Match Report: Smash and Grab Sunderland Secure Unexpected Win

A cold Monday night meeting clash Crystal Palace and Sunderland was never going to be one of the most entertaining Premier League clashes since its 1992 inception, but a 1-0 win at Selhurst Park is a result Sam Allardyce would have bitten your hand off for prior to their trip south. The Eagles' struggles have been documented on numerous occasions this season, with their profligacy on home turf part of the reason why the south London side aren't perhaps higher in the league than many expected. Of the 14 league goals they have netted, only six have come at home, a poor return by any teams' standards.

Allardyce's aim, therefore, was the frustrate the hosts, with the hope of nicking a winner to take a precious three points back to Wearside - which he did - and quick glance at the pre-match team sheet suggested as much. The Black Cats boss deployed his side in a 3-5-2 formation, with Sebastian Coates and Younes Kaboul flanking John O'Shea. The experienced centre-back marshalled the Sunderland defence impressively over the 90 minutes, ensuring wayward pairing Coates and Kaboul were kept on a tight leash given their tendancy to aimlessly wander out of position, leaving goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon exposed as a result.

Yet the team remained compact at the back to limit the hosts' clear-cut goalscoring opportunities. Of the 18 shots Palace mustered, 12 came from outside of the 18-yard box, with Pantilimon rarely forced into immediate action. As such, Connor Wickham - making his first league start since the 2-1 win at Chelsea - was often left isolated as he was marked out of the game. In the process, Palace's three primary offensive threats - Yannick Bolasie, Wilfried Zaha and the ineffectual Jason Puncheon, who was replaced at the interval by Bakary Sako - failed to provide the necessary cutting edge in the final third. Palace as a whole were dispossessed 15 times over the 90 minutes and completed fewer successful dribbles (10 to Sunderland's 12), which speaks volumes about the Sunderland set up.

With Billy Jones and Patrick van Aanholt deployed as wing-backs, Sunderland were effectively a 5-3-2 without the ball and with Lee Cattermole and Yann M'Vila marshalling the space in front of the centre-backs, Palace struggled to get much joy through the middle of the pitch. Of the 25 tackles Sunderland made in the fixture, 16 were courtesy of the away side's starting midfield quintet. While the Black Cats have typically floundered on the road this season, though, they took their one chance when it mattered most, with a rare Scott Dann error providing Jermain Defoe with the opportunity to tap into an empty net 10 minutes from time to secure all the spoils and Sunderland's first Premier League clean sheet away from home this campaign.

However, had it not been for a resolute defensive showing, the victory would not have been possible. Coates churned out a hugely mature performance, which was enough to gain him the WhoScored man of the match award with a rating of 8.39. To further emphasise just how solid a showing it was from the away defence, Sunderland's back six were their six best rated players in the unlikely win.

Defeat to Sunderland, though, further highlights Palace's offensive deficiencies when they are forced to attack the opposition. Alan Pardew's team are at their best when they sit deep and hit teams on the counter attack, with the players at the manager's disposal more than capable of hurting opponents. Yet, when the onus is on Palace to take the initiative, they stumble. The capital outfit had a larger share of possession (66% to 34%) and a much better pass success rate (81% to 60%), but the inability to break teams down on home turf is holding them back. It's no coincidence that of the 19 points they have gained in the Premier League this season, 12 have come away from Selhurst Park, where they can soak up pressure before bursting forward in numbers and at pace. "Away from home, teams come onto us more and we enjoy that," Pardew said after the full time whistle. Unfortunately for him, he was beaten at his own game by a pragmatic Allardyce.

The Sunderland boss was deploying a three-man centre-back system for just the second time since his appointmeant at the Stadium of Light, the first culminating in a 6-2 thumping at Everton at the beginning of the month. Following a vastly improved performance in the set up, one would not be shocked to see him do similar in the future. Given the performances of Coates, O'Shea and Kaboul in defence, Allardyce can be confident that it's system that - like at Palace - can reap the benefits on the road in their bid to fight off relegation.

What did you make of Sunderland's performance at Selhurst Park on Monday night? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below