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Crystal Palace Fan View: Bakary Sako the difference

Bakary Sako demonstrated why he deserved the chance to start the game with a goal and an impressive performance
Bakary Sako demonstrated why he deserved the chance to start the game with a goal and an impressive performance
Sako delivers, Benteke… doesn’t.

What a vein of form Bakary Sako is in at the moment. He deserved the chance to start for Crystal Palace yesterday, irrespective of Townsend’s injury, and once again displayed the kind of quality we’ve seen from him consistently this season. He beat players, he put in dangerous crosses and was direct and aggressive, as well as doing his fair share defensively. His goal demonstrated that kind of directness and, but for a few inches, could have at least one more. Expect to see more of Bakary Sako.

It’s quite easy to continue to criticise Christian Benteke, but one key aspect of his game remains missing: the goals. His all-around play has improved, he’s holding the ball up much better and bringing others into play, and won a lot of aerial balls when we had to go route one. However, he still looks like a striker devoid of confidence, which was summed up as he closed down on goal in the closing few minutes.

Mee misjudged a header and Benteke was through on goal… and hesitated. He didn’t pull the trigger on sight, he delayed long enough for a Burnley player to get across and block, and in a flash the chance was gone. He has to get a shot off and put it on target in that situation – if it’s saved, fine but he just seems acutely aware that he hasn’t scored in a while and it’s become a real problem.

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Ben Mee got there just ahead of James McArthur to ensure Burnley remained just one behind
Ben Mee got there just ahead of James McArthur to ensure Burnley remained just one behind
Win doesn’t reduce the need to strengthen the Crystal Palace squad

There were good performances across the pitch yesterday, but a glance at the bench would have demonstrated that there wasn’t much in the way of reinforcements if that hadn’t been the case. Yohan Cabaye wasn’t really fit enough for the bench, so the only realistic options we had from the bench were Lee Chung-Yong, Damien Delaney and two youth players. I am far from convinced Damien Delaney is still capable of mixing it in the Premier League regularly, and Lee has started just 10 times in three years under successive managers – that ought to tell you something.

Where must we strengthen? Well, Sako’s resurgence in form has no impact on our need to sign a striker. If nothing else, the competition can do little harm and if there was an injury to an attacking player, it would have just a little less of an ‘end-of-the-world’ feel. I wouldn’t rule out a keeper being added, and with Puncheon’s injury, I also wouldn’t be surprised to see a midfielder come through the door.

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Last ditch defending kept Burnley in the game at times

Burnley had chances, but Crystal Palace also came so close to extending our lead on a number of occasions, only to be thwarted by some last-ditch defending. Ben Mee got there just ahead of James McArthur to clear the ball off the line after Zaha had squared, James Tarkowski put his body on the line as Christian Benteke bore down on the six-yard box and Taylor blocked Zaha’s volley from the edge of the six-yard box that was surely destined for the back of the net.