Two late goals from Everton condemned Crystal Palace to a late defeat leaving them without a win in four games in the Premier League.
Chances were at a premium in a drab encounter at Goodison Park before Palace were handed a golden opportunity to take the lead in the second half after Wilfried Zaha was downed in the box. Luka Milivojevic’s penalty was expertly saved by the feet of Jordan Pickford, and the Toffees took advantage of the miss late on. Two goals in the last three minutes of the game meant Palace left Merseyside empty-handed.
The result leaves the Eagles just above the relegation zone, and their early form will no doubt be concerning for the Selhurst Park faithful. It’s clear that Roy Hodgson’s side are over-reliant on Zaha in attack with Christian Benteke yet to return from knee surgery. The former England boss would be wise to target an attacker in January to boost his chances of survival.
One man who should be on his shortlist is Lokomotiv Moscow forward – Fedor Smolov. Valued at £12.6m by Transfermarkt, the forward joined Moscow this summer after spending three years with Krasnodar in the Russian Premier League. Smolov has made a decent start to life with his new club, scoring three times in eight appearances before a shoulder injury hampered his progress.
Smolov racked up an incredible scoring record for his former employers which suggests Palace should be monitoring his situation closely. The 28-year-old scored 20, 18 and 14 goals in the league during his three years at the club and Palace would greatly benefit from his expert finishing ability. Able to lead the line and hold the ball up, the Russia international would be an excellent replacement for Benteke in the attack.
Approaching the prime of his career, it’s the perfect time to bring him to England.
Palace fans, thoughts?