Yohan Cabaye marked his Crystal Palace debut with a
stoppage-time goal, as Norwich City were frustrated on their return to the
Barclays Premier League with a 3-1 defeat at Carrow Road.
The France midfielder, who joined Palace for a club-record
fee from Paris Saint-Germain in the close-season, swept home James McArthur's
pass in the 94th minute to seal the three points after Norwich’s Cameron Jerome had a goal ruled out with the score
at 2-1.
Norwich also had claims for a penalty rejected in a dramatic
end to their first match in the top flight.
Goals either side of half-time from Wilfried Zaha and Palace
captain Damien Delaney had put Alan Pardew's team into a 2-0 lead. But Norwich
were rewarded for their positive display when substitute Nathan Redmond's
long-range effort brought them back into the match with 21 minutes remaining.
The home side were unable to find the equaliser, though, and Cabaye's late
strike put the result in no doubt.
Norwich acquitted themselves well throughout and missed a
gilt-edged chance to open the scoring in the 10th minute. A wonderful flowing
move ended with Steven Whittaker rolling the ball across the six-yard box, but
Lewis Grabban hit the outside of a post with the goal of Palace debutant Alex
McCarthy unguarded.
Palace began to enjoy a spell of pressure and John Ruddy
made a good stop from Murray's close-range prod after Joel Ward had nodded down
Pape Souare's cross, before the visitors went in front six minutes before the
break.
Puncheon beat Norwich’s
Robbie Brady down the right and stood up a great cross to the back post, which
Zaha finished with a controlled volley. Ruddy then did well to parry Jordon
Mutch's shot from the edge of the area to keep it at 1-0 at the break, but
Palace extended their lead four minutes into the second period with a well-worked
set-piece routine.
Puncheon's deep corner was headed down by Souare and the
unmarked Delaney swept home from close-range, with Ruddy furious with Norwich's
lax defending. At the other end, McCarthy stopped Lewis Grabban's near-post
shot before springing up to parry Bradley Johnson's follow-up diving header.
Norwich manager Alex Neil introduced Jerome and Redmond, and
the latter brought Norwich back into the game with a 20-yard daisy-cutter that
nestled in the bottom-left corner. The Carrow Road faithful were on their feet
again when Brady's free-kick sat up in the area and Jerome acrobatically put
the ball in the net, only for the goal to be chalked off for a high boot.
Whittaker had a shot cleared off the line by Scott Dann,
before Bassong fell to the ground in the penalty area under pressure from
Connor Wickham, only for referee Simon Hooper to wave away home appeals.
Norwich's frustration was compounded when Cabaye wrapped up
Palace's win deep into stoppage time.
Norwich City manager Alex Neil: "We dominated the game
at the start and we had to take our chances, but we didn't do that.
"I thought in the main, our use of the ball was good.
We controlled most of the game, but it is a lesson."
Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew: "It was a really
good first game, all round really. After about five minutes I realised I'd
picked the wrong team today. Norwich were brilliant for the first 20 minutes.
Sometimes your players have to get you out of jail, as a manager. I thanked
them after the game.
"Jason Puncheon was our best player today. Wilfried
Zaha was great, but Punch was our best player last season and carried that on
today."
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