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Attendance: 23,723

Premier League

Nov 25, 2017 at 3pm UK

Crystal Palace
2-1
Stoke Stoke City

Loftus-Cheek (56'), Sakho (92')

FT(HT: 0-0)

Shaqiri (53')

Crystal Palace leave it late to beat Stoke City

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 25 November 2017

Crystal Palace come from behind to pick up only their second win of the season at the expense of Stoke City courtesy of goals from Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Mamadou Sakho.

Crystal Palace have come from behind to pick up only their second win of the season courtesy of a 2-1 triumph over Stoke City at Selhurst Park.

Xherdan Shaqiri gave the visitors the lead early in the second half, but the league's bottom club quickly responded through Ruben Loftus-Cheek's first goal for the club.

It looked as though both sides would be forced to settle for a point, but Roy Hodgson's side struck through Mamadou Sakho in the second minute of stoppage time to rescue a much-needed victory for the Eagles.

Joe Allen and Luka Milivojevic in action during the Premier League game between Crystal Palace and Stoke City on November 25, 2017 © Offside

The first big chance of the contest fell to the home side when Wilfried Zaha teed up Loftus-Cheek, but his effort was blocked before it could trouble stand-in Stoke keeper Lee Grant.

Clear chances were few and far between in the opening 45 minutes, though, and Shaqiri was the next to come close shortly after the half-hour mark with a curling effort which went wide of the target.

Palace perhaps should have broken the deadlock five minutes later when the ball rebounded to James McArthur, but the midfielder was denied from point-blank range by Grant as the two sides went into the break still goalless.

Christian Benteke continued his recovery from injury as a half-time sub and almost made a quick impact when his strike hit the side-netting, although just a minute later Stoke were the team celebrating with the opening goal of the contest.

Shaqiri collected the ball on the right flank before weaving his way inside and firing his finish past Wayne Hennessey into the bottom corner to cap off a fine solo effort.

The Potters' lead lasted just three minutes, though, as Loftus-Cheek opened his Palace account in timely fashion to restore parity, smuggling his finish in at the near post after Andros Townsend's deep cross had gone all the way through to him.

Both sides pushed for the winner in the closing stages, with Benteke nodding one chance straight at Grant before Jese Rodriguez drilled an effort just wide following a knockdown from Peter Crouch.

Ryan Shawcross could then only divert the ball away from the Palace goal from point-blank range with just three minutes remaining of normal time, and that proved to be a pivotal moment in the game as Palace scored the winner in the 92nd minute.

Another cross from the left went all the way through to the back post and this time Yohan Cabaye was waiting to drill an effort towards goal. The Frenchman saw his strike hit the upright, but the ball bounced kindly for Sakho to apply the finishing touch and send Selhurst Park into raptures.

The result sees Palace close the gap on safety to just three points courtesy of what is now a four-match unbeaten streak at home, whereas Stoke slump to 15th in the table with only three points separating them from the relegation zone.

Crystal Palace (4-4-2): Hennessey; Ward, Tomkins, Sakho, Schlupp; Cabaye, Milivojevic, McArthur (Benteke, 46'), Loftus Cheek; Townsend, Zaha

Stoke City (3-4-3): Grant; Zouma, Wimmer, Shawcross; Pieters, Fletcher, Allen, Diouf (Jese, 74'); Shaqiri, Sobhi (Crouch, 67'); Choupo-Moting