrick Vieira to bring on Michael Olise in the 65th minute.
It took a fine leaping save from Pope to avoid falling behind when the ball pinged around the area before landing at the feet of substitute Mateta, who unleashed an effort towards the top-left corner but watched the Magpies keeper tip away Palace’s best chance of the match.
The visitors continued to enjoy a considerable possession advantage through 80 minutes but were denied taking the lead by Guaita, who got his gloves on Alexander Isak’s header before blocking another from Schar.
Neither side was able to make anything of four minutes of added time, though 17-year-old substitute David Ozoh was still able to enjoy a milestone moment when he became the youngest player to play for Palace in the Premier League.
It was the second time the teams have drawn a blank, with a Carabao Cup clash going to penalties following a goalless stalemate.
Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira has hinted that Ghana striker Jordan Ayew will be starting against Fulham in the English Premier League on Monday.
Ayew featured at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, representing his country Ghana as they exited at the group stage. He made three appearances and provided two assists as Black Stars finished bottom of their group with three points.
The topflight resumes after it was halted for six weeks due to the World Cup, challenging clubs across the tournament to maintain match fitness.
“[Jordan Ayew and Joachim Andersen] are good. After they went out of the World Cup they had a couple of days and have been back in training since. They’re really good mentally, physically and are ready to go again,” Patrick Vieira told the club’s official website.
“The two players we had came back in really good shape; mentally they were good. Looking at the [League Cup] game between Liverpool and Man City, the [other World Cup] players are in a good place.”
The Black Stars met South Korea in their second game in Group H at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, on Monday, November 28, 2022.
As reported by YEN.com.gh, the Black Stars recorded a 3-2 victory over the South Koreans, with Salisu Mohammed and Mohammed Kudus scoring the goals.
Jordan Ayew’s performance against South Korea
In a pulsating game, Jordan Ayew was one of Ghana’s outstanding players, registering the assist for the first two goals.
Coming on the back of a massive social media bashing after Ghana’s first game against Portugal ended in a 3-2 defeat, his performance must have been a relief for him and his family.
Jordan Ayew meets his wife and children after South Korea game
After the game, Jordan went into the stands where his family, including his wife, Denise Acquah, and their two children, were watching the game.
A video has popped up showing the emotional moment Jordan was almost drawn to tears while interacting with his family.
In the video shared on Instagram by Peace FM, Jordan was seen hugging his daughter, Kiki, who looked so excited.
Proud of her father’s performance in the game, Kiki held him and planted a kiss on Jordan’s cheek while her brother and mother looked on.
English-born Ghanaian forward Jesurun Rak-Sakyi played an instrumental in role for his side Charlton Athletic as they sealed their third consecutive victory in the EFL League One on Saturday.
The 20-year-old, who is on loan from Crystal Palace scored the game’s only goal to help the Addicks beat Shrewsbury 1-0.
Rak-Sakyi was substituted in the 88th minute. He has played 12 games, scored three goals and assisted two in the league this season.
The hosts missed their first chance of the game. Skipper Jayden Stockley was well situated to clear the ball from just in front of the goal line after a deep Shrewsbury corner was headed back into the danger zone.
In the opening exchanges, Salop threatened from a number of different set-piece scenarios, but the Addicks came near on 17 minutes.
In the 55th minute, Shrewsbury created a fantastic opportunity to grab the lead. Jordan Shipley, the full-back, volleyed the ball across the face of the goal, but his perfect cross escaped everyone in the middle.
Jack Payne, who entered the game in the 62nd minute, advanced to the byline, and his cut-back was then buried by Rak-Sakyi.
The result made it three wins on the spin for Charlton Athletic as they climbed to seventh in the League One table, two points off the top six.
Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira has showered praises on Ghana forward Jordan Ayew for versatility this season.
Ayew has been deployed in a number positions including a central role for the Eagles so far this term, having made nine league appearances and provided one assist.
The 31-year-old has been one of the standout players for Palace this season and was instrumental in their goalless draw at Leicester City on Sunday.
“Jordan is the type of player that is happy to be on the field regardless of his position,” the former Arsenal midfielder said as quoted by club website. “He is going to be giving 100 percent to the team.
“He is one of those players that you call a team player. On the pre-season tour, we tried him for around 15-20 minutes in central midfield and he did really well.
“We had a bit of a conversation on that and he liked to be around those positions as well, so that gave us a bit more tactical flexibility – but I like to have players in their best positions and his best position is on the right-hand side.”
Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira has disclosed that he has been playing Jordan Ayew out of position this season.
Ayew has been deployed in a central role for the Eagles so far this term, having made nine league appearances and provided one assist.
Ahead of their visit to take on the Foxes at King Power Stadium on Saturday, Vieira explained his decision to play the 31-year-old in that role, insisting it offers the team an extra element of tactical flexibility.
“Jordan is the type of player that is happy to be on the field regardless of his position,” the former Arsenal midfielder said as quoted by club website. “He is going to be giving 100 percent to the team.
“He is one of those players that you call a team player. On the pre-season tour, we tried him for around 15-20 minutes in central midfield and he did really well.
“We had a bit of a conversation on that and he liked to be around those positions as well, so that gave us a bit more tactical flexibility – but I like to have players in their best positions and his best position is on the right-hand side.”
The talented youngster enjoyed a fantastic campaign with his Bristol City club during the 2021/22 football season in England.
As a result, he became a transfer target of a number of clubs in the English top-flight league at the end of last season.
Crystal Palace is one of the many clubs that expressed interest in his services. Although the club will make some advances to engage Bristol City, no agreement was reached.
As a result, Antoine Semenyo continued his stint with Bristol City in the English Championship.
As the new season takes shape, sources have confirmed that Crystal Palace are still interested to sign Antoine Semenyo.
The English top-flight club has been keeping tabs on the talented forward and remains interested in his services.
The club per information gathered are working in the background to sign the player either in the January window or the summer transfer window.
