J. Gorenc Stankovič enters the game and replaces A. Pritchard.
Pritchard is replaced by Stankovic with very little time remaining.
90'
The fourth official has indicated an additional four minutes at the end of the match.
88'
P. van Aanholt has scored a goal for Crystal Palace! Assist by W. Zaha.
VAN AANHOLT ENDS THE CONTEST! The full-back shows Zaha how to finish in front of goal as he receives a pass in space on the left, dribbles into the penalty area and slots his shot between Hamer’s legs and into the back of the net! 2-0 Crystal Palace!
Zaha’s earlier missed opportunity will be forgotten as he is involved in another goal – providing the assist for Van Aanholt.
86'
Benteke plays Zaha through on goal but the mercurial talent isn’t even able to hit the target! Hamer has been good, but also very lucky today as Palace’s forwards have clearly forgotten to put their shooting boots on.
84'
Milivojevic swings a corner towards the far post for Benteke but the imposing striker is unable to shirk his marker and get a shot on goal as the ball is cleared immediately.
82'
After 75 minutes, the worst has finally happened to Huddersfield, who are relegated as it stands. With 10 minutes left, and both Southampton and Burnley still leading over Brighton and Wolves respectively, the Terriers will be relegated before the end of March. It’s a moment for cool heads as their Premier League status is now really and truly in danger.
80'
D. Williams enters the game and replaces J. Bacuna.
E. Kachunga enters the game and replaces C. Löwe.
C. Kouyaté enters the game and replaces A. Townsend.
Bacuna is off after giving away the penalty as Williams is on for the final 10 minutes.
An attacking switch for Huddersfield – their first of the match – sees Kachunga on for Lowe.
Townsend is removed by Hodgson as Kouyate is given 10 minutes to stretch his legs.
78'
Pritchard goes on a mazy run into the Palace penalty area but he is unable to catch the far corner as he sends his off-balance shot wide of Guaita’s net!
76'
Penalty goal scored by L. Milivojević for Crystal Palace!
MILIVOJEVIC MAKES HUDDERSFIELD PAY! The captain sends Hamer the other way as he smashes his penalty into the bottom-left corner of the goal! Palace have the breakthrough! 1-0!
Minute
Description
75'
Townsend stretches out a leg and manages to take a shot, despite being closed down between two centre-backs. It’s great endeavour to fashion an opportunity, but the forward sends his effort well wide.
73'
C. Benteke enters the game and replaces M. Batshuayi.
Batshuayi is replaced by Benteke as Hodgson looks to take the lead with just over 15 minutes remaining.
69'
The Huddersfield players are having an unhappy worth with the match official as Lee Probert pulls play back to award a free-kick for the visitors inside the centre-circle, despite looking as though he would play advantage. A sloppy set-piece allows Crystal Palace to counter-attack as Zaha gets into the penalty area all alone, but Hamer manages to stay on his feet long enough to allow his defence to come back and help out.
67'
Southampton have broken the deadlock against Brighton, and with Burnley leading in their match against Wolves – Huddersfield are relegated if they lose this match. With just over 20 minutes remaining, can Siewert’s side fashion a goal which will, at the very least, give them hope for another week?
65'
A Palace attack ends at the foot of Zaha who was deemed to be in an offside position between Huddersfield’s two centre-backs. It’s a contentious decision as the forward looked to have been onside, but the referee disagrees with the home support and awards the visitors a free-kick in midfield.
63'
Over an hour has passed and, though Palace seem to be getting more and more into the match, neither side have looked likely to score. The service to Zaha has improved since the interval, though he has not managed to fashion a strike at goal – opting to set up his team-mates near Hamer’s net. It’s a strategy that hasn’t worked yet, but as the match gets increasingly stretched, it could lead to a winner.
61'
It’s Smith who is getting looked at after he takes the ball to the back of his head unknowingly. It isn’t a foul from Batshuayi who was attacking at the time – but a suspected head injury is always worth a check, just in case.
57'
Milivojevic delivers a corner to the inside of the six-yard box but Hamer punches it away. The ball eventually drops to the foot of Tomkins who smashes a brilliant first-time volley – especially for a centre-back – but the goalkeeper remains untroubled as the shot is hit in a position that is comfortable for Hamer to save.
55'
With the ball just outside the Crystal Palace penalty area, the visitors are forced to turn around and pass it all the way back to Hamer, who pushes his side forward – this time down the left. It’s a good idea to switch the point of attack, but none of the goalkeepers’ team-mates share the same thought as it goes out sloppily for a Palace throw.
