Crystal Palace were left unhappy with the authorities’ decision after losing 3-0 to Bournemouth in the Premier League at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday.
The Eagles fell behind 1-0 after a Jefferson Lerma own goal, but the referee penalized the hosts for a suspected foul on Marcos Senesi by Dean Henderson.
The Palace captain neatly slotted the first ball into the box with both hands before dropping the ball into the path of Senesi, seemingly tripping the central defender.
However, although replays showed the contact was minimal enough for the Bournemouth defender’s knee to hit the deck, VAR declined to suggest a review to change the referee’s mind.
Despite this incredibly controversial refereeing action that led to the second goal of the match, Palace cannot blame the referee for the result on the south coast.
Why Crystal Palace can’t blame the referee for their defeat against Bournemouth
Although the Eagles had their penalty taken away, they still hadn’t done enough at either end of the pitch to earn them a point or three to make them feel worthy of returning to London.
Palace’s starting three – Elemy Pino, Jorgen Strand Larsen and Brennan Johnson – finished the game with one shot on target from distance and one key pass between them.
Strand Larsen’s shot from the edge of the box in the 46th minute was Oliver Glasner’s side’s only shot on target for 90 minutes.
status | bournemouth | palace |
|---|---|---|
shot | 16 | 7 |
shot on target | 6 | 1 |
xG | 2.29 | 0.78 |
Non-penalty xG | 1.5 | 0.78 |
corner | 7 | 1 |
third and final entry | 60 | 50 |
Johnson, who joined from Tottenham in January for a then-club record fee of £35 million, played the full 90 minutes without registering a shot on target, a key pass, a cross or a successful dribble.
Therefore, Coach Glasner should be more concerned with the performance of his players than the performance of his officials. Too many players failed to reach their goals, including Lerma, Strand-Larsen, Pino and Johnson.
Worse than Johnson: Crystal Palace player should not start again this season
As dominant as Johnson was against the Cherries, there was another Palace failure even worse than Sunday’s Wales international.
Justin Devennie played the first half at left wing-back and the second half at right wing-back, but appeared to be below the level required of the Eagles in both positions.
The versatile player, who usually plays as an attacking midfielder or central midfielder, saw depth in both full-back roles and was broken through with four dribbles more than any other player on the park.
vs bournemouth | Justin Deveny |
|---|---|
minutes | 90 |
shot | 0 |
Pass accuracy | 68% |
key pass | 0 |
loss of ownership | 18 times |
tackle win | 3/7 |
dribbled past | 4 times |
The Northern Ireland international also struggled with the ball at his feet against Palace, completing just 68% of his passes and failing to create chances for his team-mates. That meant they weren’t able to provide Glasner’s team with quality play both in and out of possession.
Johnson completed at least 81% of his pass attempts and lost the ball only eight times, 10 fewer than Devenney in the same amount of time on the pitch.
It was the 22-year-old’s first start in any competition since January’s 2-1 Premier League loss to Sunderland and should be his last start of the season.
Devennie has started six Premier League games this season, with the Eagles recording three draws, three losses and zero wins in those games, but given his level of performance against Bournemouth, this shouldn’t come as a huge surprise.
The Northern Ireland youngster could develop into a valuable asset for Palace in the future, but at the moment he doesn’t seem ready to start games at the club’s top level.
Therefore, Glasner may have to keep the versatile midfielder on the bench for the rest of the season and make a big decision about his short-term future in the summer transfer window.
The next manager may not consider Devenney a key part of the team’s plans given his struggles this season and may decide to send him out on loan next term so he can gain valuable experience and develop as a player.
Crystal Palace want to sign bigger talent than Wharton for £17m
Crystal Palace could consider signing the £17m EFL star in the summer.
