Classic Clash: CPFC vs AFC

Crystal Palace √ arsenal » monday 10th april 2017 premier league » Kick−Off 8pm

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28/07/2016 12:55:37

CPFC v AFC / / CONTENTS

THE PALACE PROGRAMME PROGRAMME EDITOR Jonathon Rogers CONTENT EDITOR Terry Byfield GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Billy Cooke, Andrew Makin PRINTER Bishops Printers

DIRECTORS Steve Parish (Chairman), David Blitzer, Joshua Harris.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE Phil Alexander

PHOTOGRAPHY Neil Everitt, Action Images, Michael Hulf.

CONTRIBUTORS Jonathon Rogers, Terry Byfield, Samuel Jordan, Ian King, Louise Court, Chris Waters, Dominic Fifield, Richard Spokes, Emma Wright, Phil Morgan, Kevin Day.

04 MANAGER

43 SELHURST STUNNERS

13 WILFRIED ZAHA

58 WAYNE HENNESSEY

21 OPPOSITION

71 FLASHBACK

32 #ASKTHEEAGLES

81 STATISTICS

Sam Allardyce looks back on the recent run of good form and the Southampton defeat.

We go all the way back to the 1960s and look at George Graham’s Goal of the Season winner.

After reaching 250 Palace appearances against the Saints, the winger is targeting more milestones.

After recently claiming three successive clean sheets, the keeper reveals what is helping him produce his best form.

Back in 1972 Palace came from behind to claim a valuable point against Arsenal, and we speak to Bobby Kellard.

Get all the information on Arsene Wenger’s Gunners who are battling hard for a Champions League spot.

Andros Townsend tackles your Twitter questions including great goals, French Fries and beards.

Take a look at how the first-team, development and academy sides have been getting on of late.

03

CPFC v AFC / / THE MANAGER

After our great run of form came to an end at Southampton, we now have to refocus to give us the best chance of staying in this league.

verybody in and around the club has had a lift after what we’ve done recently, but we’re still far from being safe yet. We’ve given ourselves hope, but that’s all it is at the moment and we have to get the job done as quickly as we can.

Our fourth win out of four came at Chelsea, and I always like it when you do the unexpected in a David v Goliath scenario, so it was a terrific result. It was one of the sweetest victories of my managerial career because they are so far ahead of the rest of the Premier League and hadn’t been defeated at home since September, but also because we came from behind having suffered an early setback.

In a way the last thing we needed was having a game the following Wednesday because we wanted a full week to put that behind us. There was an extra ounce of effort from everybody to hang on at Stamford Bridge, and by the time the Southampton game came around the players hadn’t recovered from the physical demand that was put on them in that game, and fatigue was an issue.

It was a shame at Southampton that, despite not playing as well as we did against Chelsea, we had more chances but we

“

I ALWAYS LIKE IT WHEN YOU DO THE UNEXPECTED, SO IT WAS A TERRIFIC RESULT

”

didn’t convert them, and then we weren’t professional enough in seeing the game out at 1-1 by allowing the opposition to score two easy goals in the space of a minute. Having been so sound defensively recently, it was frustrating to lose 3-1 when we should have come home with a point.

The goal we scored was fantastic and build-up play-wise, it was one of the best we have scored this year, rather than relying on individual brilliance. I always had faith that Christian would begin scoring again once he got one, and hopefully he’ll go on a run now because we need him to as our remaining fixtures are the hardest of all the other teams down at the bottom of the table.

Therefore, we have to be 100% on top of our game from now until the end of the season. We have too many injuries at the minute so we have to try and ease that

04

situation, particularly with all the games coming up this month so I need to be able to change the side around and introduce some fresh legs. We’d gone through the whole of March rarely having to change the team but now we’re having to do that now, and that can spoil the flow.

We have the chance to record a third straight home win tonight against Arsenal, but even if we don’t then we have to make sure that we don’t lose. The support at Selhurst Park throughout my time here has been excellent, and we appreciate the effort you’re all putting in, so some more of the same would definitely help us this evening.

CPFC v SFC / / THE MANAGER

05

CPFC v AFC / / THE CAPTAIN

While the Chelsea win was fantastic for our survival hopes, it was a bittersweet afternoon for myself as it looks as though I’ll miss the next six weeks through injury.

t’s just one of those unfortunate things that happen from time to time. As Diego Costa has taken the shot, I’ve blocked it but his follow through caught me on the leg, and as its gone into the ground my knee twisted. I damaged my medial ligaments, but after the way it felt at the time I’m probably lucky with the outcome.

It is frustrating to pick up an injury now, but it’s not one that you look back on and think that you could have prevented; I was just unlucky. I was only on the field for 10 or 12 minutes and was just getting into the game, so it was an important challenge to make but it came at a cost.

The main thing is that we went on and won the game as we were in a great position at the time. I said beforehand that if we kept playing as we had in the previous three games then we would beat one of the big teams. We always go up against the top clubs as underdogs but that gives you a little bit more determination and shock everyone like we did against Chelsea.

It was disappointing to follow up that magnificent result with a loss at Southampton. The momentum was really good going into the game, and while there are no excuses in terms of why we lost, a lot

“

IT IS FRUSTRATING TO PICK UP AN INJURY NOW, BUT IT'S NOT ONE THAT YOU LOOK BACK ON AND THINK THAT YOU COULD HAVE PREVENTED

”

went into the Chelsea game both mentally and physically and the match last week came so soon after that. We just have to make sure that it’s a one-off; we’ve shown that we can put a run together and if we knuckle down then we can go on another run, starting tonight against Arsenal.

It’s going to be a tough end to the season as we’re not quite where we want to be in the league, but there are still eight games to go and we need some big performances and results between now and the end of the season. Whoever those come against or where, it doesn’t really matter as long as we dget them as quickly as possible.

As players, we have noticed the extra effort that the fans have been putting into their support at home recently, and we

06

would like to thank you for it. Everyone in the dressing room knows as soon as they come to the club what Crystal Palace means to the fans, and I think in the last few home games we’ve really needed you on our side to help us get the results.

We all need to stand up and be counted, and as much as the lads have to perform on the pitch, it doesn’t half help when we have that kind of support behind us every week.

Hopefully you can once again back us from the stands tonight and help push the boys towards another huge result.

07

CPFC v AFC / / THE CHAIRMAN

Firstly I would like to welcome the directors, management, players and supporters of Arsenal to Selhurst Park tonight.

onday night games under the lights are always a little bit special and hopefully this one proves to be no different. The games are coming thick and fast right now with the table constantly changing, so it's not a time for the faint-hearted.

Having done so well to win four games out of our last five, I guess we all thought things might be looking a little easier in our quest for survival, but with the teams around us winning too it looks like we will have to find a good few more victories to be safe.

The players and the staff are incredibly focused on that goal, as I know are all the supporters. There is no better show of faith than to buy a season ticket for next season when things are still to be decided, and I'm pleased to report we have sold almost 15,000 already which is above the previous sales for the same time of any season that we have been in the Premier League.

To everyone that has renewed I have to say a huge thank you! As for those who haven't got theirs yet there is still time to do so. All remaining seats have been released now so if you are thinking of diving in for the first time or maybe coming back after a break, now is the perfect time to jump in and get a good spot.

“

AS USUAL IT WILL SEEM LIKE 12 VERSUS 11 THANKS TO YOUR FANTASTIC SUPPORT FROM THE STANDS, SO LET'S GET THE PLACE ROCKING AGAIN AND KEEP IT THAT WAY FOR THE WHOLE OF THE 90 MINUTES

”

So back to the football, the last home game against Watford was a turgid affair but we managed to get the all-important goal to secure the win, and tonight I'm sure will be a much more exciting game. Let's hope we can come away with a result against what is a very good Arsenal team, despite what people are saying.

As usual it will seem like 12 versus 11 thanks to your fantastic support from the stands, so let's get the place rocking again and keep it that way for the whole of the 90 minutes, as well as the additional injury-time.

We all know how crucial the next eight

08

games are for the club’s season. Everything else is pretty secondary right now so let's get behind the boys and see if we can get the job done and secure our Premier League status as soon as possible.

Up the Palace!

09

CPFC v AFC / / NEWSROOM

TOWNSEND WINS GOAL OF THE MONTH Andros Townsend scooped the Premier League’s Carling Goal of the Month award for March for his sensational 80-yard solo effort against West Bromwich Albion.

The Palace man beat off competition from Fernando Llorente, Eden Hazard, Harry Kane, Robert Huth, Jesse Lingard, Alexis Sanchez and Oumar Niasse to claim the prize, which was decided by a panel of experts and Premier League fans.

In the final moments of the game at The Hawthorns, Townsend dispossessed Jonathan Leko on the edge of his own area, and began to advance upfield. When he reached the Albion box, some stepovers helped him past Gareth McAuley and he fired low past Ben Foster to seal the win.

Speaking about his strike, Townsend said: “I shrugged off Leko and Christian [Benteke] ran away so he left me the space,

10

and even though I had nothing left I thought ‘I’m going to have to go for this.’ Thankfully I scored.

“It’s definitely up there as one of the best in my career. I’ve been criticised that I’m a great scorer of goals, but not a great goalscorer. I scored one for Spurs from a similar distance, and a couple for England as well as another for Leyton Orient, so I’ve scored quite a few!”

CPFC v AFC / / NEWSROOM

APPIAH MAKES LOAN MOVE Palace striker Kwesi Appiah has joined Norwegian club Viking FK on loan until the end of June.

The striker, who has played 10 times for the Eagles since signing from Margate back in 2010, joins up with the Tippeligaen side whose league campaign kicked off last week with Appiah making his debut in a 1-0 defeat to Valerenga.

Appiah, 26, hasn’t featured for the Palace first-team since August 2013 but has

won six caps for Ghana whom he represented in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. After a short loan spell at Reading towards the end of the 2015/16 campaign, a knee injury sustained the following pre-season saw him miss the entirety of the last campaign but he has since worked his way back to full fitness.

The striker has also had loan spells at Aldershot Town, Cambridge United, Notts County and AFC Wimbledon during his time in SE25.

FREE COACH TRAVEL FOR LIVERPOOL There will be free coach travel on offer for Eagles fans making the trip to Anfield for the Premier League match against Liverpool later this month on Sunday 23rd April.

The original fixture was moved to a 4.30pm kick-off to allow it to be shown live on Sky Sports, resulting in a number train travel issues returning to London following the match, so the club are pleased to announce

this complimentary travel offer.

Travel will be available to all season ticket holders and paid members with a match ticket, with the coaches departing Selhurst Park at 8.30am, with additional guest tickets available at £24 each.

Bookings can be made with the Box Office in person, on the phone on 08712 00 00 71 or on cpfctickets.com.

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NEWS IN BRIEF -

Two of Palace’s remaining Premier League games have been changed. The rearranged home game against Tottenham Hotspur will take place on Wednesday 26th April at 8pm, while the trip to Manchester City on Saturday 6th May has been brought forward to 12.30pm.

The club is aware of the shocking attack on Reker Ahmed which took place in Croydon on Friday 31 March, and supports the police’s appeal to call for any witnesses to contact Croydon CID on 0203 276 2234 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or crimestoppers-uk.org.

Check your lucky number on the back of this programme to see if you’re the winner of £250’s worth of vouchers to spend at match sponsors Slaters Menswear.

The Selhurst Superdraw winning number from the Watford game was 2797. The winning ticket from the Middlesbrough game – 0239 - is still to be claimed.

Mamadou Sakho was named man of the match for the Hornets game by Michael Halsey from Sackville Bank.

-

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After clocking up the latest landmark in his Palace career against Southampton the winger is aiming to create many more memories, and hopefully sooner rather than later to help with the survival push.

By Jonathon Rogers

fter completing 250 Palace appearances against Southampton last week, Wilfried Zaha is hoping that number 251 of his collection is as memorable as number 249, which went a long way to helping the Eagles retain their Premier League status.

Five days before reaching his latest milestone on the south coast, the winger enjoyed one of his best ever outings in red and blue when he put in a world-class display to help down the runaway league leaders Chelsea. It was a new high point for the Ivory Coast international this term, which has been the most fruitful of his career with six goals and seven assists easily eclipsing his previous combined tallies in the Premier League.

With his career hitting new heights, Zaha is pleased to have amassed 250 appearances for the club which launched his career, but is keen to continue racking up the games especially now he has a new-found confidence in front of goal, roared on by his adoring supporters who have followed him every step of the way.

On hitting another landmark at St Mary’s, he said: “I’m buzzing; obviously the game didn’t go the way I wanted it to but I’m glad I’ve managed to get that far. The fans give me great support and I just try to give it back by doing everything I can in games, so I appreciate it every day. Literally every game, no matter if you don’t have the best game, they’re still behind you and it helps massively knowing that people aren’t going to get on your back if you mess up now and then.

14

“

WE JUST HAVE TO GET OVER CERTAIN PERFORMANCES QUICKLY AND GO AGAIN, THAT’S JUST HOW THE GAME IS. YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU DO BETTER NEXT TIME

“I’m still learning and getting better at certain things and trying to improve my game, so I think everything is coming together well for me this season. Getting more goals and assists is what I should have been doing for ages, so it’s nice to be getting them now. Playing well and not scoring as a winger is not the best, so I’m happy that I’m getting the end product in my game too.”

The victory at Stamford Bridge will live long in the memory of Eagles fans after it clinched a fourth win from four outings for Sam Allardyce’s side, however the defeat to Southampton has relegated that to a distant memory, with Zaha now keen to put it behind him and try to claim more big scalps, especially with five of the top six still to face this term starting with Arsenal this evening.

”

Having a final say on the Chelsea win, Zaha said: “We won that game and we were all buzzing but we have to move on. It was a good game for us and for me personally scoring and getting an assist, but there’s a lot more we need to do. Every game now is a big game for us, so we need to have the same mentality for every game going forward and make sure we do better than we did against Southampton.

“We just have to get over certain performances quickly and go again, that’s just how the game is. You have to make sure that you do better next time. I definitely think we can beat Arsenal though, we just need to tighten up and do the basics really well, and then we might be able to beat them. If you have confidence then we can do anything; football is funny like that so we’ll see how it goes.”

