Crystal Palace vs Bournemouth Report

Scorers: N/A

Red Card: Richards 45+1’

Bournemouth’s push for a top-seven Premier League (PL) finish suffered a blow on Wednesday evening as they were held to a 0-0 draw by 10-man Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park – a result that extends the Cherries’ winless streak in London to 11 matches (D6, L5).

With both sides harbouring contrasting ambitions heading into the clash, the visitors looked the more enterprising in the early stages. Milos Kerkez’s early ball to Justin Kluivert signalled Bournemouth’s attacking intent, but it ultimately came to nothing, much like the majority of a tepid opening half.

Scrappy First Half Ends with Controversy

Clear-cut chances were at a premium, but the first real openings came around the half-hour mark. Palace’s Will Hughes latched onto a rebound on the edge of the box but failed to hit the target, while Evanilson fired over from a similar distance for the visitors after another neat exchange with Kerkez.

The half ended on a sour note for Palace, as Chris Richards was dismissed just before the break. Already booked for a clumsy challenge earlier, the American defender was controversially shown a second yellow for a marginal tug on Kluivert during a 50-50 challenge – a decision met with frustration from the home faithful.

Despite the numerical disadvantage, Oliver Glasner’s side reached the interval with some positivity, having stemmed the flow after conceding 10 goals in their previous two league outings.

Bournemouth Fail to Make Extra Man Count

The second half saw a flurry of bookings within 10 minutes of the restart, with Kluivert, Ismaïla Sarr, and Dango Outtara all finding themselves in the referee’s notebook – a reflection of a scrappy and often ill-tempered encounter.

Adam Smith briefly ignited the away end with a shot that was well blocked, while Palace responded by enjoying more possession after the hour mark. Yet, Bournemouth remained the more likely to score, as Evanilson forced Dean Henderson into a routine save with a tame header before Outtara’s thunderous strike moments later brought out the best in the Eagles’ goalkeeper, who produced a fine diving stop to deny the Cherries a late breakthrough.

Stalemate Suits Neither Side

On the balance of play, a goalless draw felt like a fair outcome. However, Palace may be left ruing a missed opportunity to win four consecutive Premier League home matches for just the second time in their history. Bournemouth, meanwhile, will be disappointed not to have capitalised on their numerical advantage, knowing that two dropped points could prove costly in their pursuit of a maiden European qualification.

Still, the Cherries can take some solace in extending their unbeaten run against Palace to four matches without conceding, but with crucial fixtures looming, Andoni Iraola’s men must rediscover their scoring touch if they are to break into the top seven before the season’s end.

For more info on this game’s outcome, you may also visit:
Crystal Palace v Bournemouth, 2024/25 | Premier League