53'
Brilliant work from Zaha near the left touchline has he dribbles between two markers and distributes a pass to Van Aanholt who waits on the edge of the penalty area. The full-back controls the pass beautifully and immediately attempts a curler towards the far post, but Hamer is in a perfect position to make a comfortable catch.
51'
Mooy looks to take the free-kick to the near post but its another poor delivery from the usually reliable midfielder, as his kick is unable to beat the first man who clears it away promptly. If Huddersfield are to survive in the Premier League for another week – they’ll have to make the most of their opportunities – especially set-pieces.
50'
Durm receives the ball on the left and looks to get forward but it forced to check his run by the presence of Wan-Bissaka who looks to be one of the Premier League’s most promising full-backs. The slow pace of Huddersfield’s attack works in their favour as Mooy is clattered off the ball – winning a free-kick on the left in the process.
48'
Huddersfield are immediately on the attack to open up the second half as Mooy’s off-balance cross evades his team-mates and rolls out on the other side for a Palace throw-in. The build-up from the visitors looks promising, but they seem to be lacking the final killer instinct necessary to beat Guaita.
46'
J. McArthur enters the game and replaces M. Meyer.
Crystal Palace have made a change at half-time as McArthur replaces Meyer in midfield.
Crystal Palace get the second half underway from the kick-off!
45'
HALF-TIME: CRYSTAL PALACE 0-0 HUDDERSFIELD TOWN.
40'
Mooy swings in a free-kick from the right to the edge of the area but the delivery is extremely poor. Huddersfield manage half a chance after a ricochet falls to Bacuna, but his unclean hit proves no challenge for Guaita.
38'
Grant wins possession in Palace’s penalty area after a poor pass backwards and steams towards the penalty area on the right with no real support around him. He eventually opts for a strange half-cross, half-shot which neither challenges the goalkeeper nor brings his team-mates into play. It was a brilliant chance – but thoroughly and completely wasted.
36'
A lovely passing move from Crystal Palace in front of Huddersfield’s penalty area ends in a save as Townsend is teed up for a shot which is smothered well by Hamer who prevents a rebound.
35'
Pritchard receives a pass and takes a touch to control it before smashing the bouncing ball towards Guaita’s goal from outside the area – missing the target narrowly.
33'
Wan-Bissaka, in possession on the right, shifts and jinks past his man before sending in a cross, looking for Schlupp. The midfielder does get on the end of the delivery, but he can only angle his chance towards the goalkeeper, who makes the initial save, but concedes a corner.
31'
As we pass the half-hour mark, neither side have done much to show their ability. Crystal Palace look comfortable ceding possession to their opponents and hitting on the counter-attack, while Huddersfield appear slightly bereft of ideas in possession around the penalty area.
26'
Mooy reaches the top-right corner of the penalty area and feathers a cross to the bottom corner for Lowe whose header forces a wonderful diving save out of Guaita – though the referee’s whistle blows play dead as Lowe did not manage to stay onside to receive the service.
24'
Zaha takes on two Huddersfield defenders as he picks up the ball deep and charge towards the opposition goal, but a combination of Mooy, Smith and Schindler manage to win a goal-kick after forcing the ball off the Ivory Coast international.
22'
Mooy attempts another clever pass from midfield looking for Lowe just outside the Crystal Palace penalty area but Tomkins reads the pass and swings a leg to clear the danger. It’s a good idea from the Terriers’ midfielder, but perhaps a bit too obvious a pass.
20'
Townsend picks up the ball after a change in possession in midfield and hits the byline before chipping it into the middle of the penalty area for Zaha – whose downward header towards the bottom-right corner of the goal misses the target narrowly.
18'
Huddersfield have survived their first real defensive test of the match after Batshuayi attempted to take one too many touches before firing at Hamer. The fast-pace counter attacks of Crystal Palace – especially via their full-backs – are quite a difficult proposition for any defence, especially as time goes on and legs begin to tire.
14'
The corner is an outswinger which Guaita clears confidently with a single-fist punch which allows Palace to push upfield on the counter.
13'
Kongolo gets in trouble in his own half and opts to knock it long for Grant who holds onto possession well and turns his defender – winning Huddersfield their first corner of the match.
