Southampton 1-1 Crystal Palace: Premier League – Saints Player Ratings
By Erik Franzo
Southampton came back to earn a 1-1 draw versus Crystal Palace courtesy of Danny Ings’ twelfth Premier League goal.
The first half was a tactical battle as both teams sat organized out of possession. Neither side allowed a shot on target and the Saints survived yet another VAR goal. Wilfried Zaha was jeered all afternoon by Southampton fans, but created a goal that was ultimately disallowed. The Ivorian playmaker was narrowly found to be offside before setting up Max Meyer. Had the goal stood, it may have been a more open competition, but instead the match was tightly contested until the very end.
Crystal Palace would score first, via a Luka Milivojevic free kick. Saints’ defenders sat off thinking the strike was headed on frame, but instead it found the head of James Tomkins who put the ball just under the crossbar. The response from Southampton was slow, but totally changed once Ralph Hasenhuttl moved Moussa Djenepo into the game. Djenepo demanded the ball from the moment he stepped on the pitch and created chance after chance on the left hand side.
The Southampton goal came from 75 minutes of pressing. The front four was very organized, and nearly caught Mamadou Sako in the first half, and eventually forced Martin Kelly into a back pass he is going to regret. When you are in form, the ball finds you in good position, and Danny Ings was gifted a through ball from his opponents which he calmly placed in the back of the net. Ings did not even take a touch before burying his fourteenth goal of the campaign.
Moussa Djenepo continued to torment the Palace right side, nearly scoring a spectacular match winner. Danny Ings too nearly flicked on a James Ward-Prowse corner that was met with a great save by Vicente Guaita. The Saints’ manager may look to the twelve corner kicks and 61% possession and say they should have came out on top. However, Palace were incredibly organized and provided a structure that will be tough to crack again in less than a month’s time.
The Southampton draw means three games unbeaten and thirteen points out of their last seven. A date with Tottenham on New Year’s Day will provide a test, but the Saints side is gaining confidence. Here are the player ratings for the red and white following their match with Palace.