ABRAHAM’S SPOT ON TO BE LEGEND
Palace have slapped £80m price tag on him but that will not stop fans fretting
WILFRIED ZAHA was far too good for Bournemouth – but Palace fans will pray he does not prove too special for the Eagles.
The Ivory Coast star tore the Cherries apart to underline why he is coveted by the Premier League’s big guns.
Palace player of the year Aaron Wan-Bissaka also shone, while onloan Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi grabbed two goals to increase the resolve to secure him.
Palace have slapped an £80million price-tag on Zaha and are desperate to hang on to WanBissaka, but predators are circling.
Eagles boss Roy Hodgson said: “Wilf was fantastic, he has been playing like the Wilf Zaha we know. Nobody at the club wants to see any of those players leave, in fact quite the reverse. That’s why we’ve committed them to long-term contracts. Batshuayi is a different case, he’s on loan. That is a question for Chelsea.
“Every year the league gets stronger but it is a record Premier League points total of 49 for us.”
Eddie Howe, whose Bournemouth side have conceded 70 Premier League goals this term, more than anyone bar Fulham and Huddersfield, said: “Zaha was very strong today, we didn’t deal with him.
“Maybe we haven’t faced a better individual opponent all season. Defending is a big area for us to focus on next season.”
Zaha’s rightwing cross after 24 minutes took a wicked deflection and BatshPALACE: BOURNEMOUTH: REF: uayi provided a superb acrobatic finish. And just eight minutes later the Belgian doubled the lead from close range.
Bournemouth’s teenage keeper Mark Travers then weakly pawed out Zaha’s shot – only for the rebound to go in off Jack Simpson.
Jefferson Lerma lashed in the goal of the match from 30 yards on half-time and Jordon Ibe made it 3-2. Patrick van Aanholt then waltzed through to get Palace’s fourth after a onetwo with Zaha.
Striker Josh King stabbed home after sub Chris Mepham headed on Ryan Fraser’s corner to give Cherries hope of a point.
But taunts from the away fans sparked a final flourish from Zaha, as he cut loose to cleverly tee up Andros Townsend. ATT: ASTON VILLA
WEST BROM Gayle 16
TAMMY ABRAHAM aims to score 30 goals to fire Aston Villa to the Premier League and become a club “legend”.
The striker, on loan from Chelsea coolly dispatched his 26th of the season from the spot to cap a barnstorming comeback against West Brom.
He hopes for at least four more goals in potentially two games if Villa reach the play-off final.
The 21-year-old was courted by Premier League Wolves in January but Villa manager Dean Smith urged him to stay and become a club icon if they go up.
Abraham is rising to the occasion having scored just five times for Swansea in the league last term as they were relegated.
Asked if 30 was now on, Abraham said: “Hopefully. DERBY
LEEDS Roofe 55 That’s the aim, I’ll keep going. Everyone has supported me and believed in me. When people believe in you it gives you that extra confidence.
“The boys were asking me if I was scared on the penalty, but I wasn’t. I just focused on the keeper thinking, ‘It’s me and you here’.
“We are halfway there, we still have a massive game against West Brom on Tuesday. So if we get through that, I can focus on being a legend then.”
Albion looked like winning at Villa Park for the second time this term when Dwight Gayle scored for the 24th time this campaign.
But the home side improved after the break when Conor Hourihane came on, and he thumped in a brilliant equaliser from Jack Grealish’s assist.
Grealish was then brought down by Kieran Gibbs and Abraham made no mistake from the spot to give Villa an advantage going into the second leg.