Crystal Palace’s sedate start to the season continued at Bramhall Lane on Sunday, as Chris Wilder’s newly-promoted Sheffield United came out 1-0 winners in the club’s first Premier League home game since 2007.
John Lundstram’s reactive rebound early in the second half was enough to topple an uncreative Palace side, spearheaded by wantaway forward Wilfried Zaha who simply seemed like he was already half-way out of the door.
The Eagles’ quiet summer may come back to bite them hard this term, with Max Meyer struggling out of position on the left-wing and Connor Wickham the common back-up forward at Roy Hodgson’s disposal.
Although it was always going to be tough travelling up to Yorkshire and squaring off against a famously hostile atmosphere, Palace’s lack of ambition against, arguably, the relegation favourites is something to worry about.
Nonetheless, I’ve selected the visitors’ two losers and, somehow, two winners from Sunday afternoon’s forgettable fixture.
