Report: Saints suffer defeat at Selhurst Park

Tyler Dibling’s strike after 14 minutes looked like it may have set Saints on the way to victory in Ivan Jurić’s second game in charge, but a controversial Trevoh Chalobah goal later in the half cancelled out the advantage and the hosts then won it through an Eberechi Eze strike shortly after the break.

With a short turnaround between fixtures, Jurić made three changes to the team he named against West Ham on Boxing Day, as James Bree, Joe Aribo and Dibling came into the side, with Yuki Sugawara and Lesley Ugochukwu reverting to the bench, while Flynn Downes missed out with a knock. Jack Stephens also continued to be unavailable through injury.

James Bree was one of three changes to the team for the trip to Palace (Photo: Matt Watson)

Saints were put under some pressure early on, with Eze having a shot blocked inside the first minute, before Ismaïla Sarr tried an audacious effort from inside his own half soon after, although it was off target and never worrying Aaron Ramsdale.

A better opportunity was created by the hosts on eight minutes when Jean-Philippe Mateta won the ball off Nathan Wood in the Saints half, sprinted to the edge of the area and squared to Eze, but his low shot was straight at Ramsdale, who made the save.

Palace would have particularly regretted spurning that opportunity when the clock ticked onto 14 minutes, as Saints scored with their first true attack of the game.

Kyle Walker-Peters, fresh off his impressive showing against West Ham, was the architect, getting isolated on the left with Daniel Muñoz, breezing past him and driving into the area towards the byline. His low ball to the near post then found the feet of Adam Armstrong, who did well to help it further across the six-yard box, where it fell nicely into the path of Dibling, who swept home from close range.

Tyler Dibling puts Saints ahead at Selhurst Park (Photo: Matt Watson)

For Dibling, it was a second Premier League goal, following his strike against Ipswich earlier in the season, while for Saints it ended a run of more than four top-flight matches without finding the net.

They had a sniff of another one on 20 minutes when a cross from Aribo was flicked on to Bree at the back post, but his volley after chesting the ball into the air was kept out by Palace keeper Dean Henderson.

At the other end, Ramsdale had to make a smart stop from Jefferson Lerma after he worked space to shoot from 18 yards with a clever one-two, as Palace got back on the front foot.

They would then level the game in controversial circumstances shortly after the half-hour mark.

It came via a corner, with a wicked Will Hughes delivery to the near post being headed in by Trevoh Chalobah, but there was a big appeal from Saints for a push on Ramsdale by Mateta as he attempted to reach the ball, yet, despite a VAR check, referee Michael Salisbury’s decision not to award a foul stood.

There was no one to impede him soon after, when he first made a fantastic stop to repel an effort from Sarr as he broke through, before then keeping out Lerma’s well-struck bicycle kick from the resulting corner.

Aaron Ramsdale was heavily involved in the first half (Photo: Matt Watson)

Saints were now really under pressure, and they nearly fell behind on 37 minutes when Tyrick Mitchell’s low ball across the face of goal found Muñoz six yards out, but his shot fortunately struck the heels of the back-tracking Walker-Peters on the line, which diverted it to safety.

The interval was probably a welcome sight for Jurić’s side with the way the final 15 minutes of the half had gone, but they nonetheless went into it well in the game.

Neither side made any changes in personnel during the break, but it wasn’t long into the second half before Jurić made his first switch, sending Ugochukwu on for Aribo.

Only moments later, though, Palace took the lead.

It was the ever-dangerous Eze who scored, pouncing on a loose ball in a central position 20 yards out and slamming a fierce, low strike into the bottom corner, with Ramsdale having no chance.

More bad news came on 58 minutes, as Mateus Fernandes picked up his fifth caution of the season for a hefty aerial challenge on Mitchell, triggering a suspension for Saints’ upcoming home fixture against Brentford.

Mateus Fernandes picked up a fifth booking of the season (Photo: Matt Watson)

Fernandes almost brought far better news on 64 minutes with what would have been a sensational equaliser, slaloming past a couple of defenders into the Palace area before seeing a left-footed shot tipped over by Henderson

Two more substitutions followed, as Paul Onuachu and Armstrong were withdrawn in favour of Cameron Archer and Kamaldeen, but it was still Palace applying most of the pressure, and the visitors survived a big scare on 70 minutes, as Eze won a free-kick inches outside the box following a foul from Taylor Harwood-Bellis, with the Palace player’s subsequent low strike hitting a leg in the jumping Saints wall, sending the ball bouncing into the ground and just over.

The threat of the hosts quietened a bit after that, but Saints were struggling to get any real foothold at the other end as Palace continued to keep them under control, and Jurić made two final changes in the closing minutes, bringing Ryan Manning and Adam Lallana on for Walker-Peters and Dibling.

There was to be no recovery, though, as the home side held on for the win.

Crystal Palace: Henderson, Muñoz, Chalobah, Lacroix, Richards, Mitchell, Lerma, Hughes (captain) (Doucouré 86), Sarr (Nketiah 90+4), Mateta, Eze (Kamada 86).

Unused substitutes: Turner, Clyne, Riad, Kporha, Devenny, Schlupp.

Goals: Chalobah (31’), Eze (52’).

Booked: Hughes, Nketiah.

Southampton: Ramsdale, Bree, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek (captain), Wood, Walker-Peters (Manning 86), Aribo (Ugochukwu 51), Fernandes, Dibling (Lallana 86), Armstrong (Kamaldeen 65), Onuachu (Archer 65).

Unused substitutes: McCarthy, Sugawara, Taylor, Bella-Kotchap.

Goals: Dibling (14’).

Booked: Fernandes, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek.

Referee: Michael Salisbury.