Crystal Palace Vs Wolves: Guessand’s late strike secures narrow win
In the crystal palace vs wolves clash at Selhurst Park, Evann Guessand scored a 90th-minute winner as Palace beat 10-man Wolves to claim their first home win since early November. The match included a saved first-half penalty, a red card after a second booking on 61 minutes and late relief for a club under fan pressure.
Crystal Palace Vs Wolves match summary
Evann Guessand, the substitute who arrived on loan from Aston Villa in the winter transfer window, turned in Tyrick Mitchell's low cross for the only goal in the 90th minute. That late strike earned Palace a 1-0 victory over a Wolves side reduced to 10 men and eased immediate fears of being dragged into the relegation battle.
Penalty and missed chances
Early in the game Wolves' Tolu Arokodare had a tame first-half penalty saved by Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson, a wasted chance for the bottom club. Palace's other openings before the interval came from a Wolves error and a well-worked set-piece. Jorgen Strand Larsen, three weeks after making a £48m move from Wolves, had just one shot in the first half that was blocked on the edge of the box.
Red card and turning point
Ladislav Krejci, the Czech Republic centre-back for the visitors, was booked twice in four minutes and was sent off just after the hour mark, the second booking coming on 61 minutes. That dismissal handed the hosts the initiative, but Palace still failed to make the breakthrough until Guessand's late intervention.
Manager situation and fan unrest
Palace have been on a poor run of form since manager Oliver Glasner announced last month that he will leave the club when his contract expires in the summer. Some fans called for him to leave now during their Europa Conference League draw at Zrinjski Mostar in midweek. Despite saying after the game that he intends to stay, the team turned in another poor performance at Selhurst Park before Guessand's fortunate winner. During the match some supporters held banners to complain about both the club's board and Glasner, and some Crystal Palace fans remain not satisfied with the club's progress since winning their first major honour last May.
Strand Larsen's early Palace figures
Three weeks after his £48m move from Wolves, Jorgen Strand Larsen made his third league appearance for Palace against his former club. In his first 180 minutes of league football for Palace he scored two goals, more than he did in 1, 405 minutes for Wolves this season when he scored one. The 26-year-old Norway striker looked starved of service, appearing at times as if still aligned with the league's bottom team.
Late incidents and small margins
Yerson Mosquera's underhit backpass put Yeremy Pino through on goal; Pino lobbed keeper Jose Sa but the effort bounced well wide. That sequence, alongside the saved penalty and Krejci's dismissal, underlined how fine the margins were in a match decided only in stoppage time. A live blog feed was unavailable earlier, displaying the message: 'Sorry, this blog is currently unavailable. Please try again later. '
Substitute Evann Guessand's 90th-minute finish provided Palace with their first home victory since early November and a welcome, if narrow, respite amid growing fan discontent and managerial uncertainty.