Besides Antoine Semenyo, Crystal Palace also wants to sign Tommy Conway from Bristol City:
Michael Olise is yet to hit top gear this season — but Crystal Palace’s midfield starlet looks set to explode in South London.
The 20-year-old arrived at Selhurst Park in the summer of 2021 as manager Patrick Vieira set about revamping an ageing Eagles squad.
And their No7 played a key role in last term’s commendable 12th-place finish, chipping in with two league goals and five assists.
As Palace prepare to host Leeds this afternoon, we consider whether Olise can enjoy an even more productive campaign this time around.
Limited action
After featuring in 26 of the Eagles’ Premier League matches last season, Olise’s impact has been more limited in 2022-23.
He has racked up just 236 minutes of action over six games to date, only making two starts across Palace’s eight fixtures.
None of the Hammersmith native’s substitute appearances have exceeded half an hour, so it is perhaps no surprise that Olise is yet to contribute a goal or an assist this term.
Mitigating factors
Olise’s reduced game time has little to do with his ability — the playmaker endured an injury-hit pre-season after struggling with a foot problem.
Vieira addressed the issue prior to Palace’s season opener against Arsenal in August.
He said: “Yes, it’s the same foot injury he picked with the French Under-21s but he has started working with the team today so he is getting there and he is looking much better now.
“We have a plan in place and it is important for him to have a proper pre-season.
“We’re not going to rush him, we’re going to work properly because it is an important season for him and it is an important season for us.”
Michael Olise has not always featured in Crystal Palace’s starting line-up this season
Making an impact
Both of Olise’s league starts have come in Crystal Palace’s last three matches — in their 1-1 home draw with Brentford and last weekend’s late 2-1 defeat to Chelsea.
The former Reading creator showcased his ability in the latter of those two fixtures, creating more chances than any other Eagles player (three) and completing the joint-most take-ons of anybody on the pitch (two).
He also attempted an impressive four crosses, which was only matched by fellow forward Wilfried Zaha.
Michael Olise put in an eye-catching display against Chelsea last Saturday
Eye-catching numbers
Olise’s performance against Chelsea was reflective of his overall displays across Palace’s campaign to date.
The France Under-21s international ranked inside the Premier League’s top 10 players for completed crosses per 90 minutes (1.91) ahead of this weekend, from a similarly impressive 6.48 attempted.
He also placed highly for chances created per 90 (2.29), while only eight players had attempted more take-ons (4.58 per 90) after eight rounds of action.
Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise has created a number of opportunities for his team-mates this term
Time to catch fire
The underlying numbers indicate that it is only a matter of time before Olise starts troubling the goals and assists charts.
And Palace’s favourable run of fixtures should help with achieving that aim.
The South Londoners follow today’s clash with Leeds by facing Leicester, Wolves, Everton and Southampton later this month.
With some of this season’s tougher encounters behind them and Olise now injury-free, expect the Eagles — and their midfield maestro — to soar to new heights in the weeks ahead.
Crystal Palace winger Jeffrey Schlupp is happy with his fitness level after an impressive start to the season.
The 29-year-old has endured an injury-stricken time since joining Crystal Palace from Leicester City in 2017 after only four league appearances for the Foxes in 2016/17.
Schlupp has eight appearances for Palace across all competitions and provided one assist in the process.
“I had a few injuries that kept me out for half a season. So a bit for me was to obviously play games and keep fit. We’ve got different stuff that I do personally in training and to get me ready for games,” he told Palace TV in an inerview.
“I managed to play most of the season last year and I have started this season well as well. I am in a good place fitness-wise.”
Crystal Palace are 17th on league table with six points after seven games played so far this season.
The 29-year-old has endured an injury-stricken time since joining Crystal Palace from Leicester City in 2017 after only four league appearances for the Foxes in 2016/17.
Schlupp has eight appearances for Palace across all competitions and provided one assist in the process.
“Obviously team first. We want to finish high up the table. But for me personally, I want to get some more goals and be available every game,” he toldPalace TV in an interview.
“I hope to play more games. It’s a lot of games. But, I want to make sure I have an injury-free season.”
Crystal Palace are 17th on league table with six points after seven games played so far this season.
Palace will look to bounce back to winning ways when they host Leeds United at Selhurst Park Stadium on Sunday.
Conor Gallagher’s sublime last-minute strike earned Chelsea a 2-1 win against his former club Crystal Palaceto give Graham Potter a winning start in the Premier League.
Second-half substitute Gallagher, who spent last season on loan at Selhurst Park, curled home in the 90th minute to win a game that Chelsea trailed early on.
Odsonne Edouard had given Palace the lead on home soil in Saturday’s contest, only for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to net his first goal for Chelsea before half-time.
Palace felt Thiago Silva should have been sent off before assisting that Aubameyang equaliser, and their mood was not helped by former player Gallagher’s late winner.
Wesley Fofana was drafted back into Chelsea’s line-up but gave the ball away and then failed to cut out a cross that was clinically converted by Edouard inside seven minutes.
Last man Silva was fortunate to stay on the field when using his hand to stop Jordan Ayew from running through on goal, referee Chris Kavanagh electing to issue only a yellow.
To rub salt in the Palace wounds, Silva nodded down a long ball into the path of Aubameyang, who let it bounce across his body and half-volleyed into the bottom left-corner.
Just when the sides appeared to be heading for a first league draw in 23 meetings, Gallagher – on the field for just 14 minutes – found the top-right corner from range to snatch the win.
What does it mean? Chelsea extend winning Palace run
Potter’s only game in charge since being appointed Chelsea boss on September 8 was a 1-1 Champions League draw against Salzburg.
This contest was heading the same frustrating way as that match, with Chelsea managing plenty of shots (13 come full-time) without truly troubling the opposition goalkeeper.
But Gallagher’s superb strike gave Potter lift-off in south London and stretched Chelsea’s winning league run against Palace to 10 in a row.
Conor comes back to haunt Palace
Gallagher’s goal was a particularly cruel one for Palace to take as it was the Eagles who gave him a platform to impress in the Premier League on a regular basis last season.
