Roy Hodgson has doubled Wilfried Zaha’s goal target after the winger shone again in Crystal Palace’s victory over Burnley. Zaha was the architect of the opener, an own goal by Phil Bardsley, and then scored the third after Michy Batshuayi had doubled Palace’s advantage. It was a fifth goal in as many games for Zaha after 18 matches without one, and he was a thorn in Burnley’s side throughout.
Hodgson said: “Wilf was good. He’s always good. He’s in good form at the moment. He’s a dangerous player to have to mark if you’re a defender when he gets the ball, because he’s an extremely good dribbler and he’s got not only dribbling skills, he’s got strength to add to that.
“At the moment he’s in good goal-scoring form. He promised me some time ago that he would score at least five goals before the end of the season and I think he’s already got those five, so we’re going to up that – we’re going to double it, he’s got to get 10.”
Palace took the lead after Zaha jinked his way into the box and crossed for Jeffrey Schlupp, whose pull-back hit Bardsley’s knee and flew past Tom Heaton. Batshuayi added the second after converting Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s cross, before Zaha got the goal he deserved in the 76th minute when he bamboozled the Burnley defence and fired home.
Burnley fans were at last given something to cheer as Barnes headed in a cross in the 90th minute, but Palace held on for a win that moved them eight points clear of the relegation zone.
The result made it back-to-back defeats for Burnley after their eight-game unbeaten run came to an end at Newcastle in midweek.
Their manager Sean Dyche said: “It was a strange game and the wrong outcome for us. A very strong first-half performance, and you come in scratching your head that you’re 1-0 down. Then second half you concede early and that’s a real blow.”