Only a couple of weeks ago, Roy Hodgson was left most amused when his Crystal Palace side were awarded a last-gasp penalty against
Manchester City, but the shoe was on the other foot for the Eagles head coach during Wednesday’s all-London affair with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Palace were on course for a hard-earned point thanks to Michael Olise cancelling out an early Mykhaylo Mudryk effort, but after Michael Salisbury waved away appeals for a spot kick
and Palace failed to make the most of a four-on-two counter-attack, play was brought back for Eberechi Eze’s challenge on Noni Madueke.
The latter calmly stroked home from 12 yards to propel Chelsea to victory, and while the evidence appeared rather clear-cut upon review, it did not stop
an incandescent Hodgson from launching into a post-match tirade about technology, as has been the case up and down the country this term.
Now winless in eight successive Premier League matches, the Eagles are dancing with the devil in 15th place in the table – only three points clear of 18th-placed
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Luton Town having played a game more – and only time will tell whether Hodgson is still seen as the right man to lead Palace forward while Steve Cooper is still looking for work.
One small positive from Wednesday’s defeat was that Olise’s sublime finish saw Palace score for the ninth time in 10 Premier League
matches, but just eight of their 19 goals this season have come at home, where only Burnley have amassed fewer than their six points thus far.