Now back at Chelsea, the 2022-23 campaign had started rather slowly for the midfielder, but this first league goal for the club will no doubt boost his confidence.
Palace left fuming
Silva denied Ayew a likely scoring chance and, by the rule of the book, Palace boss Patrick Vieira – booked for his protestations – will rightly argue the defender should have gone.
Not only did Silva stay on the pitch, he also set up Aubameyang’s maiden goal for Chelsea, with that his second league assist this term – no Chelsea player has more.
What’s next?
Chelsea host Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday before facing Wolves in their next league outing in a week’s time. Palace welcome Leeds United to Selhurst Park next weekend.
Although Ayew put up a strong performance, the Eagles were defeated at Selhurst Park.
With his first goal for the team, substitute Gallagher, who excelled while on loan at Palace last season, lashed home a magnificent right-footed effort to snatch the victory for Chelsea.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang also scored his first Chelsea goal on his Premier League return after Odsonne Edouard had poked Palace into an early lead.
However, there was controversy surrounding Aubameyang’s goal as it was set up by Thiago Silva, who Palace felt should have been sent off for a deliberate handball which denied Jordan Ayew a possible goalscoring opportunity.
Ayew has made seven league appearances for Crystal Palace this season and provided two assists in the process.
The premeditated handball by Thiago Silva against Crystal Palace did not result in a red card, which has angered Ghanaian forward Jordan Ayew.
The 38-year-old defender got into a fight with Ayew during the first half when the Blues were on the back foot.
Just within the west Londoners’ half, the two engaged in a scuffle. Ayew would have had plenty of space to run in behind Chelsea’s backline when Silva went down under pressure from the Palace forward and, in classic modern football fashion, the Brazil international clawed the ball away from Ayew.
“I don’t understand – this year is really inconsistent,” Ayew said as quoted by the club’s website. “I don’t understand but I don’t want to say too much. It’s the past and my objective is to focus on the next game.
“It’s the game, and the Premier League is ruthless. From my opinion, that was the turning point in the game and that’s it, it’s football.
“We should have taken a point. We weren’t far but we need to keep working and going in the right direction and pushing to win games.
“We just need to focus on our next game, try to win and we will take it from there.”
Brighton’s home Premier League match against Crystal Palace on Saturday, 17 September has been postponed because of a planned rail strike.
The Premier League says the fixture has been “regrettably” called off after receiving a request from Brighton.
The league added in a statement that industrial action on the rail network means there will be “no public transport available for supporters”.
A new date for the game at Amex Stadium is yet to be announced.
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Brighton chief executive Paul Barber said: “While we fully appreciate this will be of huge disappointment to both sets of fans, and causes disruption to both teams’ fixture schedules as well as those of supporters, the safety of fans of both clubs, our matchday staff, players and officials must be the priority.
“We have taken into consideration how difficult it would be for fans of both clubs to attend the match without access to the rail network and we looked at a number of options and various contingency plans.
“This included additional travel options or moving the match to earlier or later in the same week, with Sunday afternoon the latest the fixture could be played on that weekend due to the international break.
“But it simply was not possible to play the match with a full capacity crowd in attendance.”
Famed for being a tough league to adapt to, Erling Haaland is taking to the Premier League like a duck to water.
After scoring his first hat-trick for Manchester City at the weekend — in its 4-2 win over Crystal Palace — having joined from Borussia Dortmund in the summer, Haaland repeated the feat on Wednesday night.
It took the Norwegian striker just 26 minutes between his first and third goal in the first half to complete the feat, as City romped to a 6-0 win over newly-promoted Nottingham Forest at the Etihad Stadium.
It means that Haaland has now scored a remarkable nine goals in his first five Premier League appearances, breaking the previous record of eight set by Mick Quinn and City’s all-time top goalscorer, Sergio Agüero.
Afterwards, Haaland hailed his teammates and the impact they’ve had on his game, calling the team’s performance “amazing.”
“It was about keep doing what we did in the second half against Crystal Palace,” he said
In the Premier League, the summer transfer market is still open for business.
There have already been a lot of significant signings, with championship contenders Manchester Cityand Liverpool spending big on Erling Haaland and Darwin Nunez, respectively.
Raheem Sterling just signed with Chelsea, while rivals from North London Tottenham and Arsenal, as well as teams like Aston Villa, Leeds, and Nottingham Forest, have also been active.
But there is still a lot of work to be done before the window closes on Thursday, September 1 at 11 p.m. (BST).
To be informed of all the Premier League happenings during the summer transfer window, bookmark this page.
