5 MINUTES OF
Hodgson’s fighters out of bottom three after stunning Selhurst finale
HOW did that happen? Watford manager Marco Silva will demand answers from his players after this epic capitulation.
Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson, though, will not care a jot about how last night’s unbelievable sequence of events unfolded.
All he cares about is that Palace — at least until tonight’s Premier League games — are out of the bottom three for the first time this season.
Watford were cruising to victory after defender Daryl Janmaat’s third-minute opener. But a crazy five minutes sparked by Tom Cleverley’s sending- off in the 87th minute blew the roof off Selhurst Park.
Bakary Sako’s somewhat fortuitous equaliser in the 89th minute would have been enough to keep the Palace faithful happy following a game where they were largely second best.
But what followed was pure euphoria as James McArthur stroked home in the second of six minutes of added time to send Selhurst Park into a frenzy.
Sako and McArthur took the glory — but yet again Wilfried Zaha was Palace’s true hero, creating both goals out of nothing when all looked lost.
Hodgson can take his fair share of credit too, McArthur and Sako coming off the bench to steal victory. So rarely do substitutions come off to that effect.
A simply breathtaking finish. Elation for Palace. Utter dejection for Watford. Such is life in the Premier League.
No one gave Hodgson a chance of dragging Palace out of the fire given Frank de Boer’s disastrous spell in charge at the start of the season.
Now hope springs eternal for the south London club — and to add to the gloss they moved out of the bottom three at the expense of West Bromwich Albion, who are now managed by their former boss Alan Pardew.
Hodgson’s detractors said he would fail Palace. They said he was too long in the tooth, too set in his ways. Slowly, the 70- year- old former England manager is answering his critics in the best possible way.
As for Silva, he will wake up this morning scratching his head at how his team left south London with nothing.
Truth be told they should not have lost last night, not that it will come as any comfort to the Watford boss, whose side have now gone four games without a victory.
Christian Benteke would have been relieved to have kept his place in Palace’s starting XI after going against team orders to take — and subsequently miss — his side’s stoppage-time penalty in Saturday’s 2- 2 draw against Bournemouth.
Perhaps Hodgson’s decision to stick with his renegade striker came more out of necessity than choice, the Belgian the only fit senior striker at his disposal.
But Benteke could not do anything to prevent Watford from taking a third-minute lead.
The finish from Janmaat was simple, a close-range header from Richarlison’s cross planted firmly past Julian Speroni.
Palace’s defending was just as a basic. Who was supposed to be markinging Janmaat at the backck post? Presumably noo one given the amount of time and space the Dutchman was allowed to fire Watford ahead.
This was the doziest of starts from Palace and they couldd have fallen furtherer behind in the 10thth minute if James Tomkinsmkins had not blocked Richarlison’s charlit. goalbound effort.
But that is not to take anything away from Watford, who started this game with the vigour and industry we have come to expect from Silva’s team.
Cleverley and Abdoulaye Doucoure had the midfield locked down, while Richarlison was living up to his reputation as one of the signings of the season so far.
The Brazilian winger is supposed to be in the red zone — not that you would know it by this display. At times last night Palace could not get near him.
Speak to those behind the scenes at Vicarage Road and they will tell yyou he is in need of a rest. But Silva ddare not tatake him out of the team at the moment, he is that good. Scott DannD threatenedened with a headerh from Yohan Cabaye’s corner in the 30th minute as Palace tried to shake themselves out of their early malaise. But Watford should have doubled their advantage just seconds later as Troy Deeney squandered an unbelievable chance, somehow contriving to fire another Richarlison pass wide from four yards after getting his feet in a tangle. Strangely enough, the miss seemed to stir Palace into action. Benteke, who was largely anonymous in the first half, just failed to get a head on Zaha’s cross before Andros Townsend fired wide from distance.
Neither opportunity troubled Watford goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes, who ended the opening 45 minute without having to make a single save.
But, finally, Palace were showing signs of life.
The home side continued improving during the opening exchanges of the second half. Adrian Mariappa, a former Palace defender, produced a brave block to deny Ruben Loftus- Cheek’s shot in the 53rd minute after incisive play from Timothy FosuMensah down the right.
Yet the second-half onslaught failed to materialise as Watford looked to be cruising to three points.
Well, that was until the 87th minute as Palace dramatically grabbed victory from the jaws of defeat.
It all happened so quickly. Cleverley’s second yellow card for a mistimed lunge of Sako, the Palace substitute’s lucky ricocheted goal and then McArthur’s euphoric strike.
All a blur. A blur Palace fans will remember for a very long time.