15

CPFC v AFC / / FINAL SCORE

PREMIER LEAGUE | SELHURST PARK | 18TH MARCH 2017 | ATTENDANCE: 25,109

07

SHOTS OFF TARGET

04

03

CORNERS

02

01

OFFSIDES

01

08

FOULS

15

43

POSSESSION

57

CRYSTAL PALACE 13. Wayne Hennessey 02. Joel Ward 05. James Tomkins 12. Mamadou Sakho 31. Jeffrey Schlupp 07. Yohan Cabaye 28. Luka Milivojevic 11. Wilfried Zaha 42. Jason Puncheon 11. Andros Townsend 17. Christian Benteke SUBSTITUTES 01. Julian Speroni 34. Martin Kelly 06. Scott Dann 27. Damien Delaney 14. Chung-yong Lee 26. Bakary Sako 09. Fraizer Campbell Goal

Own Goal

MILIVOJEVIC ZAHA

03

Yellow Card

16

First Sub

02

PASSES IN OPPOSITION HALF

25

WE ARE NOT HAPPY - THERE WAS A FOUL BEFORE THE GOAL AND IT WAS AN OWN GOAL. WE DIDN'T DESERVE TO LOSE”

IT IS NOW FOUR WINS IN SIX; WE ARE GETTING THERE. WE TOUGHED IT OUT AND OUR QUALITY PAID OFF AND WE DESERVED THE WIN

Red Card

MOST SHOTS

PUNCHEON

02

10.64KM

CATHCART

SHOTS ON TARGET

10.65KM

NIANG

00

MOST DISTANCE COVERED CAPOUE

An own goal by Troy Deeney proved to be enough for Palace to claim a third consecutive win as Sam Allardyce’s side’s brilliant form continued at the expense of Watford.

Having scored four in his previous three games against the Eagles, the visiting captain managed to get on the scoresheet again this time round, but it would benefit the Eagles as he inadvertently nodded in a Yohan Cabaye free-kick on 69 minutes in an ugly encounter which brought about another beautiful three points.

An added bonus was a third successive shut-out for the first time since April 2014 by a home defence that was barely troubled, helping to move Allardyce’s team further away from the drop zone.

Second Sub

24 WATFORD 01. Heurelho Gomes 15. Craig Cathcart 05. Sebastian Prodl 04. Younes Kaboul 03. Miguel Britos 22. Daryl Janmaat 08. Tom Cleverley 11. Valon Behrami 29. Etienne Capoue 21. M'Baye Niang 09. Troy Deeney SUBSTITUTES 30. Costel Pantilimon 18. Juan Camilo Zuniga 25. Jose Holebas 16. Abdoulaye Doucoure 07. Nordin Amrabat 10. Isaac Success 33. Stefano Okaka Third Sub

CPFC v AFC / / FINAL SCORE

17

CPFC v AFC / / FINAL SCORE

PREMIER LEAGUE | STAMFORD BRIDGE | 1ST APRIL 2017 | ATTENDANCE: 41,489

05

SHOTS OFF TARGET

05

09

CORNERS

03

04

OFFSIDES

02

FOULS

14

POSSESSION

27

12 73

12

CHELSEA 13. Thibaut Courtois 28. Cesar Azpilicueta 30. David Luiz 24. Gary Cahill 11. Pedro 07. N'Golo Kante 21. Nemanja Matic 04. Cesc Fabregas 03. Marcos Alonso 10. Eden Hazard 19. Diego Costa

“

SUBSTITUTES 01. Asmir Begovic 05. Kurt Zouma 26. John Terry 14. Ruben Loftus-Cheek 29. Nathaniel Chalobah 22. Willian 23. Michy Batshuayi Goal

Own Goal

FABREGAS COSTA

MOST SHOTS

09

PASSES IN OPPOSITION HALF

73

“

THE LEAGUE IS SO IT'S A SWEET THREE STRONG. WE FACED POINTS, TO COME TO A TEAM TODAY WITH WHO I THINK ARE GOING STRONG PLAYERS. I TO BE CHAMPIONS THINK THEY SHOWED AND WIN. THIS IS THEY WERE A WHAT THE PREMIER GOOD TEAM LEAGUE IS ABOUT

Red Card

”

Yellow Card

18

First Sub

03

FABREGAS

03

12.39KM

HENNESSEY

SHOTS ON TARGET

12.23KM

ZAHA

11

MOST DISTANCE COVERED MILIVOJEVIC

History repeated itself as Palace picked up a second successive 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge to end Chelsea’s 13-match winning home record and seal a fourth victory in a row.

All the goals came in a blistering 11-minute period at the start of the match, with Palace bouncing back from Cesc Fabregas’ fifth minute opener by stunning the Blues thanks to two goals in 60 seconds.

Firstly, Wilfried Zaha rifled a shot into the bottom corner after being set-up by Christian Benteke, and the roles were reversed when the Belgian dinked the ball over Thibaut Courtois to put Palace in the lead, with a resolute rearguard display, including an inspired performance from Wayne Hennessey, helping to pick up a famous win for Sam Allardyce's Eagles.

”

Second Sub

33 CRYSTAL PALACE 13. Wayne Hennessey 02. Joel Ward 05. James Tomkins 12. Mamadou Sakho 31. Jeffrey Schlupp 28. Luka Milivojevic 07. Yohan Cabaye 11. Wilfried Zaha 42. Jason Puncheon 10. Andros Townsend 17. Christian Benteke SUBSTITUTES 01. Julian Speroni 34. Martin Kelly 06. Scott Dann 27. Damien Delaney 16. Joe Ledley 25. Sullay Kaikai 26. Bakary Sako Third Sub

CPFC v AFC / / FINAL SCORE

19

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20

CPFC v AFC / / RECENT FORM

ARSENAL'S LAST FIVE RESULTS

5th April

West Ham United (H)

W 3-0

2nd April

Manchester City (H)

D 2-2

18th March

West Bromwich Albion (A)

L 1-3

11th March

Lincoln City (H, FA Cup)

W 5-0

7th March

Bayern Munich (H, CL)

L 1-5

Once again, Gunners fans have been left frustrated that their early season promise has led to a slump following the new year, with last Wednesday’s result against West Ham United finally bringing some respite after a tough few weeks for the north Londoners.

It was only their second league win in seven, a run that began with a shock 2-1 defeat against Watford on the final day of January. The wheels began to fall off after that as they then lost away at Chelsea to all-but end their title aspirations, and after scraping past Sutton United in the FA Cup they suffered the humiliation of a 5-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 clash.

With morale at a low ebb, Liverpool stole a march on the race for a top-four spot by winning 3-1 at Anfield, before Bayern came to the Emirates Stadium and thrashed the Gunners once again, with the 10-2 aggregate scoreline the worst suffered by an English side in the Champions League.

Arsene Wenger’s men did ease into the semi-finals of the FA Cup by taking their frustration out on non-league Lincoln City, but a capitulation against West Bromwich Albion was followed by having to come from behind twice to claim a point against Manchester City, leaving their hopes of maintaining their proud record of playing Champions League football in every season since 1998/99 hanging by a thread despite last week's convincing win over the Hammers.

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CPFC v AFC / / THE MANAGER

PLAYING CAREER: 1969-1981: Mutzig, Mulhouse, ASPV Strasbourg, Strasbourg (all France).

MANAGERIAL CAREER: 1984-1987: Nancy 1987-1994: Monaco 1995-1996: Nagoya Grampus Eight 1996-present: Arsenal HONOURS: 1x Ligue 1 title 1x French Cup 1x Emperor's Cup 3x Premier League titles 6x FA Cups 2x Premier League Manager of the Season ARSENAL RECORD: P1164, W667, D269, L228

WENGER ON...

Speculation surrounding his future: “Regardless of how long I stay, I will be devoted and completely concentrated as long as I stay at the club for. In terms of how long is left, that is not important. I will always bring myself to do the best for the club.

“At the moment, we are dealing with a difficult period in terms of results and it is important to concentrate on ourselves to do better again. When you take time to reflect and to put things into perspective you see that we have two games in hand to play and a cup semi-final to prepare for. Our season will be decided by the way in which we respond to this difficult period.”

Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil’s contracts: "At the moment we have not got an agreement.We have decided to focus on the end of the season and talk about it during the summer. It is the same situation with Ozil, because once you don't find an agreement and the negotiation lasts, it is not good. It is better you get it out and sit down in the summer."

Theo Walcott: “Theo has become more of a complete player, more efficient. He gets the ball in areas where he is extremely dangerous and that is a very intelligent part of being a football player. He does better in the tactical part of his game and works hard defensively and offensively. He has been less injured and that helps. He has turned up as well in big games. He showed that against Bayern, when he scored the goal and there was a penalty on him [not given]. He can influence games.”

Pressure to deliver: “You can basically say that if you don’t win the championship it is not a successful season. I can understand that but you take clubs like Liverpool and they have not won the Premier League, but they are a big club, and you have clubs like Man City and Man United.”

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CPFC v AFC / / THE OPPOSITION

One of the Premier League’s most iconic goalkeepers over its 25-year history, Cech originally arrived at the Emirates Stadium 18 months ago after forging his reputation in the game at Chelsea. Following his switch from Rennes in 2004, the Czech international won four league titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups, the Europa League and the UEFA Champions

33 PETR CECH

GOALKEEPER | AGE 34

League during his time at Stamford Bridge, but after being usurped by Thibaut Courtois he made the short move across the capital to the Gunners for £10 million. He is the most capped international in his country’s history, amassing 124 before retiring last summer after a disappointing group stage exit from Euro 2016.

03

04

KIERAN GIBBS

PER MERTESACKER

DEFENDER | AGE 27

DEFENDER | AGE 32

The 10-time capped England left-back has featured well over 220 times for Arsenal since his professional debut in 2007, but has seen his opportunities restricted this season despite captaining the Gunners for the first time in the EFL Cup. The Lambeth-born man started the 2014 FA Cup final win over Hull City and was an unused sub when they retained it against Aston Villa 12 months later.

The vastly experienced German international featured for both Hannover 96 and Werder Bremen in his homeland before arriving in London in 2011, and had already played in two World Cups before lifting the trophy as his side beat Argentina in the 2014 final. However, a knee injury in pre-season has seen the Gunners captain miss virtually all of this season, only returning to full fitness in the past few weeks.

05

18

GABRIEL

NACHO MONREAL

DEFENDER | AGE 26

DEFENDER | AGE 28 Now in his third season in north London, the Brazilian centre-back arrived for £11.3 million in January 2015 from Villarreal and has made just 55 appearances in all competitions during that time. His career started in his homeland with Vitoria where he spent three years before moving to Spain, and despite being called up for the Brazilian national side in 2015 he has yet to win a full cap.

Monreal has made the left-back slot his own in recent seasons at the Emirates Stadium, but has shown his versatility by also filling in at centre-back at times during his 150-plus appearances for the club. The former Osasuna and Malaga man won 16 caps for Spain earlier in his career, but after a three-year exile he returned to the squad earlier this season, scoring in a World Cup qualifier against Macedonia.

24

CPFC v AFC / / THE OPPOSITION

20 SHKODRAN MUSTAFI DEFENDER | AGE 24

The £35 million summer signing actually started his career in England with Everton as part of their youth setup having been plucked from Hamburg, but he only played once for the Toffees in a Europa League

06

game against BATE Borislov in December 2009. He moved on to Sampdoria and Valencia before his switch to Arsenal last August, and was a member of the German squad that won the 2014 World Cup.

LAURENT KOSCIELNY DEFENDER | AGE 31

One of the first names on Arsene Wenger’s teamsheet, the Frenchman is a regular for club and country and has captained the side in Per Mertesacker’s absence. The Gunners manager once again showed his eye for talent when he snapped up the relatively unknown centre-back from Lorient in 2010 for £8.5 million, having previously played for Guingamp.

Koscielny quickly found his feet and is now one of the club’s longest serving players, amassing over 275 appearances and enjoying the knack of popping up with vital goals, including one in the 2014 FA Cup final win against Hull City.

He is also a key part of the French national side and has 44 caps to date – 17 of which came last year alone as Les Bleus finished runners-up on home soil at Euro 2016.

24 HECTOR BELLERIN DEFENDER | AGE 22 An injury crisis in 2014/15 gave the pacey right-back his chance and he seized it to firmly remain a regular in Arsene Wenger’s plans, and his improvement has also seen him handed three caps by Spain following Euro 2016. Before his breakthrough, the former Barcelona junior’s career had consisted of a single League Cup cameo appearance and a short stint at Watford in January 2014.

08

15

AARON RAMSEY

ALEX OXLADECHAMBERLAIN

MIDFIELDER | AGE 29

MIDFIELDER | AGE 23

It has been another frustrating time with injury for the Welsh international who has missed most of this season but is available again now. When firing on all cylinders the former Cardiff City man is a key player for club and country, having nearly amassed 300 Gunners games, scored their winning goal in the 2014 FA Cup final and helped Wales reach the last four of Euro 2016.

After injury robbed him of the final few months of last season and the chance to feature at Euro 2016, Oxlade-Chamberlain has enjoyed a fruitful campaign in front of goal this term, finding of the back of the net six times so far to reach his best Gunners tally. The former Southampton man has collected 25 caps for England since his £12 million move in 2011, scoring five goals.

25

CPFC v AFC / / THE OPPOSITION

Another World Cup winner, the German playmaker began his Arsenal career brilliantly after his club record £42.5 million move from Real Madrid in 2013, but having led the league with 19 assists last term and scooping Arsenal’s Player of the Year award, he has just eight in 2016/17 to go alongside his six goals. However, he is one of the Premier League’s most talented players and is a keen collector of silverware, having won trophies with Werder Bremen and in Madrid, where he lifted the 2012 La Liga title.

Two FA Cups have followed in north London, and Ozil has also been named Germany’s Player of the Year five times in the past six years, whom he has an impressive strike-rate for having netted 21 times in 84 caps. He recently recorded his 50th assist for the Gunners against Manchester City.

11 MESUT OZIL

MIDFIELDER | AGE 28

17

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GRANIT XHAKA

ALEX IWOBI

MIDFIELDER | AGE 24

MIDFIELDER | AGE 20

Arsene Wenger’s midfield enforcer is back in the side after his second

The highly-rated Nigerian-born winger was handed a first-team chance in October 2015 and he has since quickly surpassed a halfcentury of games for the Gunners, netting six goals including one against the Eagles on New Year’s Day. The nephew of former Bolton Wanderers midfielder Jay-Jay Okocha, Iwobi has won eight caps for Nigeria and was named the CAF Young Player of the Year for 2016.

red card of the season, which was his eighth for club and country since April 2014. Signed from Borussia Monchengladbach for a reported £35 million last summer, the Swiss international began at Basel where he won two league titles before switching to Germany in 2012 and helping his team twice qualify for the Champions League.

