Hottest double act in Toon!
Zaha wins penalty and Milivojevic puts it away
IT is one of the Premier League’s most potent attacking combinations yet rarely do they even have to pass to each other to score a goal.
And so it was again here that a penalty won by Wilfried Zaha was converted by Luka Milivojevic. The former has been awarded six spotkicks after being fouled this season, while the latter has netted 10 on the spin from 12 yards.
There was, then, an air of inevitability about the outcome as Crystal Palace broke at pace in the 81st minute with game goalless.
Newcastle defender Fabian Schar had clearly read the script, for he tried to take out Zaha before the winger had entered the penalty area. Zaha rode the challenge but had no interest in attempting to hurdle DeAndre Yedlin’s loose leg when it was presented a few yards further on.
And why should he? There were certainly no complaints from those in black and white when Stuart Attwell pointed to the spot, their man had been tricked by Zaha, not cheated.
Palace boss Roy Hodgson used the word ‘provoked’ to describe the foul and he was right. When Zaha stops and shifts direction, as he did here, defenders will instinctively flick a toe in a bid to nick the ball. Invariably, though, it is Zaha who accepts the impact of the clumsy boot. Job done. Over to you, Luka. The Serb seldom fails to fulfil his end of the bargain.
Milivojevic is the best penalty taker in the land right now and he whipped his shot home with trademark authority — sending Martin Dubravka the wrong way and Palace 11 points clear of danger.
It was fitting that Mr Dependable has made them all but safe. One more spot-kick conversion this season and he’ll equal the record of 11 by ex-Palace striker Andy Johnson.
Hodgson said: ‘He is as good a penalty taker as I’ve worked with. Penalties are about technique, mental strength and composure. There were 49,000 screaming at him, doing their best to put him off.
‘But there’s no-one better from the spot. It’s great that Luka is doing that and it’s a real skill, but we have to pay tribute to Zaha, who keeps winning these penalties.
‘He came to the fore again. He did what he did so well, dribbling past people and provoking the foul.’
Palace rode their luck at times and only took control of the game during the final half hour after Newcastle lost Florian Lejeune to what looked a serious knee injury — the defender collapsing to the ground after his leg appeared to lock in the turf.
Rafa Benitez’s men had been the better team until that moment and visiting goalkeeper Vicente Guaita was drawn into a series of saves, denying Matt Ritchie, Salomon Rondon and Lejeune.
Guaita looked less assured when given time to consider his actions and one erratic punch allowed Ritchie to return a first-time volley which Martin Kelly did well to head wide when backpedalling in the sixyard area.
Newcastle’s best chance landed on the usually reliable brow of Rondon but he headed over from six yards, the top goalscorer mistiming his connection after Yedlin had picked him out unmarked.
Palace did have the ball in the net just before half time — James Tomkins heading in from a Milivojevic corner — but a linesman’s flag correctly ruled James McArthur to be offside and interfering with Dubravka’s line of sight. Hodgson agreed it was the correct call.
Lejeune succumbed to his injury on the hour and the Frenchman left t he f i el d on a st retcher. His team-mates had held his hand — so much pain was he in — and that seemed to deflate the Magpies.
Benitez said: ‘We did enough to deserve three points. We controlled them. But we made a mistake and paid for that. We knew how dangerous Zaha can be, we were watching the clips of him all week.’
They would have watched Milivojevic’s penalties, too. Sometimes there is very little you can do, even if you do know what is coming.