Arsenal
In:Marquinhos (Sao Paulo, £3m), Fabio Vieira (Porto, £30m), Matt Turner (New England Revolution, £5.8m), Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City, £45m), Oleksandr Zinchenko (Manchester City, £30m)
Out: Konstantinos Mavropanos (Stuttgart, £3m), Alexandre Lacazette (Lyon, free), Jonathan Dinzeyi (released), Joel Lopez (released), Jordan McEneff (released), Harry Clarke (Stoke, loan), Omar Rekik (Sparta Rotterdam, loan), Tyreece John-Jules (Ipswich, loan), Mika Biereth (RKC Waalwijk, loan), Jordi Osei-Tutu (VFL Bochum, undisclosed), Daniel Ballard (Sunderland, undisclosed), Nikolaj Moller (Den Bosch, loan), Matteo Guendouzi (Marseille, undisclosed), Zak Swanson (Portsmouth, undisclosed), Ovie Ejeheri (Chelmsford City, loan), Auston Trusty (Birmingham, loan), Omari Hutchinson (Chelsea, undisclosed), Marcelo Flores (Real Ovideo, loan), Ryan Alebiosu (Kilmarnock, loan), Arthur Okonkwo (Crewe, loan), Nuno Tavares (Marseille, loan), Mazeed Ogungbo (Crawley, loan), Bernd Leno (Fulham, undisclosed), Charlie Patino (Blackpool, loan), Lucas Torreira (Galatasaray, undisclosed), Pablo Mari (AC Monza, loan), Alex Runarsson (Alanyaspor, loan)
Aston Villa
Philippe Coutinho has joined Aston Villa from Barcelona on a four-year deal
In: Philippe Coutinho (Barcelona, £17m), Boubacar Kamara (Marseille, free), Diego Carlos (Sevilla, undisclosed), Robin Olsen (Roma, undisclosed), Rory Wilson (Rangers, undisclosed), Ludwig Augustinsson (Sevilla, loan with option to buy), Ewan Simpson (Hearts, undisclosed)
In: Ryan Fredericks (West Ham, free), Joe Rothwell (Blackburn, free), Marcus Tavernier (Middlesbrough, £10m), Neto (Barcelona, free), Marcos Senesi (Feyenoord, £12m)
Out: Gary Cahill (released), Brennan Camp (released), Ryan Glover (released), Connor Curran-Browne (released), Luke Nippard (released), Owen Palmer (released), Aaron Roberts (released), Jack Seddon (released), Gavin Kilkenny (Stoke, loan), Aji Alese (Sunderland, loan), Zeno Ibsen Rossi (Cambridge, undisclosed)
Brentford
In: Aaron Hickey (Bologna, undisclosed), Keane Lewis-Potter (Hull, £20m), Thomas Strakosha (Lazio, free), Ben Mee (Burnley, free), Mikkel Damsgaard (Sampdoria, undisclosed), Mathias Jorgensen (Free)
Out: Ben Hockenhull (Tranmere), Hans Mpongo (released), Mads Bidstrup (Nordsjaelland, loan), Gustav Mogensen (Sarpsborg, undisclosed), Christian Eriksen (Manchester United, free), Paris Maghoma (AFC Wimbledon, loan), Dominic Thompson (Blackpool, undisclosed), Lachlan Brook (Crewe, loan), Marcus Forss (Middlesbrough, undisclosed), Ellery Balcombe (Crawley, loan), Tariqe Fosu (Stoke City, loan)
BrightonIn: Julio Enciso (Libertad Asuncion, undisclosed), Benicio Baker-Boaitey (Porto, undisclosed), Simon Adingra (Nordsjaelland, undisclosed), Levi Colwill (Chelsea, loan), Luca Barrington (Manchester City, undisclosed), Pervis Estupinan (Villarreal, undisclosed)
Out: Jayson Molumby (West Brom, £900,000), Tudor Baluta (released), Adam Desbois (released), Lars Dendoncker (released), Ulrick Ella (released), Ayo Tanimowo (released), John Lucero (released), Jaami Qureshi (released), Fynn Talley (Cliftonville, loan), Yves Bissouma (Tottenham, £25m), Alex Cochrane (Hearts, undisclosed), Simon Adingra (Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, loan), Carl Rushworth (Lincoln, loan), Haydon Roberts (Derby, loan), Abdallah Sima (Angers, loan), Aaron Connolly (Venezia, loan), Leo Ostigard (Napoli, undisclosed), Taylor Richards (QPR, loan), Marc Leonard (Northampton, loan), Jensen Weir (Morecambe, loan), Reda Khadra (Sheffield United, loan), Teddy Jenks (Crawley, loan), Andi Zeqiri (Basel, loan), Marc Cucurella (Chelsea, undisclosed), Shane Duffy (Fulham, loan), Kjell Scherpen (Vitesse Arnhem, loan)
Chelsea
In: Eddie Beach (Southampton, undisclosed), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City, £50m), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli, £33m), Omar Hutchinson (Arsenal, free), Gabriel Slonina (Chicago Fire, £12m), Carney Chukwuemeka (Aston Villa, undisclosed), Marc Cucurella (Brighton, undisclosed), Cesare Casadei (Inter Milan, £12.6m)
Out:Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid, free), Andreas Christensen (released), Danny Drinkwater (released), Charly Musonda (released), Jake Clarke-Salter (QPR, free), Lucas Bergstrom (Peterborough, loan), Romelu Lukaku (Inter Milan, loan), Nathan Baxter (Hull, loan), Ethan Wady (Woking, loan), Ian Maatsen (Burnley, loan), Henry Lawrence (MK Dons, loan), Tino Anjorin (Huddersfield, loan), Gabriel Slonina (Chicago Fire, loan), Levi Colwill (Brighton, loan), Timo Werner (RB Leipzig, £25m), Malang Sarr (Monaco, loan)
Crystal Palace
In: Malcolm Ebiowei (Derby, free), Sam Johnstone (West Brom, free), Cheick Doucoure (Lens, undisclosed), Chris Richards (Bayern Munich, undisclosed), Kofi Balmer (Larne, undisclosed)
Out: Martin Kelly (released), Jaroslaw Jach (released), Luke Dreher (released), Rian Jamai (released), Kanye Jobson (released), Nya Kirby (released), Joseph Ling (released), Sean Robertson (released), Sion Spence (released), Aidan Steele (released), James Taylor (released), Dylan Thiselton (released), Reece Hannam (Bromley, loan), Remi Matthews (St Johnstone, loan), Tayo Adaramola (Coventry, loan), Sean Robertson (Forest Green, free), Christian Benteke (DC United, undisclosed), Scott Banks (Bradford, loan), Jesurun Rak-Sakyi (Charlton, loan), Malachi Boateng (Queen’s Park, loan), Cheikhou Kouyate (Nottingham Forest, free)
