Crystal Palace’s dominant second-half performance wasn’t enough to secure three points against Norwich City as Wilfried Zaha missed a key penalty.
Norwich City came into this game on the back of two consecutive league victories and were aiming to make it three in a row against Crystal Palace. Their intentions were clear as they worked hard from the first whistle. The Canaries successfully opened up the Palace defence within 30 seconds as Teemu Pukki poked in the opener.
Some dreadful defending at the back allowed Pukki the space to take up a commanding position in the box, as the Finnish star hit straight at goal when the chance was afforded, with Vicente Guaita able to do nothing.
Despite being the better team in the attack, Palace could not open up the Canaries defence properly. They had to wait until the 60th minute for a Wilfried Zaha strike from the edge of the box to level scores. The Ivorian put the ball beyond Angus Gunn’s reach in the top corner.
With Palace getting their rewards for a bright start to the second half with the equaliser, they had another chance come their way. Tyrick Mitchell was set free into the box and then taken down by Max Aarons as the referee pointed to the spot. With a good chance to take the lead, Zaha fluffed his lines from 12 yards in the season’s worst penalty miss.
The game ended with the scores level, as Palace remained in 13th place, while Norwich are back into the relegation zone following Newcastle’s victory earlier this week. Patrick Vieira’s quest to finish in the top half of the table may have taken a blow, but this is a progressive team, and considering the performance, there’s still time to amend things.
Here’s how the Crystal Palace players fared during their 1-1- draw to Norwich City at Carrow Road.
Vicente Guaita – 5.5/10
The early Pukki opener might have come as a shock, but aside from that, Guaita barely had anything to do all evening.
Joel Ward – 6/10
Ward seemed disheartened after Milot Rashica got the better of him for the shock opener. The right-back then got into the grips of the game and put in a dominant second-half performance from the flank.
Joachim Andersen – 6/10
After a tough start for the entire Palace defence, Joachim Andersen will be somewhat pleased by his progress, as some of his build-up play from the back was superb. Otherwise, the Dane was solid enough to protect the goal under less pressure from the Canaries.
Marc Guehi – 6.5/10
Marc Guehi keeps on improving with each passing game, as the young defender put in another solid display for Palace. While he was not involved much in build-up play, the centre-back was instrumental in possession and keeping a tight lid on any potential Norwich City attack.
Marc Guehi for £20m is easily one of the best pieces of business anyone in the league has done this season.
Exceptional. We won't see him at Palace for long if this continues.— Sean CPFC (@SH20CPFC) February 9, 2022
Tyrick Mitchell – 8/10
On a personal note, Tyrick Mitchell had a sensational game, making two superb last-ditch challenges to deny Pukki twice. He was the main attacking full-back in the match, and some of his runs into the box caused chaos in the Norwich defence. He also won the penalty that Zaha missed.
Will Hughes – 7/10
Will Hughes did a fine job in the anchor role, as he kept breaking up play and recycling the ball for his attackers. It wasn’t an influential performance by any means, but Vieira will be happy with his tidy and combative style in midfield.
Conor Gallagher – 6/10
Conor Gallagher did not have the impact expected of him, and this game could be considered a missed opportunity for the Chelsea loanee. He was caught off guard for the Norwich opener, although he subsequently then had some lively moments without posing any real danger to the Canaries.
Jeffrey Schlupp – 6/10
Jeffrey Schlupp had a good chance from outside the box to score but he could not find the back of the net. Other than that, he put in a decent shift in midfield. He was physical in his approach, and his performance could be deemed more industrious than influential.
Michael Olise – 7/10
Michael Olise continued his bright form in the attacking third as the youngster was a constant thorn for the Canaries defence. While he might have been let down by his attackers, the quality of the chances created by the teenager were superb and deserved a better outcome.
Michael Olise has registered 4 assists in the #PremierLeague this season, more than any other Crystal Palace player.
Continues to shine in the PL. ? pic.twitter.com/hAWvhDOEX8
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) February 10, 2022
Jean-Philippe Mateta – 6/10
Jean-Philippe Mateta put in a good shift in the number nine role, offering a physical presence in the final third. There was one chance to equalise, which the linesman denied.
Wilfried Zaha – 7/10
Zaha went from hero to zero in no time. While Vieira will be pleased to see his star man on the scoresheet, the manager would be disappointed with how the Ivorian took his crucial penalty. The spot-kick miss was by far the worst we have seen this season, and the winger will not be a happy man. But his overall contributions to the game were outstanding, and the player certainly deserves credit for that.
Wilfried Zaha's game by numbers vs. Norwich:
100% take-on success
90.7% pass accuracy
69 touches
43 passes
5 crosses
4 shots (=most)
4 fouls won (most)
1 goalAnd a missed penalty. ? pic.twitter.com/zZFFopgMJK
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) February 9, 2022
Substitutes
Jordan Ayew – 5.5/10
Jordan Ayew was sent on to get the winning goal, butPalace somewhat lacked ideas when he was introduced.
Eberechi Eze – 5/10
Considering his bright FA Cup performance, it was quite baffling to see him on the bench. In any case, Eberechi Eze could not influence the game during his cameo appearance as Palace had to be content with a draw.
Odsonne Edouard – 5/10
Vieira had one thing in mind, which was to get another goal. All his substitutions were attackers, and all of them were mostly ineffective, including Odsonne Edouard.
