Crystal Palace moved out of the relegation zone in the Premier League thanks to a 1-0 win over Aston Villa on Boxing Day.
The visitors had the best chances throughout the game but couldn't find a way past Brad Guzan as Jason Puncheon and Barry Bannan were denied.
However, late in the game Dwight Gayle curled an effort over the American into the top corner to hand his side the victory.
Here, Sports Mole analyses the game to see if Palace deserved the three points.
Match statistics:
Aston Villa:
Shots 8
On target 3
Possession 65%
Corners 7
Fouls 10
Crystal Palace:
Shots 12
On target 7
Possession 35
Corners 5
Fouls 8
Was the result fair?
Palace had the better of the chances throughout the game as they were able to find space in the final third of the pitch. Yannick Bolasie put two chances on a plate for Jason Puncheon but he was denied twice by Brad Guzan, while the American turned an effort from Barry Bannan onto the post. At the other end Villa created nothing of note and barely tested Julian Speroni and they were duly punished when Dwight Gayle found the net. So on the balance of chances created, Tony Pulis's side did deserve their win.
Villa's performance
Paul Lambert's side were extremely poor in this game. They lacked ideas going forward and were vulnerable at the back. You can't discount the fact they were without Ron Vlaar and Christian Benteke but other teams are dealing with injuries as well, and they have to be able to come through that. The home side were reduced to knocking hopeful crosses into the box and hoping for the best, as Palace defended the channels well and gave Gabriel Agbonlahor nothing. Defensively, Antonio Luna had a shocker and gave Bolasie chance after chance to whip the ball into the box, which could have been costly but they were kept in the game by Guzan. The American could do nothing to stop Gayle's winner that seemed to punish Villa for their poor play.
Palace's performance
Pulis will be delighted with his side to take all three points from the game and he will be even happier with their league position as they moved out of the bottom three thanks to the win. Palace were solid in defence for the majority of the game and gave Villa nothing to feed on as Damien Delaney and Danny Gabbidon were solid at the back, along with Adrian Mariappa and Jonathan Parr. The midfield was also solid and looked to push forward whenever they could without over-committing and they carved out plenty of chances. If Puncheon had his shooting boots on, the win could have been so much more comfortable as Bolasie had an incredible game and laid several opportunities his way. Gayle's stunning goal was just reward for their play at Villa Park.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Yannick Bolasie: The winger was all over the pitch for the Eagles. He created chance after chance for them and should have had at least three assists, as he absolutely battered Luna down the right-hand side for the visitors and no matter how they tried to cover him, they just couldn't stop him. He had a brilliant afternoon and although he wasn't the sole reason for their win, he went a long way to getting it for them.
Biggest gaffe
Jason Puncheon could have put his side well ahead with a few chances in the second half, one of which was when Bolasie beat his man down the right and cut it back for the winger, he got the ball caught under his feet at the crucial moment and struggled to get a shot away. When he finally did, he fired straight at Guzan. The win would have been more comfortable had he taken the chances on offer.
Referee performance
A quiet game for Howard Webb. He handed out four yellow cards but he wasn't really noticeable during the game. A solid performance from the official.
What next?
Villa: The Villans host Swansea City at Villa Park on Saturday.
Palace: Pulis's side travel to face Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday in their Premier League clash.
Simon Sinclair
