Wilfred Zaha’s 13th minute strike was enough to give Crystal Palace the victory in a tightly fought contest against Southampton.

The Ivorian international’s tidy cushioned finish was the difference as Crystal Palace ended a nine game winless streak to give them a great start to the season.

Southampton failed to build on their remarkable post-lockdown form last season and start the season with a defeat.

The game was marred with VAR decisions as a red card for Kyle Walker-Peters was rightly overruled and Wilfred Zaha’s late strike was ruled out for offside.

  • Cagey first half

The return of the Premier League season is an exciting time for all supporters; new signings, new kits and the hope that this could be your team’s year.

However, this opening weekend match did not live up to expectation in the first-half. Other than Zaha’s goal, there wasn’t much to report.

Southampton were lacklustre, devoid of ideas, whereas Crystal Palace looked threatening on the counter-attack getting in behind Southampton’s high defensive line on numerous occasions.

Wilfred Zaha’s goal came from a lightning fast Palace counter-attack.

When the ball broke to Andros Townsend on the halfway line, he ran at the Saints defence and produced a brilliant ball in for Zaha, who’s cushioned volley took it past Alex McCarthy in the Southampton net.

Zaha’s 50th league goal in English football and it ensured Palace went into the break a goal to the good.

  • Saints better in second half

The second-half of the game had a lot more quality in it and was, at times, frantic as Southampton looked to get back into the game.

Whatever manager Ralph Hasenhüttl said to his players at half-time worked as they came racing out the blocks, right-back Kyle Walker-Peters, who has recently signed a permanent contract at the Saints having been on-loan last season, creating two chances as Southampton threatened.

Walker-Peters maybe came out the blocks too quickly however as his high foot on Tyrick Miller was originally punished by referee Jon Moss with a red card.

Having consulted the pitchside TV monitor however, something which was only done 7 times in the whole of last season by Premier League referees, Moss decided his decision was wrong and downgraded the punishment to a yellow card.

Relief for Southampton as they pushed for an equaliser. Crystal Palace sat back in defence and Southampton came at them for the rest of the game, Che Adams having the best chance as his point-blank shot was brilliantly saved by Vincente Guaita.

Wilfred Zaha could have doubled Palace’s lead late on as he saw one goal ruled out by VAR for offside and one brilliant chance hit the side netting.

Palace were almost made to rue those missed chances as Danny Ings almost drew Southampton level in the 95th minute, only for it to be brilliantly saved again by Guaita.

Despite Southampton’s late chances, they weren’t good enough throughout the course of the game to get anything from the game and Palace deserved the three points.