35

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FRANCIS COQUELIN

MOHAMED ELNENY

MIDFIELDER | AGE 25

MIDFIELDER | AGE 24

Like Bellerin, the French defensive midfielder was plucked from a loan spell at Charlton Athletic in December 2014 and thrust straight into the Arsenal side as injuries took their toll. He has impressed significantly enough to keep his place ever since and has quickly clocked up over 130 appearances for the first-team; a far cry from his season-long loan spells at Lorient and Freiberg earlier in his career.

Not too much has been seen of the Egyptian since he moved to north London in January last year, as he has just played 23 times in the Premier League but did help his country to the finals of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations back in January, whom he has 50 caps for. Elneny came to prominence at Basel as they won four successive Swiss league titles between 2013 and 2016.

26

CPFC v AFC / / THE OPPOSITION

09

LUCAS PEREZ

ATTACKER | AGE 28

After a nomadic career that saw him ply his trade in his homeland of Spain, Ukraine and Greece, the striker rattled in 17 goals in 36 La Liga games for Deportivo last season to earn him a £17 million transfer to Arsenal. He has only found the net once in the Premier League, but has scored six further times in cup competitions has he scraps for opportunities with Arsene Wenger’s men.

07 ALEXIS SANCHEZ ATTACKER | AGE 28

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Sanchez is one of the stars of the Premier League, and averages under a goal every two games in the division since his £32 million move from Barcelona in 2014. He began with Cobreloa and Colo Colo in Chile before a brief stint with River Plate brought him to Udinese, and impressive displays for the Italians caught Barca’s attention who snapped him up in 2011. Sanchez played his part in their star-studded side but after winning the league, cup and World Club Championship opted for a move to England and was named in the PFA Team of the Year in his debut season. He has also shone at international level, helping Chile win consecutive Copa America titles in 2015 and 2016.

OLIVIER GIROUD

ATTACKER | AGE 30

The French hitman is the scourge of Palace, having scored in each of the past four seasons against the Eagles including that incredible scorpion kick goal back in January. A £9.6 million signing from Montpellier in 2012, Giroud has been a regular for Les Bleus since then and finished joint-top scorer at Euro 2016 with four goals, and is just five shy of a completing a century for Arsenal.

14

23

THEO WALCOTT

DANNY WELBECK

ATTACKER | AGE 28

ATTACKER | AGE 26

Walcott recently celebrated a decade at Arsenal by netting his 100th goal for the club in the recent FA Cup win against Sutton United, and has 17 goals to his name so far this term which is easily his best return since 2012/13. Still only 28, the winger burst into the nation’s consciousness when he was selected for England’s 2006 World Cup squad aged 16 and still to make his first-team bow for the Gunners.

Another player whom injuries have seriously restricted over the past couple of season, the former Manchester United striker returned to the Gunners line-up in January after missing the previous eight months. He will be looking to rediscover the form that has seen him hit 14 goals in 34 caps for England and play a key role in the United side that won the 2012/13 Premier League title.

27

CPFC v AFC / / SCOUTING REPORT

Arsene Wenger’s footballing philosophy hasn’t altered much over the years, but this season has seen teams work out an effective way of reducing their effectiveness.

Wenger hasn’t strayed too far away from his usual 4-2-3-1 shape throughout this term, with the back five a virtual constant presence throughout the campaign when not affected by injury.

In defensive midfield, Granit Xhaka and Francis Coquelin provide the balance to let those with more flair come to the fore, and as usual when the Gunners have been on song this season, they are a joy to watch with their silky, one-touch passing game still evident at times.

However, this campaign has seen Arsenal struggle when pressed hard and quickly, which prevents the attacking talents of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez from picking up the ball with time and space in central positions, and instead limiting their threat to the flanks.

No-one targets the central areas more than the Gunners, with 32% of their attacks going through the middle, but under increased pressure from defenders an average of just five shots on target per game has been recorded. Unsurprisingly, last season saw the Gunners top the league’s possession charts but this term they currently only have the sixth largest average haul.

Trying to find a bit more presence up front, recent matches has seen Wenger accommodate the returning Danny Welbeck with the influential Sanchez returning out wide. When you add Theo Walcott into the mix this is an extremely pacey front three capable of causing plenty of damage, but some constant shackling of them could prove as fruitful as it did for Watford and West Bromwich Albion recently.

LIKELY LINE-UP

WELBECK

SANCHEZ

WALCOTT

OZIL

XHAKA

COQUELIN

BELLERIN

MONREAL GABRIEL

MUSTAFI

CECH

16/17 PREMIER LEAGUE

CPFC

AFC

TOTAL SHOTS

265

312

STAT ATTACK Arsenal are the first Premier League side to score 100 goals in all competitions this season.

SHOOTING ACCURACY (%)

42

48

Olivier Giroud has scored more Premier League goals as a substitute than any other player this season (five).

CORNERS

159

161

Emiliano Martinez has kept a clean sheet in three of the four league games he's started for Arsenal.

GOALS SCORED

39

61

No team has scored more headed goals than Arsenal in the league this season (14, level with West Brom).

GOALS CONCEDED

50

36

The Gunners have won nine of their last 12 league games with Palace, drawing the other three.

28

CPFC v AFC / / OPPOSITION INTERVIEW

The centre-back spoke to Arsenal’s official website after scoring a crucial equaliser against Manchester City to keep their top-four hopes alive.

post-Christmas slump has seen the Gunners slide out of the Champions League spots with the pressure cranking up on manager Arsene Wenger, and the threat of failing to qualify for the competition for the first time since 1997 looming large.

However, the German centre-back stated that despite the fevered speculation surrounding the Frenchman’s future, it isn’t being spoken about being amongst the Arsenal squad.

“They’re talking a lot about the manager outside the club, but in the changing room it’s not a discussion,” Mustafi said. “He’s the manager, we’re the players and we are in every day to work on trying to win games. That’s all we have in our hands, everything else is something people like to talk about. That’s normal because it’s a big sport but it’s not in our hands. We are only focused on trying to give everything on the pitch.”

The game against Pep Guardiola’s men showed there was still plenty of spirit within the Gunners camp as they twice came from behind to claim a point and prevent City from pulling further away, but the World Cup winner was disappointed that they once again had to battle back after an early setback.

“I’m not happy about going [a goal] down to be honest,” he continued. “We’ve been going down in a lot of games but we did well to come back and I think that shows how strong we are. The only thing we have to do is focus from the beginning, try not to go down and then play our football like we play when we are a goal down. Then I think we will be able to deal with every team.

“Scoring a goal is always a nice moment, especially when it brings us back into the game. I really thought we could win it so it was especially nice to score.”

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CPFC v AFC / / INSTAGRAM

@nyakirby #cpfc

@jeffreyschlupp Focused

@p.souare_23

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CPFC v AFC / / #ASKTHEEAGLES

This season, you get to grill the Palace players. Follow @CPFC on Twitter and Samuel Jordan will pose your questions. Today is the turn of Andros Townsend.

HAVE YOU GOT YOUR BREATH BACK AFTER THAT GOAL YET?

WHO IS BETTER AT FIFA – YOU OR WILF? @FilthFromWilf

@JoseCPFC

Well, I think everyone saw the last time I played Wilf what happened, so that speaks for itself. Maybe people think I’ve played him since, but no, after that I retired at the top of my game.

Just about! Luckily we didn’t have a game for two weeks so I could recover properly. It was a lung-bursting run and I had absolutely nothing left by the time it hit the back of the net.

-

-

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE FOOD? @cpfcdazzler

HOW CAN I GROW A BEARD LIKE YOURS?

Any sort of chicken.

-

@JoeSultana97

I’m not sure, but when you’ve got no hair on top you kind of need to grow a beard to take the focus off your head!

DO YOU AND SCOTT DANN STILL HAVE A GOALSCORING COMPETITION GOING?

DO YOU PLAY ANY OTHER VIDEO GAMES OR JUST FIFA?

I imagine we do, seeing as we did at the start of the season. But we’ve not really mentioned it. I don’t know how many he’s on now, but it's probably more than me so I’ll keep it quiet!

-

@joe_cpfc_01

-

@cpfcdazzler

I play quite a few: Formula One, NBA sometimes.

-

32

CPFC v AFC / / #ASKTHEEAGLES

WHAT DO YOU EAT ON GAMEDAYS?

THE RECENT TURNAROUND IN FORM IS QUITE STAGGERING. CAN YOU SUM IT UP IN ONE WORD?

@HenryAldous123

For breakfast I’ll normally have scrambled eggs on toast, and lunch or pre-match I’ll have some pasta with tomato sauce and some chicken.

@DanSteggall

-

Togetherness.

-

WHO AT THE CLUB WOULD YOU NOT WANT TO GET IN A FIGHT WITH?

HOW DOES THE PALACE SUPPORT COMPARE TO YOUR PREVIOUS CLUBS?

@LDPetrov

@Nelson_Muntz23

Probably Bakary Sako. He’s a big guy and I keep pushing his buttons, so I know one day he’ll turn around and hit me. I don’t think I’d get up for a very long while…

To be fair the clubs I’ve played for have always had good support, but I think Palace – even when I’ve played for the opposition at Selhurst Park – are great. It’s a difficult place to come; the fans are right on the pitch and when they’re on song there’s not many better than them.

-

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SKILL? @Tristram_Foster

-

The boys get on to me that I’ve only got one piece of skill and that’s the step-over, so I’d have to go with that. I was going to say the Cruyff turn, but I do step-overs about 10 times a game, so probably that.

-

DOES IT ANNOY YOU THAT 99 FLAZZKES AREN’T 99P? @PalaceSmurf

I’m a professional athlete; I don’t eat ice cream or flakes anyway! *laughs*

-

WHAT IS THE BEST GOAL YOU’VE SCORED IN YOUR CAREER? @Corxgeous75

It’d probably be my goal on my England debut because of all the stuff that went with it. The goal against West Brom is definitely in the top three.

-

WHO IS THE BEST DEFENDER YOU HAVE EVER FACED? @EliasTheEagle

I think myself and Danny Rose have had some good battles over the years, when we’ve played against each other and in Spurs training. We used to kick each other a lot. He’s someone I look to test myself against when we play each other.

-

DO YOU THINK THE CRISPS FRENCH FRIES SHOULD BE DISCONTINUED? @pattymc_

I thought they were? I haven’t seen them in years; they used to be about when I was a kid.

-

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cpfctickets.com Live music & entertainment, including The Voice’s Lawrence Hill cpfc.co.uk

Drink Responsibly 34

CPFC v AFC / / LOUISE COURT

Journalist, Palace fanatic and former editor of Cosmopolitan Louise Court gives her take on the world of football in each edition.

here was so much to celebrate about that win at Stamford Bridge just over a week ago. Three points safely in the bag, Wayne Hennessey delivering a faultless performance, Mamadou Sakho’s ability to build a virtual wall in front of the goalmouth and the team throwing everything – including Andros’s arm – at holding onto our lead were just some of the gems on a great afternoon.

The biggest thrill for me was watching Wilf dance his way around the pitch. It was a joy to watch and even sweeter after the comments from Gareth Southgate and former Charlton Athletic player-turned-pundit Danny Mills. I hope they enjoyed seeing his display following his goal for the Ivory Coast against Russia, and went as scarlet as the England 1966 team shirt.

In case you missed it, Wilf’s decision to play for the country of his birth rather than England, the set-up that has ignored him for over three years, has come in for some criticism. Southgate protested that he would not pick any player without the ‘inherent desire’ to play for the Three Lions. He put it in the context of Jermain Defoe’s dedication to playing for the national team, but the difference is by the age of 22 Defoe, then a

Tottenham Hotspur player, was established in the England senior squad. Wilf is now 24 and Southgate’s entreaties were too little, too late.

Mills, meanwhile, said: “Ultimately he's taken the easier option and thought 'well, I might get a few more caps and I might get to play in a few more tournaments because my chances with England are probably going to be limited'.” Really?

If you can stay awake long enough to try and find some highlights in the recent England game against Lithuania, compare them to Wilf’s ridiculous goal against the Russians and then ask most supporters who they would like to see in their starting XI. Five years ago Wilf told Dominic Fifield:

35

“It’s 50:50 because I was born in Ivory Coast but all I know is England. When the time comes, I’ll make a choice.” At that time, stand-in England manager Stuart Pearce saw sense and made a point of wooing him despite the efforts of fellow Ivorian, Didier Drogba. Since then radio silence from the FA compared to continued interest from the Elephants (who have actually won an international trophy in recent memory) made all the difference.

But enough of the arrogance of the England set-up; the most important thing is keeping Wilf at Selhurst Park for as long as possible. His heart, I have no doubt, will always be here, but I am looking forward to his feet staying in SE25 too.

CPFC v AFC / / MESSAGEBOARD

Happy 9th birthday Ben. Hope Palace give you a win for your birthday. We all love you so much. Love Mum, Dad and Zac.

Enjoy the game Dhimitraq Pano, from your son Frensis.

Stefan, hope you have a great first experience at watching the mighty Palace in the Lower Holmesdale with me against the almost as mighty Arsenal! Lots of love, David and Mum x

Happy birthday Sam Hedgcombe who recently turned 17. Lots of love from Mum, Dad and Zack.

Happy fourth birthday to Frankie Russell (right) who is a massive Palace fan. Lots of love, Mum, Dad and Alfie xxx

Happy 50th birthday Simon Denegri! We love you so much. Enjoy the game. Your boys, William, Henry and Peter, and your wife Nicky xxx

Glad all over I married Lisa Pulham, happy anniversary for the 9th April. Love you loads, Andy and our boys xxx

In loving memory of Peter Cox - 16/8/41 to 15/3/17. From all your family, friends and The Palace Detectives.

In memory of Edward Dare – RIP xx

The day Charlie Back realised he's now Palace!

Massive hello to ex-Eagles YTS keeper Merv "the Swerve" Tottman, who is over from Australia with his good mate Adam. Enjoy your evening, love Dad, Mum, Luke and Katy.

Happy 50th birthday Dad, we hope you have an amazing day. Love from all of your family xx

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CPFC v AFC / / MESSAGEBOARD

Send your message (max 25 words) with a picture to programme@cpfc.co.uk for a chance to be in a future edition of the Palace programme.

In memory of Tony Sprackling who recently passed away at the age of 80. A lifelong fan who handed his passion down the generations.

My first ever game with my dad in 1972 was home to Arsenal and we lost 3-2. 45 years later I still thank my late father for the emotional journey. Robert Riviere.

Happy 60th birthday to Greg Burgess. Thanks for all the laughs and memories of watching Palace together over the years. Have a great day, Chris and Gary.