Out: Edinson Cavani (released), Juan Mata (released), Paul Pogba (Juventus, free), Jesse Lingard (released) D’Mani Mellor (released), Reece Devine (released), Lee Grant (released), Paul McShane (released), Connor Stanley (released), Paul Woolston (released), Nemanja Matic (Roma, free), Dean Henderson (Nottingham Forest, loan), Dylan Levitt (Dundee, undisclosed), Andreas Pereira (Fulham, £8m), Alvaro Fernandez (Preston, loan), Alex Telles (Sevilla, loan), Ethan Laird (QPR, loan), Dermot Mee (Altrincham, loan)
Newcastle
In: Alex Murphy (Galway United, undisclosed), Matt Targett (Aston Villa, £15m), Nick Pope (Burnley, undisclosed), Sven Botman (Lille, undisclosed), Charlie McArthur (Kilmarnock, undisclosed), Jude Smith (East Fife, undisclosed)Â
Out: Oisin McEntee (Walsall, undisclosed), Mo Sangare (Accrington, free), Isaac Hayden (Norwich, loan with obligation to buy), Lewis Cass (Port Vale, undisclosed), Freddie Woodman (Preston, undisclosed), Dan Langley (Gateshead, loan), Jeff Hendrick (Reading, loan), Ciaran Clark (Sheffield United, loan), Dwight Gayle (Stoke, undisclosed)
Nottingham Forest
In: Ryan Hammond (Millwall, undisclosed), Taiwo Awoniyi (Union Berlin, £17.5m), Dean Henderson (Manchester United, loan), Giulian Biancone (Troyes, £5m), Moussa Niakhate (Mainz, £8.5m), Omar Richards (Bayern Munich, £10m), Neco Williams (Liverpool, £17m), Wayne Hennessey (Burnley, undisclosed), Brandon Aguilera (LD Alajuelense, undisclosed), Harry Toffolo (Huddersfield, undisclosed), Lewis O’Brien (Huddersfield, undisclosed), Jesse Lingard (Manchester United, free), Orel Mangala (Stuttgart, £12.7m), Emmanuel Dennis (Watford, £20m), Cheikhou Kouyate (Crystal Palace, free), Remo Freuler (Atalanta, £8.5m), Morgan Gibbs-White (Wolves, £25m)
Out: Tobias Figueiredo (released), Carl Jenkinson (released), Gaetan Bong (released), Marcelo Valencia (released), Josh Barnes (released), Baba Fernandes (released), Sam Sanders (released), Morgan Thomas-Sadler (released), Joe Watkins (released), Mohamed Drager (FC Luzern, loan), Jayden Richardson (Aberdeen, undisclosed), Ethan Horvath (Luton, loan), Brice Samba (Lens, undisclosed), Tyrese Fornah (Reading, loan), Will Swan (Mansfield, loan), Jonathan Panzo (Coventry, loan), Fin Back (Carlisle, loan), Lewis Grabban (released), Riley Harbottle (Mansfield, loan), Brandon Aguilera (Guanacasteca, loan), Nicholas Ioannou (Como, undisclosed), Xande Silva (Dijon, undisclosed), Braian Ojeda (Real Salt Lake, loan), Nuno da Costa (Auxerre, undisclosed), Richie Laryea (Toronto, loan), Baba Fernandes (Accrington, loan), Nicky Hogarth (Falkirk, loan), Joe Lolley (Sydney, free)
Southampton
In: Alex Iwumene (Sutton United), Gavin Bazunu (Manchester City, undisclosed), Mateusz Lis (Altay SK, free), Armel Bella-Kotchap (Bochum, £8.5m), Romeo Lavia (Manchester City, £10.5m), Joe Aribo (Rangers, £10m), Sekou Mara (Bordeaux, undisclosed)
Out: Harry Lewis (Bradford City, free), Fraser Forster (Tottenham, free), Caleb Watts (Morecambe, loan), Kazeem Olaigbe (Ross County, loan), Shane Long (Reading, free), Dan Nlundulu (Cheltenham, loan), Will Smallbone (Stoke, loan), Thierry Small (Port Vale, loan), Kegs Chauke (Exeter, loan), Benni Smales-Braithwaite (Barrow, free), Will Ferry (Cheltenham, undisclosed), Nathan Tella (Burnley, loan), Kayne Ramsay (Harrogate, undisclosed)
Tottenham
Croatian wing-back Ivan Perisic was Tottenham’s first signing of the summer
Jordan Ayew faced off against Klopp’s team as a right winger, and the game finished in a 1-1 draw.
Liverpool survived Darwin Nunez’s dismissal for a headbutt on his home debut by drawing with the Eagles thanks to a superb solo strike by Luis Diaz.
Crystal Palace scored in the 32nd minute thanks to Wilfred Zaha’s strike from Eze’s pass. Liverpool attacker Darwin Nunez was sent off in the 57th minute.
Jordan Ayew was substituted in the 63rd minute after Liverpool’s equalizer. Compatriot Jeffery Schlupp started the game for the Eagles and was also substituted in the 88th minute.
Ghanaian forward Jesurun Rak-Sakyi has signed a five-year contract with Crystal Palace, pledging his future to the club until summer 2027.
In August 2021, the then-18-year-old attacker made his senior debut against Chelsea as a substitute.
He then added a first Premier League start on the final day of the season against Manchester United, and joined the first-team on tour in Australia and Singapore.
At Under-21s level he finished joint-top scorer in the Premier League 2 Division 1, bagging 18 goals during 2021/22. That campaign was also a landmark one internationally for Rak-Sakyi, who made a goalscoring debut for England Under-20s last September.
After committing to the club, Rak-Sakyi will further his development.
Black Stars striker, Felix Ohene Afena-Gyan could join Serie A side, Salernitana on loan, according to Italian transfer journalist Nicolò Schira.
Schira has reported that Salernitana have opened talks with Roma as they seek to acquire the service of Gyan for the new Italian Serie A season.
The negotiations are said to be in the early stages.
“#Salernitana have opened talks with #ASRoma to try to sign Felix #AfenaGyan on loan. #transfers,” Schira tweeted.
The Salerno-based club becomes the third club to propose a loan move for Afena-Gyan after Sassuolo and Crystal Palace.
It appears that Crystal Palace’s move has fallen through unlike Sassuolo who are hopeful of signing the Ghanaian to replace their outgone main-man Gianluca Scamacca.
Afena-Gyan could have limited playing time at Roma this season due to the signing of Argentine forward Paolo Dybala, who is hoping to form a dangerous attacking trio with Nicola Zaniolo and Tammy Abraham. Whereas, Eldor Shomurodov, Stephan El Shaarawy, Nicola Zalewski and Gyan serve as back-up.
