Sarah asked me on Thursday night why we let Ellis Cartwright go in June, and I did not have an answer.
I did not have one on Friday morning either. What I had was Southampton in 26 hours, so I put it in the drawer with the other 4 and went to work.
Mark Hughes brought a back 5 to Wembley and put 4 in front of it and told Danny Ings to chase Mamadou Sakho and do nothing else with his afternoon. 71 per cent of the ball, 14 crosses, and 2 shots worth the name.
Prrrp.
58 minutes. Routine 4, the near post one, and it went the way it has gone on pitch 2 about 300 times since July. Benteke went near, Tarkowski went near behind him, and Eberechi Eze arrived at the 1 yard of grass nobody covers.
Boom.1-0.
75 minutes. They had to come out then, and there were 40 yards behind them for the first time all afternoon. Hakimi got to the byline and pulled it back and Ivan Perišić put it in from 8.
Crystal Palace 2 Southampton 0.