Happy 13th birthday Tom. Have a great day, come on Palace let's beat Arsenal. From Matt, Ben and Luke.

Happy first birthday to Marlon, the third generation of Palace fans in the ‘Little’ household. Not long until your first trip to Selhurst!

Wishing Dad an enjoyable retirement and Joe a very happy and balding 30th birthday!

From brothers Andy, Stu and the rest of the boys.

Happy seventh birthday to Ronnie, love Daddy, Charlie and Jodie.

Thank you Lee and Lorraine for the gift of our first handsome grandson, Isaac Michael Howard. We are so very proud of you all xxx

Happy 18th birthday to Samantha Jolliffe, love Mummy, Daddy and Kayleigh xxx

Happy 32nd birthday Kirby. With all my love, Jess xx

A very happy 38th birthday to Ohio Phil Morgan, lots of love from the OBO acca CPFC group members! Eagles!

A very warm welcome to Samuele Mura who is here today with clients from Italy.

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An unmissable season on Sky Sports

For full fixture information visit skysports.com/football 38

CPFC v AFC / / GLOBAL EAGLES

RICHARD BAMBER & JADE PURDIE

SUPPORTERS CLUB: Colorado Palace LOCATION: Denver, Colorado, USA TWITTER: @ColoradoPalace

heering from the Lower Holmesdale tonight are a number of visitors from the Rocky Mountain region of the USA who are part of Colorado Palace, a supporters club who follow the Eagles from the Three Lions Pub in Denver.

The trip has already got off to a great start after the fantastic 2-1 away win at Stamford Bridge. Before the match, a few of our members were also able to join a boat trip on the Thames with other 120 or so Palace fans, which was organized in aid of the 'Croydon 7'. It was a great three hours sailing up and down the river from Waterloo to the drop off point at Putney Bridge.

Back at home, the group has continued to show up to the pub early in the mornings (it’s a seven-hour time difference from the UK, meaning that a 3pm match kicks-off at 8am local time) to support the red and blue over breakfast. It also continues to bring together Colorado-based Palace fans, be they ex-pats or Americans who have fallen in love with the team.

Throughout March the champagne, traditionally the group’s way of celebrating a Palace victory, made a welcome return as the team’s form on the pitch picked up. Our members certainly hope to be ordering a lot more of it during the closing stages of the season.

While the fight against relegation occupies the immediate future, the group has begun to think about what the summer might bring and are naturally hoping that the club returns to the USA. The general consensus amongst the members is that a repeat of last year’s friendly against FC Cincinnati would be most welcome, although a Palace trip to Denver to play our local MLS side, the Colorado Rapids, would top that.

If you are ever in Colorado and Palace are playing, be sure to come and see the gang at the Three Lions, which is located about a mile east of Denver city centre. Special thanks go to Abby, Chip, Chris, Gaz, Ian, Jade, Kris, Liam and the two Richards for being a part of the club.

39

CPFC v AFC / / MY FIRST GAME

PALACE 1-1 STOKE CITY | FIRST DIVISION | SELHURST PARK | 10/01/1981 | 14,154

GRAHAM KEATING AGE: 46 PLACE OF BIRTH: SOUTHWARK CURRENT LOCATION: STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN

GENNOE HINSHELWOOD HILAIRE

CANNON

GILBERT

NICHOLAS

FRANCIS

BOYLE LOVELL

SEALY

CARTER

CHAPMAN

RICHARDSON

BRACEWELL

DODD

GRIFFITHS

MUNRO

HAMPTON

O’CALLAGHAN

DOYLE

EVANS

FOX

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was 10 when I saw my first Palace game. It was on a cold, horrible Saturday afternoon in January 1981 and I was taken by an older brother, who happened to be a Chelsea fan, and his girlfriend. The previous season he’d taken me to a Chelsea game in a failed attempt to convert me and as he was about to be stationed in Germany with the Royal Artillery, this was a goodbye day out.

The game was against Stoke City and we stood at the Whitehorse Lane end, which was partially a building site at the time as Sainsbury’s was in the process of being built, and basically resembled a wet mud pile.

We arrived late, just as the game was kicking off. I remember it was a dark day

CPFC v AFC / / MY FIRST GAME and the floodlights lighting Selhurst felt so bright. It was the first time I’d been to a floodlit game and even to this day when I go to any floodlit event I have that memory come back to me.

I don’t remember much about the game itself apart from being somewhat worried about being hit by the ball, which I think was the reason my brother made me stand at the front just to the side of the goal. Luckily for me our strikers couldn’t get that close to the target back then.

Terry Boyle scored for us just before half-time and that was the only glint in an

otherwise dire half. The second half was equally as bad as the first so my brother thought we should leave early to avoid the rush from the 14,100 strong crowd, so with five minutes to go we left.

On the way home we got fish and chips, switched on the telly to watch Celebrity Squares and thought nothing more about the game. My brother and his girlfriend left soon after dinner and that seemed to be the end of things.

Those of you old enough to remember will know there was no internet, SMS or football results anywhere! Match of the

41

Day only had three games from all four divisions and didn’t tell you about any game that wasn’t featured. It was a football blackout until the Sunday papers turned up!

So it wasn’t until the next day when I looked at the News of the World that I discovered Palace hadn’t won, but had in fact drawn 1-1 as Mike Doyle had scored in the 90th minute for Stoke.

That sums up my relationship with Palace and maybe yours too? As Palace fans we have got used to hoping for the best and expecting the worst. But would we be happy if it were any other way?

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42

CPFC v AFC / / SELHURST STUNNERS

This season we will be profiling some of the best ever goals seen at Selhurst Park, but not scored by Crystal Palace. Here is a Goal of the Season winner from yesteryear.

GEORGE GRAHAM CRYSTAL PALACE V ARSENAL FIRST DIVISION 1ST NOVEMBER 1969 Palace: J. Jackson, Hoadley, Hynd, McCormick, Loughlan, Taylor, Payne, Kember, Woodruff, Bartram, Queen.

Arsenal: Barnett, Storey, Simpson, Neill, McNab, Robertson, Sammels, Court, Armstrong, Graham, Radford.

his is a goal probably only remembered by only a certain number of people inside Selhurst Park that crisp autumn afternoon nearly half a century ago, but it will be fondly recalled by those in red and white occupying the Arthur Wait rather than Selhurst’s three other stands.

After three months in their new surroundings of the First Division, Bert Head’s Palace had only won two games during their maiden taste of top-flight football, so the task was a daunting one when Arsenal turned up at the start of November and proceeded to run riot.

George Armstrong opened the scoring with a tap-in before Per Bartram equalised

for the Glaziers, but a minute into the second half John Radford restored the lead with a bullet header before he flicked in a corner in the 58th minute to make it 3-1.

But 60 seconds later came the goal of the game, and ultimately the season.

Arsenal won a free-kick just inside the Palace half, and Peter Simpson stepped up to clip a left-footed delivery into the area which dropped 12 yards from goal where Radford was waiting to head the ball towards Armstrong on the edge of the area.

David Payne managed to get a toe to the ball which sent it spinning away from danger but Radford was on hand to once again use his head and find Graham 30 yards from goal. The striker took a

43

touch before laying off to Armstrong, who instantly returned it into his path, allowing Graham to trap the ball and drill it right-footed into the top corner of the Holmesdale goal, with John Jackson left helpless as the strike whizzed past him.

An unbelievable scoring sequence then saw Radford complete a hat-trick of headers just before the hour mark as Arsenal netted three in as many minutes, but the three-goal hero would ultimately be overshadowed by his strike partner.

Graham would spend a season at Selhurst Park in 1976/77 but neither of his two goals that campaign would stand the test of time as much as the one he notched against the Glaziers the previous decade.

enjoy a

beer and BURGER e t a m i t Ul the

day h c t a m R BURGE

at your local wetherspoon 44

CPFC v AFC / / CHRIS WATERS

Each edition we challenge Chris Waters to take a sideways look at various aspects of the club. This week he looks back at one of the Eagles' most iconic managers.

hatever your thoughts on the possible departure, or not, of Arsene Wenger, there is no denying that it will be the end of an era for the Gunners if he leaves after over 20 years at the helm.

Reflecting on this theme, comparisons at Selhurst Park are inevitably drawn to Steve Coppell, who, though he did not manage Palace for such a long period, arguably had the biggest impact and longest legacy of any manager we have ever had.

Coppell held the managerial reins at the Eagles for over 12 years, albeit in four separate stints. It is naturally very easy for Palace fans to focus on his first nine-year reign in which he took the club to new heights, namely an FA Cup final appearance and a third-place league finish.

However the end of an era in Palace history did not occur until the summer of 2000, 18 months after Steve became boss for the fourth and final time. He joined in January 1999 with the club plunged into administration and Terry Venables having departed along with several star players. Coppell was tasked with keeping the side in Division One on a tiny budget and with an increasingly motley crew of a squad.

Incredibly, Palace finished in 14th place that year, though the continual loaning out and sale of players was clearly beginning to

take its toll, evidenced by the infamous 6-0 defeat at Loftus Road with Eagles defender Andy Linighan playing for QPR that day.

The more incredible feat was that Coppell then led Palace for another whole season, with the club still in administration.

This was real backs against the wall stuff; a siege mentality and fighting spirit was installed in the team and fans alike, with truly memorable performances from a side made up of loyal pros and academy players filling in the yawning gaps in the squad.

To achieve a 15th place finish was astonishing, but Coppell was experienced enough to know, even with the takeover by Simon Jordan in the summer, that the following season would be possibly even harder. The players were emotionally spent; nothing could regenerate the camaraderie and drive of the previous year, and only wholesale squad changes could make for a successful campaign.

After a tour of China, a 5-1 defeat against Crawley Town and a 6-0 hammering by Millwall in pre-season friendlies pointed to the fact that the manager was right. Coppell sensed that the journey had run its course, and shared his view with the chairman that it wasn’t going to work between them, and left the club for the last time. It was the end of an era; an era that will never be forgotten by Palace fans everywhere.

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PLAY

THE JOURNEY NOW!

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CPFC v AFC / / INTERNATIONAL ROUND-UP

t proved to be a successful international break for a pair of Eagles who both found the back of the net against Russia in friendly action, with Wilfried Zaha scoring a sensational effort to register his second goal for the Ivory Coast as they beat the 2018 World Cup hosts 2-0 in Krasnodar.

The Ivorians were playing their first match since an early elimination at the Africa Cup of Nations in January, with their win clinched courtesy of a special effort from Zaha. With 20 minutes remaining he picked the ball up outside the box and dribbled past three defenders before finishing with his left foot to double the lead and seal the victory.

He claimed his seventh cap in their subsequent friendly against Senegal in Paris which was abandoned with a couple of minutes to play due to crowd trouble with the score at 1-1, but Zaha’s night ended early as he was replaced on 58 minutes.

There was further success in Russia for Christian Benteke, who scored twice for Belgium in their 3-3 friendly draw in Sochi.

After winning a penalty for his side, the striker then scored twice in quick succession before the break to take his international tally to 12 in 36 caps. However, he sat out the Red Devils’ 1-1 draw with Greece in the World Cup qualifiers, a result that leaves them top of the group at the halfway mark.

Also topping their group is Luka Milivojevic’s Serbia, who played the full 90 minutes of their 3-1 win against Georgia which keeps them just ahead of the Republic of Ireland and Wales who played out a bad-tempered goalless draw in Dublin, with Wayne Hennessey and Joe Ledley once again involved for Chris Coleman’s team.

Meanwhile, Nya Kirby helped England’s under-17 side reach the European Under-17 Championships in Croatia this summer by playing in all of the Three Lions’ three qualifiers in Bosnia and Herzegovina. After coming on for the final 23 minutes in a 5-3 win over the Czech Republic, Kirby then started against Slovenia as England ran out 2-0 victors, and also in the final group match when he provided the assist for the only goal of the game against Bosnia.

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CPFC v AFC / / THE NEXT GENERATION

This season has seen Richard Shaw blood many under-18s scholars in his development squad as he aims to give them a better footballing education sooner than usual, however Kian Flanagan’s first ever appearance was even more unexpected.

owards the end of the 2014/15 season, Gary Issott threw the then15-year-old into his team for the final few games to cap off a fine first year in the Eagles’ academy. However, the second half of this campaign has seen Flanagan shine for the under-23s as he continues his journey through the age grades.

“I’ve been at Palace since I was 14 and that first season was a great one for me,” he said, having previously been with Southend United’s academy. “The coaches were always by my side and supported me, and then at the end of that season I made my development team debut when I was 15. It was brilliant, but because it was at Selhurst it was pretty nerve-wracking! I then spent the majority of the next season with the under-18s and started to work my way up.

“This year has been really good compared to last year and I’ve progressed well. I’m moving the ball a lot quicker now; people used to say I dribbled too much but now I’m not doing that. I just hope to keep going and finish it well now.”

Amongst a strong contingent of players still eligible for the under-18s, Flanagan and his under-23 teammates are enjoying their

“ ”

STEPPING UP FROM THE UNDER-18s TO THE UNDER-23s IS A BIG ONE BUT IT’S FASTER SO I ENJOY IT MORE chance to pit themselves against older players in the development league under the tutelage of Shaw, and he believes the bond developed over the past few years between them is helping to drive each other on to gain first-team recognition.

“Stepping up from the under-18s to the under-23s is a big one but it’s faster so I enjoy it more,” added Flanagan. “We all stick together and want to push each other.

We all want to get into the first-team and don’t want to drag each other down, and I think that shows on the pitch that we have each other’s backs.”

As well as forcing himself to the next level of junior football with Palace, this campaign has also seen the 17-yearold shine at international level as he won his first caps for the Republic of Ireland’s under-18 side back in November, playing

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a starring role by laying on two assists against Germany.

Like teammates Nya Kirby and Nikola Tavares, Flanagan feels as though he is benefitting from the international game and playing with a different group of players, something he hopes to do again later this month with friendlies against the Czech Republic, Russia and Turkey in Slovakia looming.

On winning his under-18 first cap, he said: “It was nice; as all my family are Irish I just wanted to make them proud and I hope to get picked again. It’s been great going to visit different countries such as when we went to Spain recently. We drew with Germany and lost to Holland, but it was great to play against some big teams. We have a few more games coming up soon, and I’m really looking forward to them.”

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CPFC v AFC / / ACADEMY REPORT

U18S PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE | GOALS, BECKENHAM | 25TH MARCH 2017

ames Daly’s third goal in his past four appearances 10 minutes from time saw Palace claim successive wins at the expense of second-placed Coventry City.

