Crystal Palace hammer struggling Stoke

Crystal Palace piled more misery on Mark Hughes’ Stoke, thumping the Potters 4-0 in a one-sided affair at Selhurst Park.

Goals from James Tomkins and Scott Dann put Palace two goals up at the break thanks to non-existent Stoke defending from set pieces.

James McArthur added a third via a deflection before the superb Andros Townsend completed the rout with a lovely individual effort, cutting inside to beat Shay Given from the edge of the box.

Marco Arnautovic added a consolation goal with the final kick of the game but it will be of little consolation to Mark Hughes, who saw his side lose for the fourth game on the bounce and concede four goals for the third time in four Premier League matches.

The result means that Crystal Palace climb to eighth but Stoke remain rooted to the foot of the table.

It's hard to see where Mark Hughes’ side go from here. This was a shocking display, his side managing only one touch in the opposition box in the opening half. Is it too early to say they’re already doomed? Probably not.

Andros Townsend (Crystal Palace) Capped a superb performance with a lovely individual goal. His pace and creativity created several chances both in open play and from set pieces and he will be a menace for defenders this season.

Crystal Palace: Mandanda 6; Ward 6, Dann 7, Tomkins 7, Kelly 6; McArthur 7, Puncheon 7, Ledley 6; Zaha 7, Townsend 8; Benteke 6. SUBS: Delaney 7, Flamini 6, Lee 6.

Stoke City: Given 5; Johnson 6, Shawcross 5, Cameron 5, Martins Indi 5; Allen 6, Whelan 6; Walters 6, Bojan 6, Arnautovic 7; Bony 6. SUBS: Diouf 6.

9’ – GOAL! Crystal Palace 1-0 Stoke City: James Tomkins is on the end of an Andros Townsend free kick to poke home at the far post.

12’ – GOAL! Crystal Palace 2-0 Stoke City: Stoke fall to another set piece as Scott Dann powers home his header from Jason Puncheon’s corner.

71’ – GOAL! Crystal Palace 3-0 Stoke City: James McArthur makes the game safe, cutting in from the right before slamming home via a deflection.

75’ – GOAL! Crystal Palace 4-0 Stoke City: The goal of the day from the player of the day, Andros Townsend storms forward before cutting in and firing a lovely shot past Shay Given and into the far corner.

90+3’ – GOAL! Crystal Palace 4-1 Stoke City: Arnautovic plants home a late consolation past Mandanda.

Palace win consecutive PL matches for the first time since December 2015. The second match was a 2-1 victory at Stoke then.

Stoke equal their club PL record of four consecutive defeats, set on four previous occasions.

Stoke have now conceded four goals in three of their last four Premier League matches (and in 6 of their last 11 PL matches).

Alan Pardew has won all eight of his home matches as a manager against Mark Hughes (all competitions).

Stoke have conceded a goal in each of their last 15 PL matches, since a 1-0 win v Newcastle United on 2 March 2016. This is their longest run in the top flight without a clean sheet since a streak of 19 in 1983.

Since the beginning of last season, Scott Dann has scored seven goals in the PL, two more than any other defender in this span.

Palace score more than three goals in a single PL match for the first time since the 5-1 victory over Newcastle on 28 November 2015.

For the second time in PL history Crystal Palace have four different British players on their score sheet. On 12 April 1993, Simon Rodger, Eric Young, Chris Coleman and Chris Armstrong netted for Palace in their 4-1 home win over Middlesbrough.