Crystal Palace 1-0 Wolves: Guessand Strikes Late as 10-Man Wolves Fall at Selhurst Park

Crystal Palace snatched a dramatic 90th-minute victory through Evann Guessand against 10-man Wolves at Selhurst Park.

The Eagles survived an early penalty scare in the first half, with Tolu Arokodare failing to convert from the spot after a smart save from Dean Henderson denied him.

For large spells, the game was a dull affair, with few clear-cut chances for either side. Ultimately, three key moments decided the contest.

A harshly debated red card for Ladislav Krejci left Wolves pinned back in the latter stages of the second half, and Palace’s late pressure finally paid off. Substitute Guessand slotted past José Sá to seal his first goal for the club and lift Palace to 13th in the Premier League.

Palace started brightly and almost found a breakthrough inside five minutes. A poor pass back from Yerson Mosquera allowed Yeremy Pino to go one-on-one with José Sá, but his attempted chip drifted just wide of the post.

Aside from that early chance, the match settled into an uneventful rhythm. Rob Edwards’ side gradually grew into the game, but Palace created the next real opportunity just after the half-hour mark.

A clever short-corner routine saw the ball fall to Pino on the penalty spot, but his strike bounced off the post after Ismaïla Sarr narrowly missed redirecting it goalwards.

Wolves then had the best chance of the half when Thomas Kirk awarded them a penalty. A defensive lapse allowed Matheus Mane through on goal, and Adam Wharton’s challenge from behind left the referee with little choice.

Tolu Arokodare stepped up, but his weak effort into the bottom-right corner was expertly saved by captain Dean Henderson, keeping the score goalless at half-time.

The second half mirrored the first in terms of limited action. However, on the hour mark, Kirk was called into action again this time issuing a second yellow card to Ladislav Krejci for kicking the ball away after the whistle. Wolves were reduced to 10 men.

Even with the numerical advantage, the game struggled to ignite. Both sides created very little following Arokodare’s missed penalty.

The breakthrough finally arrived in the 90th minute. An inspired substitution from Oliver Glasner introduced Evann Guessand, who made an immediate impact. The ball was worked wide to Tyrick Mitchell by Wharton, and the left-back delivered a low cross that Guessand met confidently, firing past Sá to secure a crucial 1–0 win.

Palace climbed to 13th place, moving above rivals Brighton & Hove Albion and within one point of Sunderland, who were defeated earlier in the day. Glasner also ended a run of 23 games without a home win and will hope momentum continues into their Europa Conference League second leg at Selhurst Park.

Wolves, meanwhile, failed to capitalise on their penalty opportunity and could not hold out for a 0–0 draw with 10 men. They remain on 10 points and still hovering around Derby County’s lowest points record. Next up is a clash with Aston Villa at Molineux.

Man of the Match: Dean Henderson