Another youthful academy side named by Paddy McCarthy, featuring just one second-year scholar in skipper Sam Woods and 14-year-old Josh Ajayi, put in another superb display to follow up the previous weekend’s success against Hull City to beat the team directly ahead of them in the U18 Professional Development League table, ending their 11-match unbeaten run in the process.

Some blustery weather conditions meant the opening 45 minutes was a quiet affair and didn’t indicate what was to come after the restart, but it was the Eagles who had the better of the opportunities throughout, with Joseph Hungbo seemingly the most likely to break the deadlock as he forced the Coventry goalkeeper into a smart early save before missing the target soon after.

Ajayi was replaced by under-16s attacker Vivesh Gurung at the break which helped to give McCarthy’s boys a foothold in the game, and not long after play resumed they got the lead they merited

when the ball came to wing-back Tariq Ossai on the edge of the box who drilled it low into the net to register his first goal since the opening day of the season.

Unsurprisingly, the in-form Coventry side pressed hard for the next 15 minutes with Olivier Webber in the Eagles goal having to make a couple of good stops, however the goal of the game would come with around 15 minutes to play when a Sky Blues attacker scored with a superb bicycle kick from around 12 yards out that left Webber helpless.

However Palace showed great resilience to bounce back from that wondergoal, and on 80 minutes they got themselves back in front with a well-worked move of their own. Gurung won the ball back in midfield and found Hungbo who slipped in Daly, and he showed good composed to tuck the chance under the advancing goalkeeper and clinch a fine, hard-fought win for the hosts.

Palace: Webber, Russell, Demby, Woods, Bryon, Ossai, Robertson, Hungbo, Daly, Ajayi (Gurung 45), Onen. Subs not used: Funnell, Coates, Ozono.

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CPFC v AFC / / DEVELOPMENT REPORT

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE | GRESTY ROAD, CREWE | 27TH MARCH 2017

alace fell to defeat against play-off chasing Crewe Alexandra at Gresty Road on a frustrating afternoon for Richard Shaw’s side.

The scoreline flattered the hosts who capitalised on a slow start from the Eagles to lead at the break, before adding two goals on the counter-attack following the restart with Palace pushing hard to get back into the match, but unable to take any of their many opportunities.

It was very much the proverbial game of two halves, with the Railwaymen on top of proceedings from the off against a lacklustre Palace, and after 20 minutes Perry Ng went close with a header from a free-kick before they grabbed the lead just 60 seconds later when Callum Saunders converted a cross by Owen Dale from close-range.

Only a good stop by Kleton Perntreou which diverted away a Callum Ainley effort before the break kept Palace in contention, however six minutes after the restart Crewe did double their lead when the Eagles were caught out trying to push for an early equaliser and Ainley countered, taking the ball past two defenders before netting from just outside the box.

That gave Palace a mountain to climb, but they gave it a good go by peppering the hosts’ goal. Firstly, Kian Flanagan was denied by a good stop by Andy Dawber with the rebound falling to Francis Jno Baptiste, but the usually-deadly striker struck the post with the follow up on his debut for the development team.

One bright point was the return to action of Jonathan Benteke who appeared as a substitute, but his rustiness showed when he spurned a couple of one-on-one opportunities and saw a strong shout for a penalty turned down, before the impressive Jason Lokilo also saw another chance go begging.

But after Dan Udoh also hit the woodwork with nine minutes remaining, the Railwaymen wrapped up the win in the dying stages when Perntreou let a Ryan Wintle effort slip through his grasp and into the net to give the result a lop-sided look to it.

Palace: Perntreou, Wan-Bissaka, Tavares, O’Dwyer (Woods 46), Sturgess, McGregor, Phillips, Lokilo, Flanagan, Lumeka (Hungbo 86), Jno Baptiste (J. Benteke 69). Subs not used: Webber, Mitchell.

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CPFC v AFC / / PALACE LADIES

FA WOMEN’S PREMIER LEAGUE | HAYES LANE, BROMLEY | 2ND APRIL 2017

aving run title favourites Tottenham Hotspur close in their last outing, Palace Ladies were left frustrated after conceding five minutes from time to share the spoils with Lewes, despite Gemma Bryan getting on the scoresheet once again.

The visitors were well organised and set about their task well in the first half, with much of their focus being on cutting off the supply line to Palace’s leading scorer Bryan. The south Londoners created the best of the chances in the first period, although Lewes looked a threat on the break and from their set-pieces.

The Eagles meanwhile looked out of sorts and failed to get into their usual rhythm, despite an encouraging first 15 minutes. Early chances fell to Bryan and Ciara Sherwood, although neither troubled Lewes keeper Lauren Dolbear.

Despite most efforts resulting in frustration, Bryan, in typical fashion, continued to battle for every opportunity and this paid dividends just before the break when she raced onto a throughball, and when faced with the oncoming Dolbear, Bryan rode the challenge and managed to retain possession to slot into the empty net. Having recently been the victims of goals conceded just before the break, it was a relief for the boot to be on the other foot as the Eagles headed into the interval a goal to the good.

The second half saw the game ebb and flow, with both teams having better spells of possession. Palace appeared to have the more cutting edge, although were well marshalled by a strong and effective defensive set-up; one that thwarted Bryan to the point of frustration and a subsequent yellow card.

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Lewes remained dogged and wellstructured and continued to seek to hit Palace on the break. Having seen a goal chalked off for offside just before, their tenacity paid off with five minutes to go when Georgia Bridges enjoyed some luck down the left and her cross escaped the grasp of Palace keeper Chanelle Yardley, allowing Rebecca Carter the chance to to tap home.

The hosts tried to respond, however, it was too little, too late and with Lewes employing game management tactics, the draw was inevitable.

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CPFC v AFC / / TICKETS & TRAVEL

TICKET UPDATE -

ON THE ROAD -

“A” “A” GRADE GRADE

Crystal Palace v Leicester City Saturday 15th April Premier League Kick-off: 3pm

Adult £45.00

Category A prices apply, with paid members and season ticket holders able to book up to two tickets each.

Liverpool v Crystal Palace Sunday 23rd April Premier League Kick-off: 4.30pm Tickets are now on sale to season ticket holders and paid members at one ticket per client reference, with no Loyalty Points requirement.

Standard Tickets: Adults: £30 Seniors (65+): £22.50 Young Adults (17-21): £15 Juniors (U17): £9 Restricted View: Adults: £29 Seniors (65+): £21.50 Young Adults (17-21): £14 Juniors (U17): £9 Severely Restricted View: Adults: £27 Seniors (65+): £19.50 Young Adults (17-21): £12 Juniors (U17): £9 Disabled Supporters (with a Personal Assistant): Adults: £22.50 Seniors (65+): £17 Young Adults (17-21): £11 Juniors (U17) : £7 Crystal Palace v Burnley Saturday 29th April Premier League Kick-off: 5.30pm

Category B prices apply, with paid members and season ticket holders able to book up to four tickets each.

Crystal Palace v Hull City Saturday 13th May Premier League Kick-off: 3pm Category B prices apply, with paid members and season ticket holders able to book up to four tickets each.

PRICING PRICING -

By road: Postcode for satnav: L4 0TH By train: Lime Street Railway Station is in the town centre, two miles from Anfield. Trains go from Liverpool Central Station (a short walk from Lime Street station) to Bank Hall, Walton which is a 10-minute walk from the ground. There are several buses from the city centre to within walking distance.

BOX OFFICE OPENING HOURS Monday to Friday: 8:30am to 5pm Saturday - Matchdays: 9am until kick-off and then after the match Saturday - Non-matchdays: 9:30am until 12:30pm More information: cpfctickets.com Ticket sales: 08712 00 00 71* *calls cost 10p a minute

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Junior £22.50

Adult £40.00

Holmesdale Lower Concession Junior £26.00 £20.00

Adult £40.00

Holmesdale Upper Concession Junior £26.00 £20.00

Adult £45.00

Holmesdale Gallery Concession Junior £30.00 N/A

Liverpool v Crystal Palace Coach travel: Free coach travel is available for all season ticket holders and members with a match ticket. It departs Selhurst Park at 8.30am, with additional seats costing £24.

Main Stand Concession £30.00

Adult £40.00

Arthur Wait Concession £26.00

Junior £20.00

Adult £35.00

Whitehorse Lane Concession £24.00

Junior £17.50

“B” “B” GRADE GRADE Adult £35.00

Main Stand Concession £24.00

Junior £17.50

Adult £30.00

Holmesdale Lower Concession Junior £21.00 £16.00

Adult £32.00

Holmesdale Upper Concession Junior £21.00 £16.00

Adult £35.00

Holmesdale Gallery Concession Junior £24.00 N/A

Adult £32.00 Adult £25.00

Arthur Wait Concession £21.00

Junior £16.00

Whitehorse Lane Concession Junior £18.00 £13.00

CPFC v WBA / / FINAL SCORE

Since 2000, the Football Foundation has invested in £1.3 billion of grassroots sports projects and has developed more than 600 artificial grass pitches, 1,000 changing pavilions and 3,000 natural grass pitches.

Find out more at: www.footballfoundation.org.uk

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The Football Foundation is the UK’s largest sports’ charity. Funded by the Premier League, The Football Association and the Government, via Sport England.

CPFC v AFC / / DOMINIC FIFIELD

The Guardian's London Football Correspondent gives his take on recent events surrounding the beautiful game.

ost-match in the pristine setting of Stade OL at the start of the month, the bad news kept coming for AS Monaco. Leonardo Jardim's side had just lost the final of France's Coupe de la Ligue to Paris SaintGermain and, while the runners-up were still digesting a 4-1 thrashing to their nearest challengers in Ligue 1, their find of the season was venturing into dangerous territory live on television.

“PSG is a big European club,” offered Kylian Mbappé to TF1's Téléfoot show. “It is one of the top six worldwide. Of course they are an attractive club. Their image did take a hit after the Barcelona defeat, but the players are still there. They are the same ones who have mastered and dominated Ligue 1 for the past four or five years. They are the same players who have won four trophies in a season. They are at a turning point in their project, so we will see what they decide to do.”

For a teenager who is coveted by clubs from Real Madrid to Juventus, Bayern Munich to Barcelona and all in the Premier League's current top six, that was the closest example yet of a public plea for his hometown club to enter the auction.

Mbappé, as Manchester City can attest, has the world at his feet. The 18-year-old from Bondy, in north-east Paris, is the tearaway talent in Jardim's wonderfully attack-minded, youthful line-up. He has scored 12 times in Ligue 1, scorching defences in domestic and continental competition.

His progress effectively amounts to expectations being realised considering France Football and Libération had profiled him at 14 – “It is better to target the moon,” he had said at the time when asked about Real Madrid's long-standing interest, “because that way, if you fail, you get to the clouds” – and had actually turned down every Ligue 1 club to join Monaco, sensing first-team opportunities after leaving French football's centre of excellence in Clairefontaine at 15.

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He is the Monégasques' youngest player and scorer, and his debut for France in Luxembourg last month saw him become the national team's second youngest player.

All of which means Monaco are braced for the inevitable scramble to secure the striker this summer, with the world alerted to Mbappé's progress and potential. A club who could end up securing £58 million from Manchester United for Anthony Martial will hope to raise a colossal fee for a forward enjoying his first full season at senior level.

Their only regret would surely be if it is indeed money-flushed PSG, whose domestic dominance they are attempting to disrupt, who end up matching the other suitors and being the youngster's destination of choice.

"’I've not had a spell like this at Palace" Wayne Hennessey

After claiming three clean sheets in his past five outings, Wayne Hennessey is one of a number of confidence-filled Eagles performing to their maximum. Having fought hard once again to be first-choice in goal, he is hoping inspired outings like his recent display against Chelsea will help him nail down his position for good.

By Jonathon Rogers

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CPFC v AFC / / WAYNE HENNESSEY

t could be fair to say that Wayne Hennessey’s three years with the Eagles was perfectly encapsulated in his 100 minutes of action against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge: early disappointment, perseverance and then growing in confidence to receive long-overdue acclaim.

The Welshman’s heroics between the Stamford Bridge sticks have been dubbed by many Palace supporters as the giant glovesman’s best display since pitching up in SE25. Time and time again he kept Diego Costa, Eden Hazard, Pedro and the rest of the Blues’ stars at bay, finishing his afternoon with 10 saves, each one seemingly fuelling his air of invincibility.

Only Vito Mannone and Tom Heaton have made more stops in a Premier League game this season; proof that while attackers such as Christian Benteke and Wilfried Zaha feed off the confidence that goals bring, keepers in turn gain strength by registering shutouts. There have been plenty of those to shout about for Sam Allardyce’s squad of late, and having enjoyed the taste of the past few, a rejuvenated Hennessey’s appetite has been whetted.

“When you start winning games and keeping clean sheets, your confidence gets higher and higher,” he admitted. “Most goalkeepers will grow when they have a winning mentality and are keeping clean sheets, and personally if I get that then I do grow in confidence. I’m delighted at the moment – the team has been fantastic, and the defending has been really good as we look more solid and compact.

“When you look at the Chelsea game, when we went 1-0 down it goes through your head that it could be a long day. After that, you just want to keep the score as low as possible and we managed to do that but it just wasn’t myself; it was the other guys blocking balls left, right and centre and defending stuff on the line.

“People have been saying it’s my best game for Palace and it’s definitely up there, but it’s easily the most memorable. When it got to the 70 minute mark, it felt as though we had been playing for ages!

We managed to see it through to 90 but when we saw seven minutes on the board, I thought ‘God this is going to be the longest seven minutes ever’. It felt like 17 minutes, but we managed to get through it and it shows what we can do in tough circumstances.”

Battling against adversity is now almost second nature to the 30-year-old since being a part of Tony Pulis’ 2014 recruitment drive, with the following years seeing Hennessey fight off all comers to ensure the goalkeeping jersey firmly remains on his peg.

Initially, his role was rather peripheral as Julian Speroni’s understudy, a trend that continued for 18 months before Alan Pardew opted to test out his backup goalkeeper with the Eagles’ Premier League safety assured. Despite playing his part in helping spoil Steven Gerrard’s Anfield send-off, by the time the 2015/16 campaign rolled

around, Alex McCarthy was the next threat to Hennessey’s chances, however just weeks into the season some high-profile errors saw the Anglesey native once again handed an opportunity that he has never looked back from.

He could have been forgiven for feeling a sense of déjà vu when Steve Mandanda was next to be given a go with the gloves 12 months after McCarthy’s arrival, however once again the 66-time capped Welsh international managed to regain and retain his place following the Frenchman’s injury in November. Always up for the fight, Hennessey believes that the ferocious competition for places to be the club’s number one number one is helping him reach new levels of performance.

