London: Yohan Cabaye scored one goal and made another as Crystal Palace continued their impressive start to the Premier League season by beating West Bromwich Albion 2-0 on Saturday.
Cabaye teed up Yannick Bolasie for a 68th-minute header and then scored a late penalty to earn Alan Pardew’s side a deserved win that provisionally catapulted the south London club up to third place.
Wilfried Zaha was Palace’s standout player, two days after being left out of the England squad by Roy Hodgson, who was present at Selhurst Park, and won the penalty by drawing a foul from the beleaguered Chris Brunt.
Bolasie’s goal was both his first at home since New Year’s Day 2013 and the first goal that Tony Pulis’ West Brom had conceded on the road this season, as the Midlands club fell to a first away defeat.
Zaha was one of two players brought into the Palace team by Pardew, along with James McArthur, and he was the star turn in the first period as the hosts kept West Brom penned deep inside their own half.
The former Manchester United winger was a constant source of menace, repeatedly leaving left-back Brunt for dead with his weaving runs down the right wing.
Twice he skipped past Brunt, cut onto his left foot and shot, only for West Brom goalkeeper Boaz Myhill to save on each occasion, while a collision between Zaha and Brunt left the Northern Irishman with a bloodied nose.
A bruising first half also saw West Brom lose centre-back Jonny Evans to what appeared to be a hamstring injury, with James Chester coming on in his place.
The one-way traffic moved Pulis, the former Palace manager, to bolster his midfield at half-time, sending on Craig Gardner for Saido Berahino.
Palace continued to set the tempo after the break and felt they should have been awarded a penalty when Cabaye’s free-kick from the left struck Gardner on the arm.
But the pressure finally told with 22 minutes to go when Jason Puncheon found Cabaye inside the West Brom box and the Frenchman curled in a delightful cross that Bolasie met with a thudding close-range header.
Zaha continued his torment of Brunt and after the West Brom number 11 had brought him down with a tired challenge, Cabaye netted from the spot to register his second penalty in consecutive games.
