LONDON, May 16: Tyrick Mitchell’s first goal for Crystal Palace helped his team edge out Aston Villa 3-2 at Selhurst Park in the Premier League on Sunday.
Roy Hodgson’s team trailed twice, through goals by John McGinn and Anwar El Ghazi for Villa, but a spirited second-half rally saw the hosts recover.
Christian Benteke’s initial equalizer was followed up by goals after the break from Wilfried Zaha, via a deflection, and another academy graduate in left back Mitchell, who bundled in with six minutes left to earn Palace all three points. Both sides made changes as they have little to play for this season, with Jack Butland handed a surprise start in goal by Palace for his first Premier League appearance in three years.
McGinn scored after a weak clearance from stand-in Palace captain Gary Cahill, which presented the Villa captain for the day with the ball and the Scotland international curled into the bottom corner with expert precision.
The Eagles responded well to going behind and recalled pair Jeffrey Schlupp and Andros Townsend tested Emi Martinez before Benteke came back to haunt his old club in the 32nd.
Mitchell produced a fine chipped cross into the area and Benteke needed no invitation to head back across goal and into the corner.
It was the Belgian’s ninth of the season and the third game in a row he had found the net, but parity would not last long.
Ollie Watkins’ flick header was perfect for El Ghazi to drill in from close range two minutes later after defender Joel Ward had been attracted to the ball.
Martinez and Benteke were involved before the hour mark when the goalscorer was denied a second by a fingertip save from the Villa goalkeeper, with the crossbar also required.
Palace was pressing for a second equalizer and while the arrival of center back James Tomkins on the field raised eyebrows, Hodgson also tweaked the formation following the substitution to a 4-4-2 and it paid dividends.
Zaha, who had been wide left, was now in the middle and drifted away from his marker to control a pass by Eze. After he worked some space, the Ivory Coast international saw a shot deflect off Ahmed Elmohamady and beat Martinez.
After Zaha got to the byline and saw his cut-back only partially cleared, Eze’s shot into the ground was bundled in by the shoulder of Mitchell, who opened his account in professional football and earned the hosts a comeback victory.
Earlier, West Ham’s faint hope of scraping Champions League qualification was left hanging by a thread after it needed a late strike from Said Benrahma to draw at Brighton 1-1 in the English Premier League on Saturday.
Substitute Benrahma rifled home his first goal for the club with just three minutes to go, leaving the Hammers five points adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea with only two fixtures remaining.
Sixth-placed West Ham looked set for a damaging defeat at Amex Stadium after Danny Welbeck’s 50th Premier League goal broke the deadlock only three minutes earlier.
Harry Kane endured a frustrating match in his bid to win the Premier League’s Golden Boot for the third time despite scoring in Tottenham’s 2-0 win over Wolverhampton on Sunday.
Kane’s 45th-minute goal moved him to a league-leading 22 for the season — one clear of Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah — but the England captain also struck the post twice and had an effort cleared off the line.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who set up Kane for the opening goal with a piercing through-ball, added the second in the 64th minute by tapping in a rebound from close range after Gareth Bale’s shot was saved.
Tottenham moved into sixth place, above West Ham on goal difference, and still has a mathematical chance of finishing in the top four in the race for Champions League qualification. (AP)