“Part of being a goalkeeper is that there is only one shirt and whoever gets the nod ahead of you, you wish them all the best and are there for him,” Hennessey said graciously. “I’ve always said that

WHEN YOU START WINNING GAMES AND KEEPING CLEAN SHEETS, YOUR CONFIDENCE GETS HIGHER AND HIGHER

having three, four or five good goalkeepers at a club is healthy.

“I came from Wolves where the fans quite liked me before I left on bad times, and when I arrived here I never realised how much the fans loved Jules. He’s played here for years and years which is a great credit to himself and the club, and I don’t think the fans were happy when he got dropped and I went in.

“You have to fight for the shirt and I’ve had to battle a few players to get it, and hopefully I can keep it now. My best spell is happening right now; I’ve not had a spell like this at Palace. This is definitely the best I’ve played in the Premier League but it’s just

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CPFC v AFC / / WAYNE HENNESSEY

disappointing that we’re still down there. I want some more clean sheets in the final crucial games of the season as that is what is going to keep us in this league.”

Helping to retain Palace’s top-flight status would cement the past 12 months as some of the best and most beneficial of Hennessey’s career. He may have previously broken a 119-year-old Football League record by not conceding for nine-straight matches at Stockport County aged just 20, and won a Championship title with Wolves, but his achievements over the past year have eclipsed those accolades.

As well as helping Palace beat the drop, he featured in all of their games as they marched towards the Wembley arch and an FA Cup final appearance against Manchester United where once again they came ever-so-close to lifting the club’s first piece of major silverware.

On the international stage, he was again ever-present to help Wales reach only their second-ever major tournament, with their stunning

I WANT SOME MORE CLEAN SHEETS IN THE FINAL CRUCIAL GAMES OF THE SEASON AS THAT IS WHAT IS GOING TO KEEP US IN THIS LEAGUE exploits in France seeing them reach the semi-finals before their fairytale run came to an end.

The advantage of all this big-game experience garnered in such a short space of time has been evident in Hennessey’s maturing performances this term. Despite once again starting it out as backup, a steely determination saw him usurp Mandanda thanks to a string of assured, consistent displays as the last line of the Palace defence, highlighting the knowledge gained from exposure to high-pressure encounters for club and country.

Speaking about last summer with the Red Dragons, he said: “I’ve gained a lot of experience from it. You want to play in major tournaments and to get through to the semi-finals was a fantastic achievement not just for me but for the whole nation, and we’ve put Wales back on the map which is fantastic. There were situations in games there that you would never come across in the Premier League or the Championship, especially when you’re coming up against some of the world’s best players. We played Portugal in the semi-final and Cristiano Ronaldo was a different class - you could tell that he

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CPFC v AFC / / WAYNE HENNESSEY

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CPFC V AFC / / PATRICK VAN AANHOLT

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CPFC v AFC / / WAYNE HENNESSEY

YOU HAVE TO FIGHT FOR THE SHIRT AND I’VE HAD TO BATTLE A FEW PLAYERS TO GET IT, AND HOPEFULLY I CAN KEEP IT NOW was leaps and bounds above everyone else. They’re the players you want to be testing yourself against, and personally I have grown from that experience.

“I came back from the Euros and Steve was starting but the games weren’t going too well. It was disappointing but you have to put that behind you, maintain your fitness and still be ready because you never know when you’re going to be called up. Since I have, I’ve played in as many games as possible and to the best of my ability.

Touch wood I’m injury free, and if you can maintain your fitness as a goalkeeper then the confidence can grow.”

Behind the scenes, a familiar face is also beginning to cajole the best out of the Bangor-born man. Following his appointment in December, Sam Allardyce moved quickly to secure Martyn Margetson as the club’s new goalkeeping coach, whom he had previously worked with at West Ham United.

In a lengthy career, Margetson featured in the Premier League for Manchester City and, like Hennessey, had also adorned his nation’s goalkeeper jersey. He worked with the current Eagles custodian for five years as part of the Wales set-up before Allardyce poached him for England following the culmination of the Euros. Now reunited at

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club level, Hennessey believes the highly-rated Margetson is the man to take his game to the next level as he heads into his peak years between the posts, with the early signs of the partnership backing that claim up.

“I had the pleasure of working with Martyn at Wales and he’s a fantastic goalkeeping coach,” he revealed. “We’re really lucky to have him as they all love him at England, and it was a very upsetting day when he left Wales because as a coach and as a guy he’s one of the best. We’ve always stayed in contact and the gaffer knows a lot about him and how good he is, and I’m surprised one of the top four clubs haven’t got him.

“We’ve worked together for a while and I’m sure the other guys here really like him as well. He’s played the game himself at a high level with Manchester City so he’s got great experience and knows everything about the game.

“I’m 30 now and everyone was recently telling me that I still have 10 years left in the game, and I was like ‘wow – 10 years is a long time!’. I made my debut aged 18 so it’s been a long time since then, but if I stay injury free I should have some more exciting times ahead of me, and hopefully at Palace.”

CPFC v AFC / / COMMUNITY

STUDY CENTRE Comedian, Palace fan and Chair of Trustees for the CPFC Study Centre Kevin Day gives us an update on the future of the organisation.

hese are interesting times at Selhurst Park as we launch our dramatic late attempt for a European place, and there are interesting times ahead off the pitch as well.

As many of you know, I am the Chair of Trustees of the Study Centre at Crystal Palace FC. As many of you also know, I agreed to become the Chair because I thought I'd attend a couple of meetings a year, shake some hands and pick up the odd free ticket for home games. It turned out to be very different and there was much more to do than I expected, especially when it came to fundraising as we are totally independent of the club.

The remarkable achievements of the Study Centre were almost entirely due to the work of the wonderful Susan Jackson; if you don't know her, you will have definitely seen her as she spends more time on the pitch at half-time than Pete the Eagle!

Susan was tireless in her energies for the Study Centre and it is down to her passion, enthusiasm and commitment that so many

young people in Croydon, who struggled with reading and literacy, got the help they needed to increase their opportunities and realise their potential in education.

Susan also played a key role in educating our academy youngsters, so much so that she has been offered a full-time role there as a Life Skills Coordinator, and she has decided to take up the position so she can concentrate on her first love of teaching.

Frankly, I don't blame her, because she spent far too much of her valuable time dealing with paperwork and me saying: "ooh, what does that button do?"

Her departure though has left the charity without its heart and soul, so the Trustees have taken the decision that she is irreplaceable and we have now officially closed the Study Centre.

It wasn't an easy decision but it was helped by the fact that we will soon become part of an even more exciting community project... watch this space!

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CPFC v AFC / / PROUD & PALACE

proud & palace In each edition of the matchday programme, Emma Wright will provide an update on how the group's first season as the club's official LGBT fan group is progressing

hat a difference a few weeks make. Fans and players united, celebrating together… it feels a long way from the turn of the year. Credit to the Holmesdale Fanatics - their campaign to get people into their seats half an hour before kick-off and brilliant displays have dragged our fortunes up by the scruff of the neck and turned Selhurst back into the 12th man we’ve always been.

Also, some is also due to Steve Parish whose interview with the Croydon Advertiser before the Middlesbrough game fired up the whole fanbase: “This is Palace. This is us. This is what we do - we beat the odds”. What a rallying cry that was to unite us all.

This week we wanted to give the CPFC Foundation a platform to talk about the events in Croydon last week which shocked us all. Being “South London and Proud” includes pride in the vibrant diversity that characterises our community. It’s what we love about the area and something we stand for passionately as a group.

Soye Briggs, Director of Community Development at the Foundation, said this: “I’m sure that Palace fans would have been

shocked and saddened to learn about the attack on Reker Ahmed, the young asylum seeker who became a victim of hate crime.

“During the current season, Kick It Out is running an initiative called ‘Call Full-Time On Hate’ which aims to utilize and engage the collective force of football to tackle discrimination and any examples of hate incidents at every level of the game. The initiative also seeks to highlight the positive messages of inclusion echoed by the footballing authorities, clubs, players, managers and supporter groups across the country.

“Crystal Palace are fully behind the #CallFullTimeOnHate campaign and will be helping to support it via social media.

Recent events in Croydon where incidents of hate-related attacks have been reported makes this campaign even more important. We take inclusion and the fight against discrimination very seriously, and as a club we will continue to ‘Make Equality Crystal Clear ‘and help our fans, players and young people in local communities understand the damaging effects of prejudice and discriminatory abuse.”

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68

CPFC v AFC / / QUIZTAL PALACE

PREVIOUS ENCOUNTERS 1. Overshadowed by Olivier Giroud’s scorpion kick goal, who scored Arsenal’s second in their 2-0 win in January?

2. Which Gunner scored a penalty but was later sent-off when the sides met at Selhurst back in the 2013/14 season?

3. Which future Eagle was in the Arsenal line-up when they beat Palace in May 1993, relegating them from the Premier League?

TEAM TRAIL WHICH FORMER PALACE PLAYER’S CAREER STARTED LIKE THIS?

4. Who scored Palace’s first ever Premier League goal against the Gunners back in November 1992?

5. Who are the only two Eagles to have scored winning goals against Arsenal in the league?

CLASSIC KIT

LINKED

Can you name the kit supplier and sponsor from this Palace kit from the 2001/02 season?

1. Who signed on loan from Chelsea at the start of last season?

2. Which team did the Eagles beat in their first ever playoff final?

3. Which defender signed from Tottenham Hotspur in 1998 and featured 167 times for Palace?

4. Which Billy scored 16 times in 84 appearances in the 1920s?

5. What links these four answers?

DITLOID RN r RB a P c in J 1981

ANSWERS Previous encounters: 1. Alex Iwobi 2. Mikel Arteta 3. Andy Linighan 4. Eddie McGoldrick 5. John Salako and Dave Swindlehurst Linked: 1. Patrick Bamford 2. Blackburn Rovers 3. Dean Austin 4. Morgan 5. makes of car Classic kit: Le Coq Sportif and Churchill Insurance Team trail: Ian Walsh Ditloid: Ron Noades replaced Ray Bloye as Palace chairman in January 1981.

69

CPFC v AFC / / FIRST-TEAM SPONSORS

SAM ALLARDYCE

SAMMY LEE

JULIAN SPERONI

PATRICK VAN AANHOLT

MATHIEU FLAMINI

PALACE DETECTIVES Proud supporters of CPSCC

JOEL WARD

SPONSORSHIP AVAILABLE

JAMES TOMKINS

SCOTT DANN

YOHAN CABAYE

FRAIZER CAMPBELL

ANDROS TOWNSEND

www.phase-electrical.co.uk daniel.poole@phase-electrical.co.uk – 01424 736204 GOOD LUCK FOR THE SEASON – WILLIAM POOLE

LOIC REMY

SPONSORSHIP AVAILABLE www.imaginethis.uk.com - 020 7164 6856

WILFRIED ZAHA

Greenwich Roastery Coffee Superior Coffee for Superior Power www.greenwichroastery.com

CHUNG-YONG LEE

MAMADOU SAKHO SPONSORSHIP AVAILABLE

JOE LEDLEY WWW.LASTCONTRACTING.COM

JAMES McARTHUR

CONNOR WICKHAM

CHRISTIAN BENTEKE The Natural Source of World Hardwoods supporting Crystal Palace F.C. www.nhgtimber.co.uk

PAPE SOUARE The Natural Source of World Hardwoods supporting Crystal Palace F.C. www.nhgtimber.co.uk

best wishes for the 2016/17 season. the silverstein and tucker families.

DAMIEN DELANEY

WAYNE HENNESSEY

LUKA MILIVOJEVIC

STEVE MANDANDA

SPONSORSHIP AVAILABLE

JEFFREY SCHLUPP

MARTIN KELLY

JASON PUNCHEON

SPONSORSHIP AVAILABLE

To sponsor your favourite player, please call Liam Connery on 020 8768 6004 or email liam.connery@cpfc.co.uk 70

71

CPFC v AFC / / FLASHBACK - THE GAME

FIRST DIVISION | SELHURST PARK | 11TH APRIL 1972 | 34,384 fter a poor start to the season, Bert Head had overhauled the squad allowing Steve Kember and Alan Birchenall to depart for significant fees and then brought in six new players over the next four weeks. These included midfielder Bobby Kellard returning to Selhurst Park, and with him in the side as skipper there was always going to be no lack of effort and so it proved.

Others joining at the same time were Bobby Bell, John Craven and Sammy Goodwin, followed by John Hughes and Willie Wallace from Celtic a month later. At the start of this game Palace were just outside the two relegation places, occupied by Huddersfield Town and Nottingham Forest, but only a point above the drop zone with four fixtures remaining.

Three days after suffering a contentious 2-1 defeat at Chelsea, Palace faced another London side also hunting for major honours when Arsenal came to SE25 for this rearranged fixture, brought forward four days because of the Gunners’ forthcoming FA Cup semi-final against Stoke City.

Head sent out the same 11 players that featured at Stamford Bridge while the visitors fielded many who would probably be

involved against the Potters. Palace fans were still feeling slightly aggrieved that Stoke fielded a virtual reserve team the night before that allowed Forest an easy victory, and a poor start that saw the Glaziers 2-0 down in just four minutes rekindled memories of the 5-1 thrashing handed out by the Gunners two years earlier.

The game was just 90 seconds old when Pat Rice blocked a fierce shot from Tambling on his goalline and allowed keeper Bob Wilson to pick the ball up and kick it upfield where John Radford, returning after a three-match suspension, darted between a hesitant John McCormick and Mel Blyth to lob the advancing John Jackson. However, worse was soon to follow as Alan Ball found Stewart Storey whose chip shot was headed back by Radford to the arriving Ball, who drove the ball home.

As many sat back expecting to see Arsenal cruise to victory, the Palace players battled their way back into the game and in the 18th minute reduced the arrears. A throw by Kellard into the Gunners’ penalty area led to Peter Simpson handling the ball, and our stocky skipper stepped up to send the resulting spot-kick past Wilson who guessed the wrong way.

Arsenal now realised they had a fight on their hands as the hosts rolled their sleeves up to take advantage of the opposition

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

72

CPFC v AFC / / FLASHBACK - THE GAME

- TEAM LINE-UPS -

- THE 1971/72 SEASON Bobby Tamblin

-

g turning their minds to their looming semi-final. With a mixture of grit and determination, Palace kept Arsenal at bay and on the hour mark drew level with Kellard again involved, as his corner created a melee inside the box where Craven found a gap to head hard and low into the Holmesdale Road goal to a roar from the Palace fans.