In the curtain raise of the season, the Eagles hosted the Gunners at Selhurst Park on Friday night.
The Gunners maintained their impressive pre-season form with an energetic performance that was rewarded when Gabriel Martinelli nodded in a 20th-minute opener from new signing Oleksandr Zinchenko’s headed assist.
It took Palace most of the first half to adapt to the visitors’ tempo, but once they did Odsonne Edouard forced Aaron Ramsdale into a save after Joachim Andersen’s header found him in the six-yard box.
Buoyed by a vibrant home crowd, the Eagles poured forward in search of a leveler but it was Arsenal who found the net again, Marc Guehi inadvertently heading Bukayo Saka’s fierce cross into his own goal late on.
Despite the defeat, Jordan Ayew put up a decent performance for the side.
The 30-year-old completed six (6) successful dribbles against Arsenal and lasted the entire duration of the game.
Jordan and his Crystal Palace teammates will be hoping to cause an upset when they visit Liverpool next weekend.
Partey will be making his first competitive appearance for the Gunners since his injury in April 2022 when Arsenal lost to Crystal Palace.
The Ghanaian midfielder will be hoping to lead the North London side to victory this time and get their season off to a winning start.
On the other hand, Black Stars duo Jordan Ayew and Jeffery Schlupp have also been given starting spots for tonight’s match.
Arsenal who narrowly missed out on Champions League Football will set sight on achieving the feet this season while Crystal Palace who finished 12th last season will be hoping to have a better place on the table at the end of the campaign.
Ghanaian midfielder Jeffrey Schlupp looks to be in the plans of new Crystal Palace coach Patrick Vieira for next season.
The former Leicester man has been trusted by the manager during the preseason and has been used in dangerous positions. The Black Stars man has also performed well, staking his claim for more playing time.
Schlupp looked set for an exit from the club after failing to nail down a starting place last season, partly due to injuries.
Currently, the player is fit and has shown that during the preseason so far for the Eagles. He and Jordan Ayew will hope to make huge impact in the upcoming campaign.
English Premier League side Crystal Palace are keen to reunite Black Stars captain Andre Ayew with his younger brother Jordan Ayew at Selhurst Park.
The Black Stars captain is a free agent after leaving Championship side Swansea City in the summer after the expiration of his contract with the team.
According reports emanating from England the Eagles who have a new coach in Patrick Viera is keen to snap the free agent as he seeks to build a strong formidable squad.
The Eagles have reportedly opened talks with the representative of the 31 year old forward who has in the past played in the Premier League for West Ham.
Ayew played an integral role in helping Swansea reach the Championship play-off final in 2020/21 where the lost to winners Brentford 2-0.
He scored 17 goals the entire season, and with one coming in the se promotion play-off semi-final win over Barnsley.
Andre Ayew could link up with brother Jordan for the third time in their career after spells in Wales with Swansea City and with Olympique Marseille.
The Greater Accra Zabarma Chief and President of Ghana Zabarma Association, Alhaji Pro-Umar Tanko Abubakar, has announced that his palace will go on break for a period of three weeks.
Pro-Umar Tanko who doubles as the President of Coalition of Zabarma Chiefs stated that the break begins on Monday, December 29, 2020 and ends on January 19, 2021.
According to him, over the past years, the Greater Accra Zabarma Chief’s Palace has been saddled with work associated with the Zabarma and Zongo communities within the Greater Accra Region.
The collective decision to go on break according to him was to allow the members to have enough time with their family and friends.
He said due to COVID-19 pandemic which was associated with lockdown, the palace through its cooperate social responsibilities supported the people within the Zongo and Zabarma communities.
The palace also had some educative interactions with the people in Zabarma communities on Election 2020 and also the need to adhere to the government directives in mitigating the further spread of the Corona virus which affected millions of people globally.
He stated that the palace has had a very stressful year hence the need for the three weeks break. He added that the palace will from the above mentioned date seize from all activities including attending of naming ceremonies, marriages, award ceremonies, among others officially.
He therefore urged the cabinet members and the members of the Association to take the break period to rest as the palace have many issues on hand to address in 2021 for the benefit and betterment of the Zabarma people and Ghana as a whole.
He called on the people of Zabarma communities to live peacefully with others and ensure that they do the right thing at all times.
Meanwhile two secretaries would be coming to the palace to receive complaints and letters that would be taken care of when the palace resumes work, the Secretariat would be opened to the general public between the hours of 12 p.m and 2, 30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays.
“I wish to remind all Ghanaians that COVID-19 is still with us and we should always remember to cover our noses and mouths with a masks and sanitise our hands often. Wash your hands with soap under clean running water and avoid crowded areas,” he noted.
“I wish Ghanaian’s Allah’s gift of wisdom and guidance on our journey to finding a peaceful resolution to the political misunderstanding that has befallen the Nation”.
Crystal Palace takes on West Ham in the Premier League on Wednesday night with Jordan Ayew hoping to score again against the Hammers.
West Ham is Jordan Ayew’s favourite opponent since he made his English top-flight debut five years ago.
The Black Stars striker has scored four goals against West Ham – his best tally against an opponent in the competition.
Last season, Palace beat West Ham by the same scoreline, 2-1, home and away and in both games, Ayew emerged as the match-winner.
Ayew had a video assistant referee to thank for the winning goal in the first game at the London Stadium.
But he scored a remarkable goal in the second match at the Selhurst Park Stadium.
With the game in added time, Ayew danced through the Hammers defense on the edge of the box and then brilliantly beat goalkeeper Roberto with a calm chip.
The goal was nominated for the best goal of the season.
He will hope to relive the moments again, however, considering his current form, West Ham wouldn’t be too bothered about him causing any trouble.
Jordan has struggled for goals this season, netting once in nine league games.
Ghana forward Jordan Ayew continued from where he left off last season after bagging a brace in Crystal Palaces’s preseason friendly victory over Charlton Athletic.
The Crystal Palace player of the season opened the scoring on the hour mark after tapping in from a strong cross from Wilfred Zaha.
