Crystal Palace 0-1 Wolves: Doherty strike settles it as Eagles goalless streak at home continues

Matt Doherty’s second half goal took Wolves to seventh in the Premier League table while Crystal Palace’s home woes continued.

The Eagles still haven’t scored at Selhurst Park this season having earned just one point in four games, and despite managing more shots on target than their visitors they couldn’t find the net again.

It is still a slight improvement on last season where they started with seven games, zero wins and zero goals but another disappointing home game without any cutting edge in the final third, fans are starting to wonder what is going on.

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Palace midfielder Jeffrey Schlupp was unlucky to have two shots cleared off the line in the second half as the home side woke up after going behind but it increasingly looked like another of those days.

Palace boss Roy Hodgson made the unpopular choice of dropping fan favourite Max Meyer in favour of Schlupp while keeping the industrious yet ineffective Andrew Ayew up front paired with star man Wilf Zaha.

His opposite number Nuno Espirito Santo kept his same starting lineup that he’s had for all eight Premier League games since promotion in the summer, a hint as to why they have settled so quickly to life back in the top flight.

The Eagles enjoyed more of the ball in the opening stages as the rain poured down in South London but couldn’t muster any chances of note. A series of corners were well defended by the away side before Zaha flashed a ball across goal that Ayew couldn’t get a touch to.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s cross then caused havoc in the Wolves box before being pounced upon Rui Patricio as the home side continued to press for an opener.

And they were nearly caught on the break as Wolves raced clear from a Palace free-kick with Diogo Jota feeding Raul Jiminez but the Mexican dragged his shot wide of Wayne Hennessey’s goal.

This buoyed the away side and they should have been in front when Jota fed Jiminez again with a hint of offside, but Hennessey – in superb form at the moment – came to the rescue with a smart save.

Jota – increasingly at the centre of all of Wolves’ play – then drew the game’s first yellow card after being fouled by James McArthur as the away side continued to look to exploit space on the break.

But it was Palace who had the next best chance as the clock ticked down towards half-time with Schlupp volleying just over after Patricio had fumbled a free-kick into his path in the box. Jota then fired over down the other end from almost the exactly same spot as the game started to open up.

Luka Milivojevic’s free-kick right on half-time was easily gathered by Patricio as both teams ended the first 45 minutes strongly.

After the break the away side came back into it and took the lead through Doherty’s strike as he played a one-two with Jiminez and squeezed it past Hennessey’s near post, which the former Wolves keeper will be disappointed with.

Schlupp then had two shots cleared off the line as Hodgson chucked on substitutes Meyer, Cheikhou Kouyate and Alexander Sorloth and while the German was inventive they couldn’t find an elusive goal.

Christian Benteke has taken plenty of stick recently for his lack of goals but the big Belgian – currently missing through injury – would have certainly added more thrust up front, something Hodgson’s side badly lacked again.

Wolves held on and the win took them into seventh place and continued their excellent start to the season while Palace’s struggles – particularly at home – continue and with Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal on the horizon it could be a bleak winter in SE25.