The final 30 minutes saw the hosts produce some of their best football of the season, and only an agile save by Wilson to turn a flashing shot from Craven over the crossbar in the hectic closing moments denied them victory.

If Palace felt they had dropped a point on this night of swirling downpours, they were cheered by the news that Huddersfield had lost at home to Coventry City. With three games remaining the south Londoners had a two-point cushion and a final home fixture against the Terriers, but fortunately that showdown wasn’t necessary as 15 days after this London derby, a battle-weary Stoke, who had lost to Arsenal in the cup after a replay, were defeated 2-0 at Selhurst Park and Palace were safe to contest a fourth season in the First Division.

Ian King

-

-

-

73

CPFC v AFC / / FLASHBACK - THE PROGRAMME

CRYSTAL PALACE V ARSENAL - 11TH APRIL 1972

ourty-five years ago the Palace programme had an almost-square shape about it, and for the whole season the cover portrayed a drawing of a goalkeeper diving to save a ball. The club name also appeared in white with the rest of the cover a turquoise colour, with the 16 pages costing 6p.

The inside page consisted of a photo by Hy Money of the Juniors for the 1971/72 season. Of those pictured

you might recognise Nicky Chatterton, David Swindlehurst, Jim Cannon, Paul Hinshelwood, Bill Roffey, Paul Hammond and Mark Lindsay.

Manager Bert Head, in ‘As I See It’, thought that at the start of the season any of the 22 clubs in the First Division had reasonable hope of winning a trophy, highlighting that Stoke City, who had won the League Cup and were in the semi-final of the FA Cup against Arsenal, had now

74

also qualified for the UEFA Cup. Bert also thought that the days of one or two clubs gaining a monopoly seemed to have ended!

Despite leaving the club for Chelsea earlier in the season, a picture of Steve Kember and an opponent formed the background to the section on our visitors that occupied four pages. It began with a view on Arsenal’s previous and current campaigns where it was revealed that the Gunners had played 64 games in 1970/71

CPFC v AFC / / FLASHBACK - THE PROGRAMME and the total was already 52 in 1971/72 with a few more still to come, so it was probably no surprise they were out of the race for the title.

The subsequent two pages contained a team photograph taken at the start of the season so December purchase Alan Ball did not appear, but he was one of four players featured alongside goalkeeper Bob Wilson, George Armstrong and forward John Radford who, according to the writer, had ‘recently been out of the side following an off period’.

Manager Bertie Mee and captain Frank McLintock were highlighted as the middle pages were reached. Mee had an interesting journey to becoming manager as his playing days ended through injury so he qualified as a physiotherapist with the NHS that took him to a rehabilitation centre near Highbury. He then joined Arsenal as a trainer in 1960 and took over from Billy Wright as manager in 1966.

Two of the players seen in the photograph on the inside page, Hinshelwood and Cannon, were portrayed on the righthand side of the centre pages. Yet to make his official debut for Palace, the former had already featured for the first-team in a friendly against St. Mirren in 1970 when only 17-years-old. Jim’s debut would still be a year away but the Scottish defender had been the captain of the club’s under-17 side that had completed a league and cup double in 1970/71. When at school Cannon had started as a goalkeeper, an experience that would prove useful on a couple of occasions in the years to come.

Pictures from the recent home game against Leicester City appeared as did one

of the Supporters Club Committee. ‘Fixtures and Results’ followed showing Palace just a place and a point above the two relegation positions, before recent match summaries and line-ups appeared on the inside back page.

Page 14 contained news items which revealed that John Hughes was undergoing a new procedure on his left knee where photographs of the joint were taken through a needle inserted into the leg. The

75

final date for entries in the competition to design a new Palace badge, run by the Croydon Advertiser, was fast approaching, as was any supporter wishing to join the ballot for an FA Cup final ticket, with the numerical vouchers found on the back page of every programme.

Ian King

CPFC v AFC / / FLASHBACK - THE PLAYER

1963-1966 & 1971-1973 | 137 APPEARANCES | 10 GOALS Terry Byfield speaks to the Palace skipper and one of the goalscorers in this game against the Gunners, who enjoyed two spells across two decades in SE25.

Can you take us back to 1963 when you joined from Southend United for your first spell?

There were quite some celebrations when you won promotion to the Second Division weren’t there?

We finished in second place and the chairman Arthur Wait sent the squad on a three-week celebration to America and Canada. In those days, that kind of trip was only something that was given to topflight clubs so it was a tremendous gesture from the chairman. He tried to ensure that the club was run as a First Division team which sent out the right message to others to show what a club promoted from the Third Division were about.

I was signed by Dick Graham and in that first season we won promotion from the Third Division, and it was great to have the opportunity to play with some very good players at that time, many of whom would be named on a list of Palace legends if a fan of that time was drawing one up. It was a squad who were like a family and worked for each other, as well as great friends off the pitch, and I think that was a key factor in us winning promotion.

Discipline was not my greatest attribute and I owe the manager a lot because he really helped me turn things around. He would never take any credit for it but I know that he really did help me and I don’t think I would have made it as a player if it wasn’t for him.

Why did your first spell at the club come to an end in 1966?

It was such a disappointment when I was told by the manager that he was going to let me go. He understood that I wasn’t happy with the way he was asking the team to play but I had never mentioned anything to anyone, so was I disappointed as I had enjoyed my time at Palace and made 77 appearances, but unfortunately was transferred to Ipswich Town.

However, seven years later you were back at Selhurst Park – what was that like?

My ambition was always to be in the First Division and having just done it with Leicester I was pleased to move to a club in the same league. Palace were in trouble though at the bottom of the table in November and points adrift it was clear that we had a real challenge if we were to stay up.

In my early days back I was made captain. The manager Bert Head was introducing me to the players and asked whether I would like to say a few words, and I asked him if he would leave the room, which he did. I went through with the lads what we were going to need to do to stay up, and that day we were playing Chelsea and got a draw. From that match onwards all the lads just didn’t give up; the senior lads and younger ones just stuck together to make sure that we reached our target together.

76

CPFC v AFC / / FLASHBACK - THE PLAYER

In April 1972 came this particular game against Arsenal, what are you memories of it?

I remember us going two down early on, but Pat Rice had to clear one off the line in the opening minutes and what a dream start that would have been. Credit to the lads though because the fighting spirit in the squad really shone through.

A throw-in from me was handled by Peter Simpson and I stepped up to take the penalty. I walked back to start the run up and I could see all their faces looking at me, and Bob Wilson was in goal. I felt so calm and confident and thankfully I put the ball into the net and got us back in the game. Then, a corner of mine was then headed home by John Craven and we got a point. Against the odds we stayed up having performed the impossible.

77

78

CPFC v AFC / / NOTICEBOARD

SMOKING Smoking is not permitted anywhere inside Selhurst Park. To smoke you need to be outside the club’s property on Holmesdale Road or beyond the gates to Sainsbury’s car park.

EQUALITY Crystal Palace Football Club is committed to identifying, confronting and eliminating discrimination and intends to ensure that everyone who wishes to engage with the club, whether as matchday fans, staff, players, board members or participants in Foundation programmes has a real and equal opportunity to do so.

LUCKY NUMBER Don’t forget to check the number on the back cover of your programme – you could win some signed Palace merchandise! Listen out for the winning number which will be read out at half-time, and if you have it then please report to the Main Reception, which is open for 30 minutes after full-time, to collect your prize.

EARLY BIRD OFFER Fans who are in the ground up to 45 minutes before kick-off can grab themselves a special offer at the food outlets, with a burger and a drink available for just £5.

The club is also supporter of the Kick It Out programme and would like to remind all supporters to refrain from racist, homophobic or discriminative chanting.

TEXT ALERT NUMBER If you notice an issue on a matchday and want to report an incident, we have a confidential text alert number on 07507 477669 to contact the club directly.

SAFEGUARDING Free young supporter wristbands which can include your contact information to keep your family safe can be collected from the Information Centre, which is located in the main car park by Entrance 9.

Take your pick from a hamburger, chicken burger or falafel burger and combine with the choice of a beer, cider, soft drink, water or a hot beverage to start your matchday the right way!

OPENING TIMES The club shop will be open until kick-off and then for an additional hour after the game, while the box office will also be open until kick-off but closes 30 minutes after the final whistle.

Please note that all views from external contributers in this programme are not necessarily those of Crystal Palace Football Club.

CONTACT DIRECTORY Main Switchboard 020 8768 6000 Box Office 08712 000071 Disabled Ticket Enquiries 020 8768 6080 Corporate Sales 020 8768 6010

Conference & Events 020 8768 6013 Club Shop 020 8768 6100 Press Office 020 8768 6020 Catering 020 8768 6009

79

CPFC Foundation 020 8768 6047 Study Centre 020 8768 6066 Customer Services customer.services@cpfc.co.uk

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CPFC v AFC / / STATISTICS

t Southampton last week, Wilfried Zaha clocked up his 250th appearance for the Eagles to move him up to 36th in the club’s all-time appearance table, jumping above Geoff Thomas in the process.

That total is comprised of 129 Championship games (including play-offs), 92 in the Premier League, 12 in the FA Cup and 17 in the League Cup, during which he has scored 33 goals for the Eagles, with his haul of six this term matching his previous best league tallies during his final two seasons in the second tier.

His recent showing at Chelsea, which saw him score and lay on an assist, meant that he has now been directly involved in more goals (13) this season than he previously had in the whole of his Premier League career including his stints at Manchester United and Cardiff City.

Should he feature in every game for the rest of the campaign, then Zaha will reach a century of league games since his return to Palace in August 2014, which ironically enough would come at his former home of Old Trafford.

PALACE v ARSENAL: HEAD TO HEAD ALL-TIME PLAYED: 40 PALACE WINS: 3 DRAWS: 11 ARSENAL WINS: 26

LAST PALACE WIN: 1ST OCTOBER 1994 - 2-1 (HIGHBURY) LAST ARSENAL WIN: 1ST JANUARY 2017 - 0-2 (EMIRATES STADIUM) LAST DRAW: 17TH APRIL 2016 - 1-1 (EMIRATES STADIUM) LAST GOALLESS DRAW: 15TH FEBRUARY 1998 (HIGHBURY, FAC) LAST PLAYER TO MOVE TO PALACE FROM ARSENAL: YAYA SANOGO - LOAN, JANUARY 2015 LAST PLAYER TO MOVE TO ARSENAL FROM PALACE: IAN WRIGHT - £2.8M, SEPTEMBER 1991

LAST 10 v AFC

L

D

L

L 81

PREMIER LEAGUE PLAYED: 15 PALACE WINS: 1 DRAWS: 3 ARSENAL WINS: 11

L

L

L

L

D

L

CPFC v AFC / / STATISTICS

ATTACK MINUTES PER GOAL

GOALS SCORED

SHOTS BLOCKED 91

10-

OFF TARGET 153 OFF THE WOODWORK 07 ON TARGET 112

19-

69

-08

GOALS 39 SHOOTING ACCURACY 42%

DEFENCE GOALS CONCEDED 50

CLEAN SHEETS 05

SHOTS FACED 415

TACKLE SUCCESS RATE 74%

GENERAL PLAY AVERAGE POSSESSION 47% PASSING ACCURACY 74% DUEL SUCCESS 51%

DISCIPLINE

INDIVIDUALS MOST SHOTS

BENTEKE 77

MOST SUCCESSFUL PASSES

PUNCHEON 966

MOST DRIBBLES COMPLETED

ZAHA 107

MOST TACKLES

WARD 70

MOST AERIAL CHALLENGES WON

BENTEKE 261

FOULS WON

RED CARDS

00

362 YELLOW CARDS

64 82

FOULS CONCEDED

384

CPFC v AFC / / STATISTICS

Under 18s

Under 23s Games

Goals

Name

Games

Goals

Date

Opposition

H/A

Result

4

15/08/16

Notts Forest

A

W 1-0

22/08/16

Barnsley

H

D 2-2

30/08/16

Bristol City

A

W 1-0

05/09/16

QPR

A

L 1-4

12/09/16

Sheffield Weds

A

D 2-2 W 3-1

Date

Opposition

H/A

Result

13/08/16

Sheffield Weds

H

W3-2

Corie Andrews

19

20/08/16

Leeds United

A

D 2-2

Jason Akiotu

14

27/08/16

Cardiff City

A

W 5-3

Jonathan Benteke

4

03/09/16

Bristol City

A

W 2-1

Jacob Berkeley-Agyepong

10

10/09/16

Crewe

H

L 1-2

6

1

15

2

David Boateng

17/09/16

Barnsley

A

W 7-0

24/09/16

QPR

A

W 3-0

01/10/16

Colchester

H

D 2-2

15

5

James Daly

14

2

Andrew Demby

Lewis Bryon Andre Coker

15/10/16

Notts Forest

H

L 5-6

22/10/16

Bolton

A

L 0-2

29/10/16

Ipswich Town

H

D 3-3

14

5

12/11/16

Charlton

H

L 1-2

17

5

19/11/16

Millwall

H

L 0-1

3

Matthew Funnell

26/11/16

Watford

H

W 2-1

2

03/12/16

Cardiff City

H

W 1-0

20

10/12/16

Colchester

A

L 2-5

21

17/12/16

Liverpool (FAYC)