Jordan Ayew mopped up is second beautifully after he was released by midfielder Andros Townsend.
Wilfred Zaha completed the scoring for the Eagles after a remarkable run from the half way line, to take on three defenders before firing into the net.
Ayew was the South London side’s top scorer last season, with nine goals in the English Premier League.
Compatriot Jeffrey Schlupp was also in action for the Premier League outfit.
Ghana forward Jordan Ayew modelled the new Crystal Palace kit for the 2020/21 season on Friday as the club Officially unveiled it kits ahead of the coming season.
The Selhurst Park club will don three uniforms next season, the home kit with their traditional colours of red and blue, a white away jersey and a third jersey dominated by black.
The jerseys are produced by German kit manufacturers Puma.
Ayew who won the player of the season at the club plus two other awards wore the new jersey alongside Christian Benteke and Gary Cahill to Officially outdoor it to the fans.
The 28-year old netted 9 times in 39 games as the South London side finished the season in 14th place. Jordan Ayew joined Crystal Palace from Swansea in 2019.
Black Stars striker, Jordan Ayew was in action this afternoon when his Crystal Palace outfit suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Aston Villa in the English Premier League.
With a few more games to end the 2019/2020 English Premier League season, the two teams were in action at the Villa Park to fight for 3 maximum points.
Just 7 minutes into the game, Mamadou Sakho scored to give Crystal Palace the lead.
Unfortunately, it was ruled out for a handball after a review by the Video Assistant referee (VAR).
The first half of numerous chances ended with Aston Villa with a 1-goal lead courtesy a strike from Egyptian international Trezeguet.
In the second half, the pulsating encounter that ensued between the two teams saw the winger scoring again to complete his brace to power Aston Villa to a 2-0 victory.
Striker Jordan Ayew lasted 65 minutes of the game before his place was taken by Andros Townsend.
The Ghanaian forward has played 34 games this season and has 9 goals to his good.
During the Crystal Palace against Burnely, Jordan left Burnley’s Josh Brownhill in a heap after catching the midfielder with a forearm in the second half of the Premier League encounter.
The incident was checked by VAR who deemed Ayew’s actions not worthy of violent conduct.
Speaking on the VAR decision Roy Hodgson said”They (VAR) had a good look at it and I can only assume they decided there wasn’t a deliberate attempt to elbow the player,”
“He has got his arm across to protect the ball. I am convinced he was not attempting in any way to elbow the player but it was one of those hairy situations because you never know these days how they are going to be judged,” he added.
“I am pleased the decision was made not to punish him,”
“I am convinced it was an attempt to turn and protect the ball rather than an attempt to injure the defender who was climbing over him,” he concluded.
Crystal Palace star man, Jordan Ayew has set his sight on the team’s next match in the English Premier League against table-topping Liverpool FC in mid-week.
The Ghanaian international had the opportunity of returning to the pitch to play last Saturday after staying away from competitive football for the last 3 months when the sport was suspended because of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
He displayed good form and netted Crystal Palace’s second goal of the day that helped the side to record a 2-0 win against Bournemouth.
With that game out of the way, Jordan Ayew is looking forward to playing against Liverpool in mid-week.
“Felt so good to finally be back on the pitch with the boys! 4 consecutive wins. 4 consecutive clean sheets. On to the next gameâ€, the 28-year-old attacker said in a post on Twitter.
Ghanaian striker Jordan Ayew is elated after scoring his ninth goal of the season in Crystal Palace’s 2-0 win over AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday.
Milivojevic put the visitors in front thanks to a splendid direct free kick in the 12th minute before Ayew finished off a brilliantly executed team move to give the Eagles all three points.
The win saw the Eagles seal their fourth victory in a row for the first time in the top-flight history at the Vitality stadium.
Crystal Palace are now just four points adrift of fifth-placed Manchester United, who currently occupy a Europa League spot for next season.
This season, Jordan Ayew has scored nine goals in 29 appearances for Palace.
The striker is Ghana’s top scorer in the Premier League with 25 goals, leapfrogging Leeds United legend Anthony Yeboah to achieve the feat.
Crystal Palace will travel to Anfield to face Liverpool on Wednesday in their match week 31 fixture.
Ghana ace Jordan Ayew has returned to training at Crystal Palace following an enforced break due to the cornavirus.
The Eagles leading scorer this season joined other teammates in small groups to train, amid strict measures to control the spread of COVID-19.
As part of the Premier League’s Project Restart, training at the first phase involves small groups which allows footballers build up pitch-conditioning and taking part in basic ball work with social distancing guidelines maintained at all times.
With 25 players present on Tuesday, there were three sessions for three groups.
The next phase of training will see a much larger group in a bid to prepare teams for the return of the Premier League.
The English topflight league has been on a ten week suspension due to COVID-19, but it is expected to return in June and ended in July.
Ayew has netted eight times this season for the Eagles as they lie 11th on the table before the break.
Ghana midfielder Jefferey Schlupp has returned to training with Crystal Palace after a ten week break due to coronavirus.
The Crystal Palace ace, seen with his heavy beard joined his other teammates including compatriot Jordan Ayew on Tuesday for the first phase of the Premier League’s Project Restart.
The first phase involves small groups which allows footballers build up pitch-conditioning and taking part in basic ball work with social distancing guidelines maintained at all times.
With 25 players present on Tuesday, there were three sessions for three groups.
The next phase of training will see a much larger group in a bid to prepare teams for the return of the Premier League.
The English topflight league has been on a ten week suspension due to COVID-19, but it is expected to return in June and ended in July.
Schlupp has been out with an injury since December but his return coincided with the suspension of games in March.
Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson is ready to take part in the Premier League’s proposed restart during the coronavirus crisis despite being in the vulnerable age group.
Hodgson is the oldest manager in Premier League history at 72, potentially putting the former England coach in danger if he contracts the virus.
But Hodgson said he had no fears about getting back to work if the Premier League stick to their plan to let clubs start training next week.
