Double delight for Steve Mounie as Huddersfield celebrate perfect start
Town earned three vital points and climbed to first place in their first Premier League match.
Huddersfield made a dream start to their first ever Premier League season with a convincing 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
Widely dismissed as contenders for relegation before they had even kicked a ball, they produced a typically-energetic display to outclass their experienced hosts, earn three vital points and climb to first place.
Their season may yet descend into a battle for survival, but after Joel Ward’s own goal, two fine finishes from club-record signing Steve Mounie gave David Wagner and his team significant reason to believe they may yet be capable of more.
Huddersfield made a dream start to their first ever Premier League season with a convincing 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
Widely dismissed as contenders for relegation before they had even kicked a ball, they produced a typically-energetic display to outclass their experienced hosts, earn three vital points and climb to first place.
Their season may yet descend into a battle for survival, but after Joel Ward’s own goal, two fine finishes from club-record signing Steve Mounie gave David Wagner and his team significant reason to believe they may yet be capable of more.
Palace had also begun the season with renewed optimism amid Frank de Boer’s appointment as manager, but in his first competitive game they showed little to suggest theirs will not become another struggle.
What they said
Tweet of the Match
Sir Patrick Stewart celebrates his team’s success.
Star man
View from the bench
David Wagner’s first ever game as a Premier League manager, and Huddersfield’s first ever game as a Premier League team, could barely have gone any better.
His new signings already look to have adjusted to the system that inspired promotion from the Championship, providing significant cause for optimism surrounding their prospects for survival.
This also represented Frank de Boer’s first ever game in the Premier League, and if it could have gone no better for Wagner, the only way it could have been any worse for the Dutchman was if any of his players had suffered a serious injury.
They will likely gradually improve, but on this showing the manager will need patience because his squad appears to require time to adjust to his ideas.
Moment of the match
In the 29th minute, having already conceded an own goal, Joel Ward raced back to produce a truly outstanding sliding tackle to dispossess Tom Ince when the forward was one-on-one with Palace goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey. It was a moment of defensive quality that some of the world’s finest players will struggle to surpass this season.
Ratings
Who’s up next?
Liverpool v Crystal Palace, Premier League, August 19
Huddersfield v Newcastle, Premier League, August 20