11'
Another turnover in possession, but this time it’s Palace who are wasteful as a ball knocked down the right for Wan-Bissaka is hit hopelessly long for the right-back to latch onto. It’s been a real sloppy match in the first 10 minutes.
9'
Huddersfield are attempting to knock it around in midfield in an attempt to find an opening in Palace’s defensive block, but the visitors are finding it hard to keep hold of the ball after a number of sloppy giveaways allow the hosts to relieve the danger and start an attack of their own.
7'
Smith lays it off to Mooy who looks to get an incisive pass through the heart of defence into the penalty area for the streaking Pritchard, but a timely intervention from Dann blocks the danger before it can manifest.
5'
It's been a rather tempered opening five minutes as both sides just look to get a foot on the ball and in the match. Huddersfield are seeing slightly more possession but their spell on the ball is leading to nothing more than boosting passing stats as an early ball comes in from the left and drifts out for a throw-in to Palace on the other side of the pitch.
3'
Lowe swings a cross in from the left looking for the run of Mooy at the far post, but his delivery is far too deep for the midfielder who can only swing a leg awkwardly at the ball – sending it well over.
1'
Huddersfield get the match underway from the kick-off!
Hello and welcome to our LIVE coverage of the Premier League fixture between Crystal Palace and Huddersfield Town!
The international break came at a good time for Crystal Palace, who compounded a 2-1 defeat to Brighton and Hove in their last league fixture with an FA Cup elimination to Watford in the quarter-finals. That said, Roy Hodgson has his side in 14th position – a somewhat comfortable five points outside of the relegation zone with eight matches left.
The impact of Michy Batshuayi as another attacking outlet for Palace cannot be understated – as the Belgium international has found the back of the net in two of his last three matches for the Eagles. With a relatively decent defence but a struggling attack – averaging 1.2 goals per match – perhaps the Chelsea loanee is just the striker to relieve Palace’s attacking woes and shoot them up the table.
Huddersfield’s relegation from English football’s top flight looks an almost certainty as Jan Siewert has not been able to arrest the side’s poor form following his replacement of David Wagner as head coach. While their defence – third worst in the Premier League – has conceded 57 goals in 31 matches, it has been their 18 goals scored in 31 games – the league's worst - which has condemned them to 20th position.
Should Burnley and Southampton earn victories today, and Huddersfield fail to beat Crystal Palace, the Terriers will have their relegation confirmed with six matches remaining – the earliest mathematical drop since Derby 11 years ago yesterday. At this stage, the visitors know the herculean task necessary for the most improbable of survivals – and it all starts today.
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN SUBS: Aaron Rowe, Joel Coleman, Florent Hadergjonaj, Jon Gorenc Stankovic, Danny Williams, Matty Daly, Elias Kachunga.
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN XI (4-5-1): Ben Hamer; Tommy Smith, Christopher Schindler, Terence Kongolo, Erik Durm; Alex Pritchard, Juninho Bacuna, Jonathan Hogg, Aaron Mooy, Chris Lowe; Karlan Grant.
CRYSTAL PALACE SUBS: Martin Kelly, Wayne Hennessey, Joel Ward, Cheikhou Kouyate, James McArthur, Jordan Ayew, Christian Benteke.
CRYSTAL PALACE XI (4-3-3): Vicente Guaita; Patrick van Aanholt, Scott Dann, James Tomkins, Aaron Wan-Bissaka; Jeffrey Schlupp, Luka Milivojevic, Max Meyer; Wilfried Zaha, Michy Batshuayi, Andros Townsend.
With 15 minutes to go before kick-off, the team news has been confirmed! Let's start with the hosts!
As legs tire, it seems likely that Crystal Palace will become more and more effective, as Wan-Bissaka and Van Aanholt are both willing runners down the flanks – even late in the match. Very little has been seen of Zaha in the penalty area, as service to he and Batshuayi has been seriously lacking. Huddersfield – without any real goal-scoring threats on their bench – will need to show more creativity and ruthlessness in attack, as a Lowe header and shot – both from the edge of the area – and an extremely wasteful Grant chance are all the attacking they’ve done this half. With 45 still to play, the result still hangs in the balance!
That concludes our Premier League commentary of the fixture between Crystal Palace and Huddersfield Town! We hope you enjoyed it!
Crystal Palace are in action again on Wednesday, when they face Spurs. Huddersfield will look for a morale-boosting victory next Saturday when they host Leicester City.
Commentary
More…