Leicester City vs Crystal Palace. Premier League.
The King Power StadiumAttendance31,778.
Report and highlights as Michy Batshuayi scores first Crystal Palace goal
Saturday 23 February 2019 22:41, UK
Wilfried Zaha scored twice as Crystal Palace beat Leicester 4-1 at the King Power Stadium in the Premier League on Saturday evening.
Michy Batshuayi, on loan from Chelsea, scored his first goal in a Palace shirt five minutes from half-time, but Jonny Evans grabbed an equalising Leicester goal in the 64th minute from close range.
Zaha gave Palace the lead again with a tidy finish (70) before Evans' evening took a turn for the worse when he tripped up Jeffrey Schlupp in the penalty box, allowing Luka Milivojevic to convert from the spot (81).
Zaha scored his second - and Palace's fourth - in injury-time (90+3) to mark a memorable evening for the away support at the King Power Stadium.
Roy Hodgson's side have extended their unbeaten run to six matches and move up into 13th on 30 points. Leicester remain in 12th - two clear of the south London club.
Leicester won the possession battle early on and created their first goalscoring chance in the ninth minute. Harvey Barnes whipped a cross into the box from the left flank which Jamie Vardy met, but his near-post header flew narrowly over the bar.
The half became increasingly scrappy, with Palace committing eight fouls in the opening 45 minutes, but it was the visitors who took the lead against the run of play.
Five minutes from half-time, James McArthur attempted an audacious half-volley from around 35 yards out which Batshuayi was able to re-direct with an outstretched leg into the bottom corner.
Leicester continued their possession dominance into the second half and it finally paid off when Evans levelled the match in the 64th minute. Christian Fuchs' long throw saw the ball eventually drop to Barnes, who drilled the ball across the goalmouth for Evans to turn in with a poacher's finish.
Six minutes later and Palace re-took the lead through Zaha as James McArthur showed great composure to dink a ball into the unmarked Ivory Coast international's path before he slotted the ball home on the volley.
Leicester pushed for an equaliser, but Palace created some breathing space when Milivojevic sent Kasper Schmeichel the wrong way from the penalty spot, nine minutes from time, after Evans brought down Schlupp in the box.
And as the hosts piled more men forward in added time, Palace punished Leicester on the counter-attack as substitute Jordan Ayew's pace was too much for the Leicester backline. He teed up Zaha who smashed in his second goal of the night.
Roy Hodgson: "We are getting closer to getting that magical number of 40.
"If we're capable of coming to a team like this and also getting a win at Man City, I've got to believe in this team. We're never beaten.
Claude Puel: "Sometimes they [Leicester fans] have disappointment with all the effort and it's difficult to accept.
"Of course one point from six is a big disappointment. If we look at the points it's not enough. But if we look at the performances it's crazy when you see what we're producing on the pitch. We must keep going."
Zaha started the game quietly, but grew as the match progressed as Leicester increasingly pushed more men up the pitch.
The 26-year-old was rewarded for his patience by clinically dispatching two second-half goals to stretch his goalscoring streak to three league matches in a row.
Leicester host Brighton on Tuesday night. Palace, meanwhile, welcome Manchester United to Selhurst Park on Wednesday night.
