Crystal Palace climbed out of the Premier League relegation zone for the first time this season as they outplayed Claude Puel’s resurgent Leicester to seal a rare away win.
Christian Benteke cost Palace victory when he missed an injury-time penalty he was not supposed to take last weekend, but the striker redeemed himself with a first-half header from Andros Townsend’s cross – his first goal of the campaign.
Palace had failed to score in their past 10 league away games, but Roy Hodgson’s organised and adventurous team added a second before the break when Benteke’s strong run and pass set up Wilfried Zaha for a brilliant individual finish.
Leicester only tested goalkeeper Julian Speroni when they rallied in the second half – the Italian reacting superbly to reach Riyad Mahrez’s angled low drive with a strong palm.
And any potential comeback was hamstrung when Wilfred Ndidi was sent off on his birthday less than a minute after Vicente Iborra’s header was correctly disallowed for a foul.
Ndidi – who turns 21 today – was shown a second yellow card for simulation in the penalty box with just under half an hour to play.
Palace had a much more legitimate penalty shout when Benteke was crumpled in the area by Marc Albrighton’s sliding tackle from behind, but the referee waved away appeals for a chance to add extra gloss on an impressive away performance.
Bakary Sako eventually provided it – tucking away Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s pass across goal to round off a 94th-minute counter-attack.
The Foxes, who so impressively dismantled Puel’s former club Southampton in midweek, remain eighth in the table, while Palace rise four places to 14th – though the teams below them are yet to play this weekend.
