Palace End Winless Run After Beating Brentford 

Crystal Palace ended a three-match winless run in the Premier League with victory over in-form Brentford at Selhurst Park.

Jean-Philippe Mateta, who scored a hat-trick in Palace’s 3-3 draw with Bournemouth a fortnight ago, breathed life into a largely uneventful first half when he sent a brilliant looping header over Caoimhin Kelleher and into the far corner.

Victors over Liverpool in their last league game, Brentford were poor in the first half but could have restored parity when Daichi Kamada fouled Mikkel Damsgaard right on the edge of the Eagles’ area – only for Damsgaard to blaze his free-kick high over the crossbar.

Things went from bad to worse for the Bees early in the second half when defender Nathan Collins inadvertently headed Jefferson Lerma’s long throw into his own net to give the home side a two-goal cushion.

The unfortunate Collins almost gifted Palace a third when he lost possession to Ismaila Sarr deep inside his own half, but the Senegal international was only able to steer his shot against the inside of the post.

Reiss Nelson forced a fine save out of Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson with a curling effort late in the second half, but Oliver Glasner’s team held on comfortably.