Crystal Palace maintained its 100% winning record under Roy Hodgson after Eberechi Eze scored twice in a 2-0 victory over Southampton on Saturday to deal a damaging blow to the south-coast club’s Premier League survival hopes.
In a game between the youngest and oldest managers in the English top flight, it was 75-year-old Roy Hodgson who triumphed over 39-year-old Ruben Selles as the London side won three games in a row for the first time this season.
Southampton was dominant in the first half but failed to make its chances count while Palace’s Michael Olise did have the ball in the back of the net but it was ruled out for offside.
Palace broke the deadlock nine minutes into the second half when Jordan Ayew’s cross was parried by goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu straight into the path of Eze, whose eyes lit up for an easy tap-in.
Eze doubled the lead with a moment of individual brilliance when the 24-year-old turned to get past a defender, briefly looked up and drilled a shot from 25 yards into bottom corner for his seventh goal of the season.
The result moved 12th-placed Palace nine points clear of the drop zone while Southampton is four points behind 17th-placed Everton with nine games left this season.
Costa grabs first Wolves goal in 2-0 win over Brentford
Diego Costa of Wolverhampton Wanderers celebrates after scoring. | Photo Credit: CLIVE MASON/Getty Images
Striker Diego Costa netted his first goal for Wolverhampton Wanderers, getting on the scoresheet in the first half of a 2-0 Premier League win at home over Brentford on Saturday that moved his side seven points clear of the relegation zone.
After beating Chelsea last week, Wolves are now in 13th spot on 34 points, seven clear of Nottingham Forest in 18th place. Brentford’s third straight loss leaves it ninth on 43 points with its hopes of European football next season fading fast.
Luck played a major part as the 34-year-old Costa, who joined the club in September 2022 from Brazilian side Atletico Mineiro, miscontrolled the ball in the box in the 27th minute but still managed to steer Christian Norgaard’s attempted clearance into the net.
The Brazilian-born former Spain international, who won the Premier League title twice while at Chelsea, almost doubled his tally early in the second half, blasting a shot from a tight angle that was turned away for a corner by David Raya.
Brentford coach Thomas Frank made a triple substitution in the 61st minute but it was Wolves who extended their lead, Hwang Hee-chan pouncing on Rico Henry’s weak clearance to score in the 69th minute.
With Costa having left the field to rapturous applause in the 73rd minute, the closest Brentford came to reducing the deficit was when Ivan Toney hit the woodwork in second-half stoppage time as Wolves held on to win.
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