LONDON (AP) — Odsonne Edouard scored twice for Crystal Palace in its 3-2 win over Wolverhampton on Sunday, helping his team earn a second victory in the Premier League this season.
Eberechi Eze produced a sublime finish to also net for Palace in an exciting game between two sides who had scored just four goals between them in three rounds coming into the match.
Wolves equalized through substitute Hwang Hee-chan and had a consolation from Matheus Cunha in its third loss so far this campaign.
Eze played a starring role against Palace and thought he should have had a penalty early in the first half when he went down under Joao Gomes’ challenge. VAR official Stuart Attwell deemed the contact was insufficient to award a spot kick.
Almost immediately, the visitors should have found themselves a goal down when goalkeeper Jose Sa’s poor pass was nicked off the toes of Craig Dawson by Jefferson Lerma, who teed up Jordan Ayew. Wolves captain Max Kilman blocked the shot on the line.
Pedro Neto’s effort was tipped over by Palace goalkeeper Sam Johnstone just before halftime and that was the only shot of note from Wolves before the break. The game then exploded into life after the restart, with all five goals coming in the second half.
A superb run and cross from Tyrick Mitchell down the left saw Edouard picked out, and the striker got between two defenders to steer the ball past Sa and give Palace a 56th-minute lead.
Wolves hit back in the 65th when Hee-chan made an immediate impact shortly after his introduction from the bench when he made contact with Neto’s superb free kick with his shoulder. The ball looped over Johnstone and into the net.
But Palace always looked the more likely to score with Eze becoming all the more influential, and it was the playmaker who made it 2-1 in the 77th. His superb touch and finish from Jean-Philippe Mateta’s flick put him one-on-one with Sa and Eze prodded in a finish on the stretch.
Six minutes later, Edouard wrapped up the win after Mateta’s back-heel fooled the Wolves defense, with the former Celtic striker burying the ball past Sa.
Eze almost added a fourth for Palace after another jinking run into the box, but Sa saved well to his left and palmed the ball wide of the post.
Wolves pulled a goal back in the sixth minute of stoppage time when Neto’s cross was met in the box by Cunha.
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