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Crystal Palace finally scores 1st league goal of 2017-18 season

Action Images via Reuters/Tony O'Brien

Crystal Palace ended a scoreless run of 731 minutes with a fortuitous 11th-minute goal against Chelsea at Selhurst Park on Saturday, as Yohan Cabaye forced a deflection off of Cesar Azpilicueta and the ball ultimately trickled past Thibaut Courtois.

Roy Hodgson's side had failed to find the back of the net in its last eight matches, stretching back to the final tilt of the 2016-17 season and through the first seven fixtures of this current campaign.

The opening goal came early in the match, as Palace sparked an attacking opportunity off a throw-in. James McArthur slipped a ball over to Andros Townsend, who in turn sent a driven cross into the box toward Cabaye. The French midfielder put his right foot through the ball and beat Courtois by way of a deflection.

Still, they all count the same and Palace, despite sitting last with a minus-17 goal differential, finally has a tally to its name this season.

Chelsea midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko restored the tie minutes later with a goal off a corner routine for his first league goal in London blue, but the returning Wilfried Zaha made sure Crystal Palace took a lead into the locker room with another go-ahead effort at the stroke of half-time.

It's Zaha's first Premier League goal since he scored in a 4-0 win over Hull City in the penultimate match of the previous campaign. The Ivory Coast international has been absent since mid-August after picking up a knee injury, missing 10 matches for Palace in that time.

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