A

D 2-2

07/01/17

QPR

H

W 4-3

20

28/01/17

Charlton

A

L 0-2

10

19

L 1-3

14/11/16

Watford

H

D 0-0

21/11/16

Ipswich Town

A

L 3-4

Bivesh Gurung

28/11/16

Charlton

H

L 0-1

3

Bryce Hosannah

12/12/16

Colchester

A

W 1-0

1

Joseph Hungbo

1

09/01/17

Milwall

H

W 2-0

Noor Husin

14

23/01/17

Coventry City

A

D 0-0

13

Francis Jno Baptiste

2

30/01/17

Watford

A

L 0-3

1

Jalen Jones

2

06/02/17

Cardiff City

H

W 3-0

20/02/17

Ipswich Town

H

L 3-0

06/03/17

Charlton

A

D 2-2

Victor Fundi

2

10 8

Hull City

H

W 3-0

3

25/03/17

Coventry City

H

W 2-1

8

01/04/17

Huddersfield

A

W 2-0

14

08/04/17

Birmingham

H

13

11/04/17

Coventry City

A

12

18/04/17

Ipswich Town

A

2

5

POS

CLUB

P

PTS

1

Charlton Athletic

27

61

2

Coventry City

26

59

3

Crystal Palace

25

42

4

Ipswich Town

26

5

Millwall

6

4

5

2

1

Sullay Kaikai

2

1

13/03/17

Leeds United

A

W 1-0

Jason Lokilo

11

1

20/03/17

Bolton

H

L 0-2

27/03/17

Crewe

A

L 0-3

03/04/17

Sheffield United

H

L 0-3

10/04/17

QPR

H

24/04/17

Colchester

H

01/05/17

Bristol City

H

Levi Lumeka

15

5

Kyle Lynch Colm McAdden 2

Giovanni McGregor

14

Drew Matthews

1

5

Tyrick Mitchell

4

Oliver O'Dwyer

8

U23S PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE 2

Emmanuel Okorougo Jayden Onen

25

2

5

1

Tariq Ossai Will Ozono Kleton Perntreou

4

17

Malachi Peynado-Peart Michael Phillips

4

1

Nathan Linton

14

U18S PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE 2

L 0-1 L 0-3

Nya Kirby

18/03/17

L 0-2

A

Ryan King-Elliott

16

H

Cardiff City

12

L 1-2 L 1-2

Huddersfield

31/10/16

Kian Flanagan

W 4-3 W 2-1

L 0-5

11/10/16

H

A A

A A

H A

H

Millwall

Millwall Watford

Hull City Birmingham

Coventry City

Bristol City Sheffield Utd

19/09/16 26/09/16 17/10/16 12

11/02/17 04/03/17

3

25/10/16

Luke Dreher

04/02/17 18/02/17

1

2

17

1

Sean Robertson

POS

CLUB

P

PTS

1

Charlton Athletic

26

47

2

Millwall

24

42

3

Cardiff City

25

37

4

Coventry City

24

35

3

Jude Russell

35

2

Jordan Serrato

26

32

5

Callum Sturgess

13

5

QPR

25

30

Watford

27

31

7

Nikola Tavares

10

6

Ipswich Town

26

29

7

Bristol City

27

30

Aaron Wan-Bissaka

22

7

Colchester United

22

28

8

Cardiff City

27

29

Sam Woods

13

8

Crystal Palace

25

26

9

Colchester United

27

22

Randell Williams

16

9

Bristol City

24

24

10

QPR

27

17

Ben Wynter

16

10

Watford

23

23

9 12

12

1

Oliver Webber 1

1

2

Emmanuel Yeboah

U23s: 3 apps: Fraizer Campbell. 2 apps: Kwesi Appiah, Hiram Boateng, Mathieu Flamini, Ryan Inniss, Steve Mandanda. 1 app: Keshi Anderson, Yohan Cabaye, Luke Croll, Scott Dann, Zeki Fryers, Joe Ledley, Chung-yong Lee, Jordon Mutch, Julian Speroni, James Tomkins. U18s: 1 app: Joshua Ajayi, Di'shon Bernard, Liam Coates, Kie Douglas, Joshua Malcolm.

83

JOEL WARD

PATRICK VAN AANHOLT

MATHIEU FLAMINI

JAMES TOMKINS

SCOTT DANN

YOHAN CABAYE

LOIC REMY

FRAIZER CAMPBELL

YANNICK BOLASIE

ANDROS TOWNSEND

WILFRIED ZAHA

MAMADOU SAKHO

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

10

11

12

DATE

OPPOSITION

KICK-OFF

H/A

RESULT

ATT

AWAY

POS

Sat 13 Aug

West Bromwich Albion

3pm

H

0-1

24,490

2,096

19

Sat 20 Aug

Tottenham Hotspur

3pm

A

0-1

31,447

2,431

19

Tue 22 Aug

Blackpool

7.30pm

H

2-0

7,533

214

R2

1

Sat 27 Aug

Bournemouth

3pm

H

1-1

23,503

2,024

15

1

Sat 10 Sep

Middlesbrough

3pm

A

2-1

30,551

1,291

11

Sun 18 Sep

Stoke City

2.15pm

H

4-1

23,781

763

8

Wed 21 Sep

Southampton

7.45pm

A

0-2

14,080

1,243

R3

Sat 24 Sep

Sunderland

3pm

A

3-2

38,941

909

7

Fri 30 Sep

Everton

8pm

A

1-1

38,758

988

7

Sat 15 Oct

West Ham United

5.30pm

H

0-1

25,643

2,849

8

Sat 22 Oct

Leicester City

3pm

A

1-3

31,969

3,275

11

Sat 29 Oct

Liverpool

5.30pm

H

2-4

25,628

2,909

12

Sat 05 Nov

Burnley

3pm

A

2-3

19,196

1,548

14

Sat 19 Nov

Manchester City

3pm

H

1-2

25,529

2,859

16

1 1

Swansea City

3pm

A

4-5

20,276

1,603

17

1

Sat 03 Dec

Southampton

3pm

H

3-0

25,393

2,772

14

1

Hull City

3pm

A

3-3

17,403

1,392

15

Wed 14 Dec

Manchester United

8pm

H

1-2

25,547

2,859

16

Sat 17 Dec

Chelsea

12.30pm

H

0-1

25,259

2,852

17

Mon 26 Dec

Watford

12.30pm

A

1-1

20,304

2,108

17

Sun 01 Jan

Arsenal

4pm

A

0-2

59,975

3,010

17

Tue 3 Jan

Swansea City

8pm

H

1-2

24,913

889

17

Sat 7 Jan

Bolton Wanderers

3pm

A

0-0

11,683

1,456

R3

Sat 14 Jan

West Ham United

3pm

A

0-3

56,984

2,984

17

Tue 17 Jan

Bolton Wanderers

8pm

H

2-1

7,149

980

R3R

Sat 21 Jan

Everton

3pm

H

0-1

25,594

2,869

18

Sat 28 Jan

Manchester City

3pm

H

0-3

13,979

3,662

R4

Tue 31 Jan

Bournemouth

7.45pm

A

2-0

11,286

1,332

17

Sat 4 Feb

Sunderland

3pm

H

0-4

25,310

2,637

19

Sat 11 Feb

Stoke City

3pm

A

0-1

27,007

2,273

19

Sat 25 Feb

Middlesbrough

3pm

H

1-0

25,416

2,889

18

Sat 4 Mar

West Bromwich Albion

3pm

A

2-0

24,051

2,436

17

Watford

3pm

H

1-0

25,109

2,803

16

Sat 18 Mar Sat 1 Apr

Chelsea

3pm

A

2-1

41,489

2,926

16

Wed 5 Apr

Southampton

7.45pm

A

1-3

29,968

2,421

16

Mon 10 Apr

Arsenal

8pm

H

Sat 15 Apr

Leicester City

3pm

H

Sat 23 Apr

Liverpool

4.30pm

A

Tottenham Hotspur

8pm

H H

Wed 26 Apr Sat 29 Apr

Burnley

5.30pm

Sat 6 May

Manchester City

12.30pm

A

Sat 13 May

Hull City

3pm

H

Sun 21 May

Manchester United

3pm

A

Home Fixture

Away Fixture

Cup Fixture

2016/17 Games 2016/17 Goals Palace Career Games Palace Career Goals

84

1

1

1

Sat 26 Nov Sat 10 Dec

4

JULIAN SPERONI

CPFC v AFC / / STATISTICS

1

1

1

1

1

1

1 1

1

1

2

34

5 1

6(5) 22(2) 21(4) 23(7) 3(4) 1(8) 0(1) 26(7) 28(2) 3 4 2 1 2 6

5

390 178

5

11

5

4

1

24

118

70

3

14

8

7

46

144

33

250

8

13

2

33

CPFC v AFC / / STATISTICS

30

31

34

35

36

AARON WAN-BISSAKA

28

MICHAEL PHILLIPS

27

BEN WYNTER

26

NOOR HUSIN

25

JASON PUNCHEON

24

HIRAM BOATENG

23

KLETON PERNTREOU

22

FREDDIE LADAPO

PAPE SOUARE

21

LUKE DREHER

JORDON MUTCH

19

MARTIN KELLY

CONNOR WICKHAM

18

JEFFERY SCHLUPP

ZEKI FRYERS

17

STEVE MANDANDA

JAMES MCARTHUR

16

LUKA MILIVOJEVIC

CHRISTIAN BENTEKE

15

DAMIEN DELANEY

JOE LEDLEY

15

- Unused Sub 1 - Goal(s) scored

BAKARY SAKO

JONATHAN BENTEKE

14

- Used Sub

KESHI ANDERSON

MILE JEDINAK

13

- Started match

SULLAY KAIKAI

CHUNG-YONG LEE

- Red Card

WAYNE HENNESSEY

- Yellow Card

38

40

42

43

44

45

46

REFEREE Pawson Oliver

1

Madley Dean

1

Swarbrick 1

Pawson Adcock

1

1

1

Taylor

1

Moss Atkinson Oliver 2

Marriner

1

1

Taylor

1

Madley

1

Friend

2

Swarbrick

1

Jones 1

Pawson Moss Clattenburg Marriner Tierney East Swarbrick

2

Attwell Taylor Jones

1

Moss Marriner Atkinson Madley Jones Atkinson

23 8(11) 69

1

39

179

2

10

1

Pawson

1

East

0(1) 16(5) 30(2) 21(3) 3(9) 5(5) 4(4) 3 1 13 5 1

96

32

88

6

13

9

14

34

9

40

4 55

1(1) 1(6) 25(2) 4

30

183

1

2

7

6

10

6

10

5(4) 21(5) 9

77 1

85

28(3) 3

141 16

CPFC v AFC / / PREMIER LEAGUE

POS

CLUB

P

W

D

L

F

A

GD

PTS

1

Chelsea

30

23

3

4

62

24

38

72

(3pm unless stated)

2

Tottenham Hotspur

30

19

8

3

60

22

38

65

GAMEWEEK 33

3

Liverpool

31

17

9

5

66

39

27

60

4

Manchester City

30

17

7

6

57

34

23

58

5

Arsenal

29

16

6

7

61

36

25

54

6

Manchester United

29

14

12

3

43

24

19

54

7

Everton

31

14

9

8

53

34

19

51

8

West Bromwich Albion

31

12

8

11

39

40

-1

44

9

Southampton

29

10

7

12

36

37

-1

37

10

Watford

30

10

7

13

36

48

-12

37

11

Leicester City

30

10

6

14

37

47

-10

36

12

Stoke City

31

9

9

13

33

45

-12

36

13

Bournemouth

31

9

8

14

44

56

-12

35

14

Burnley

31

10

5

16

32

44

-12

35

15

West Ham United

31

9

6

16

41

57

-16

33

16

Crystal Palace

30

9

4

17

39

50

-11

31

17

Hull City

31

8

6

17

32

61

-29

30

18

Swansea City

31

8

4

19

37

66

-29

28

19

Middlesbrough

30

4

11

15

22

37

-15

23

20

Sunderland

30

5

5

20

24

53

-29

20

TOP GOALSCORERS

MOST ASSISTS

1. Romelu Lukaku

Everton

21

=1. Gylfi Sigurdsson

Swansea City

11

2. Harry Kane

Tottenham Hotspur

19

=1. Kevin De Bruyne

Manchester City

11

3. Alexis Sánchez

Arsenal

18

3. Christian Eriksen

Tottenham Hotspur

10

4. Diego Costa

Chelsea

17

4. Alexis Sánchez

Arsenal

9

5. Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Manchester United

16

5. Matty Phillips

West Brom

8

=6. Sergio Agüero

Manchester City

15

=6. Wilfried Zaha

Crystal Palace

7

86

PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES

Saturday 15th April Tottenham v Bournemouth (12:30) Crystal Palace v Leicester City Everton v Burnley Stoke City v Hull City Sunderland v West Ham United Watford v Swansea City Southampton v Man City (17:30) Sunday 16th April West Brom v Liverpool (13:30) Man United v Chelsea (16:00) Monday 17th April Middlesbrough v Arsenal (20:00)

MATCHWEEK 34 Saturday 22nd April Bournemouth v Middlesbrough Hull City v Watford Swansea City v Stoke City West Ham United v Everton Sunday 23rd April Burnley v Man United (14:15) Liverpool v Crystal Palace (16:30) Tuesday 25th April Chelsea v Southampton (19:45) Wednesday 26th April Arsenal v Leicester City (19:45) Middlesbrough v Sunderland (19:45) Crystal Palace v Tottenham (20:00) Thursday 27th April Man City v Man United (20:00)

All stats in this programme are correct up to 06/04/17.

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03/04/2017 23:19

Crystal Palace Football Club

arsenal football club

Manager: Sam Allardyce

Manager: Arsène Wenger

(GK) Julian SPERONI Joel WARD Patrick VAN AANHOLT Mathieu FLAMINI James TOMKINS (C) Scott DANN Yohan CABAYE Loïc RÉMY Fraizer CAMPBELL Andros TOWNSEND Wilfried ZAHA Mamadou SAKHO (GK) Wayne HENNESSEY Chung-yong LEE Jonathan BENTEKE Joe LEDLEY Christian BENTEKE James McARTHUR Zeki FRYERS Connor WICKHAM Pape SOUARÉ Sullay KAIKAI Bakary SAKO Damien DELANEY Luka MILIVOJEVIC (GK) Steve MANDANDA Jeffrey SCHLUPP Martin KELLY Jason PUNCHEON

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 21 23 25 26 27 28 30 31 34 42

TODAY’S MATCH OFFICIALS Referee M. Oliver Assistants J. Collin G. Beswick Fourth Official N. Swarbrick

LUCKY NUMBER

Next: Home Match

leicester city f.c.

Saturday 15th April 2017 Kick-off: 3pm

02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 22 23 24 25 26 29 31 33 34 35

Next: Away Match

liverpool F.C. Sunday 23rd April 2017 Kick-off: 4.30pm

TODAY'S MATCH SPONSORS:

Mathieu DEBUCHY Kieran GIBBS Per MERTESACKER (C) GABRIEL Laurent KOSCIELNY Alexis SÁNCHEZ Aaron RAMSEY Lucas PÉREZ Mesut ÖZIL Olivier GIROUD David OSPINA (GK) Theo WALCOTT Alex OXLADE-CHAMBERLAIN Rob HOLDING Alex IWOBI Nacho MONREAL Santi CAZORLA Shkodran MUSTAFI Yaya SANOGO Danny WELBECK Héctor BELLERÍN Carl JENKINSON Emiliano MARTÍNEZ (GK) Granit XHAKA Jeff REINE-ADÉLAÏDE Petr CECH (GK) Francis COQUELIN Mohamed ELNENY