Asked if he would be able to return, Hodgson told beIN SPORTS: “Yes. No concerns. Age is age. It’s how you feel really. Your age doesn’t necessarily relate to your fitness or how you’re feeling, or your capacity to do a job.”
Hodgson, whose long managerial career has included stints at Liverpool and Inter Milan, said he had used the enforced break since the Premier League was suspended in March to work on his fitness.
“So I have no qualms whatsoever,” he said. “When I’m called back to work I shall be very happy to go back to work.”
Several Premier League players have expressed concern about putting themselves and their families at risk.
Newcastle defender Danny Rose and Manchester City stars Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling are among the players to go public with worries about being forced back into action too soon.
Hodgson said he and Palace chairman Steve Parish would not have a problem if any of his players did not want to return to work before they felt completely safe.
“This is going to be a matter for the individual and a matter for the club at the end of the day,” Hodgson said.
“I would be very surprised, knowing my club and Steve Parish as I do, that he would not be sympathetic to a player that came and said: ‘Look, I have serious reservations about playing’.”
Majority of football writers at sportsmole.co.uk have chosen Ghana striker Jordan Ayew as Crystal Palace’s Player of Year.
Ayew was in top form before the suspension of the English Premier League due to the Coronavirus outbreak.
The Ghana international banged in goals to ensure the Eagles won three games in a row after winning just one of their previous 12.
But the performance of goalkeeper Vicente Guaita has been impressive too with Roy Hodgson’s side needing only one more point to reach the 40-point safety mark.
Here are the views of Sports Mole team on who they think has been Palace’s player of the season so far.
Barney Corkhill, Editor:
Considering Crystal Palace’s poor attacking record this season it seems somewhat counter-intuitive to select a striker as their best player of the campaign, but in a squad where few individuals have stood out, Jordan Ayew has been Palace’s most important member for me.
The 28-year-old has scored eight of Palace’s 26 goals, and crucially five of those have been winning goals – only the Liverpool trio of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino have been responsible for more winners.
Ayew’s goals have been the difference between Hodgson’s side battling for a place in the top half or fighting against relegation, and a special mention must also go to his goal-of-the-season contender against West Ham United.
Matt Law, Football Editor:
The likes of Vicente Guaita and Gary Cahill deserve praise for their performances this season, but Jordan Ayew, in my opinion, deserves to be named Palace’s player of the season.
The 29-year-old has managed eight Premier League goals this term and his form has been particularly important considering that the team’s star man Wilfried Zaha has registered just three league goals.
Only Zaha (29) has made more league appearances than Ayew (28) for Roy Hodgson’s side this term, while the attacker has scored the winner in Palace’s last two league games against Brighton & Hove Albion and Watford. One thing is for sure, the Eagles would not be 11th in the table at this stage without Ayew’s goals.
Darren Plant, Senior Reporter:
On six occasions, Palace have prevailed by one-goal margins when Ayew has made an impact in the final third, which includes a goal against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
However, five of his other seven strikes have come against teams below Palace in the table, meaning that the versatile attacker has been the major difference between a relegation battle.
Dan Lewis, Senior Reporter:
Despite netting just one top-flight goal during last season’s loan spell, Ayew clearly did enough to persuade Palace to pay Swansea City £2.5m to sign him permanently last July.
That has to go down as one of the best signings of the summer transfer window as the Ghanaian has eight goals to his name.
Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang opened the scoring at Crystal Palace on Saturday but was later sent off as the hosts fought back to draw 1-1 at Selhurst Park.
New Gunners boss Mikel Arteta was on course for a third straight win when his skipper made the breakthrough in the first half, but a deflected effort by Jordan Ayew cancelled it out early in the second period.
When Aubameyang received a red card with 23 minutes left, the experienced Roy Hodgson would have fancied his chances of gaining three points against the youngest manager in the league and but had to settle for a share of the spoils.
Arsenal’s difficulties this season were highlighted by the fact this was the first time Palace were facing the Gunners after Christmas in a top-flight match with the Eagles higher in the table.
Hodgson was boosted by the return of Wilfried Zaha after he missed the defeat to Derby with a knock but new loan signing Cenk Tosun was only named on the bench.
Captain Aubameyang was recalled by Arteta after sitting out the FA Cup win over Leeds and opened the scoring at Selhurst Park in the 12th minute.
Mesut Ozil’s licence to roam had already caused the hosts problems and he moved inside to combine with Alexandre Lacazette, who played in his fellow forward to curl into the bottom corner for his 16th goal of the season.
It was a breathtaking Arsenal move, which started with a brave through ball between the lines by David Luiz, and Palace struggled to gain possession during the opening 30 minutes.
Zaha cut a frustrated figure and this was highlighted when he shoved Nicolas Pepe into Lucas Torreira, with the visiting pair needing treatment.
– Palace settle –
The Eagles slowly settled into the London derby and Cheikhou Kouyate had their first effort of note shortly before half-time, which Bernd Leno unconvincingly parried.
Arteta introduced Matteo Guendouzi at half-time, with Torreira not returning but Palace continued to win free kicks in dangerous positions after the break.
Eventually they made one count, when Jairo Riedewald found Max Meyer in space down the right. His cross was poor, but Kouyate was first to it and set up Ayew, who saw his strike take a big deflection off Luiz and loop over Leno in the 54th minute.
Arsenal’s problems deepened when Aubameyang caught Meyer high on the ankle with a poor challenge by the touchline.
Referee Paul Tierney showed a yellow card but VAR had a look and after a two-and-a-half minute delay, the caution was upgraded to a sending off.
Aubameyang was distraught as he left the pitch in the 67th minute and Meyer had to follow him down the tunnel after failing to recover from the tackle.
That allowed Hodgson to introduce Tosun for his debut, while Arteta withdrew Ozil for Brazilian forward Gabriel Martinelli.
James Tomkins almost produced a winner 12 minutes from time, but his header was cleared off the line by Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Arsenal then almost stole it.
Vicente Guaita came to the rescue though, when he superbly tipped Pepe’s shot on to the post and saved Lacazette’s follow-up in the 83rd minute as it finished all square.
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