Bristol City 4-1 Crystal Palace: Roy Hodgson gets a grim glimpse of life in the Championship as Premier League's bottom side humbled at Ashton Gate

  • Bakary Sako gave Crystal Palace the lead over Bristol City within 21 minutes
  • City hit back with goals from Matt Taylor and first-half substitute Milan Djuric
  • Joe Bryan and Callum O'Dowda add to their lead with strikes in the second half 

Just when you thought Crystal Palace’s awful season couldn’t get any worse, it did. 

Rock bottom of the Premier League, their fans now don’t even have the consolation of some Carabao Cup excitement after a humiliating night in Bristol.

They led through Bakary Sako’s early strike but were then pulled to pieces with goals by Matty Taylor, Milan Djuric, Joe Bryan and Callum O’Dowda as Lee Johnson’s men ran riot.  


Bristol City celebrate with Milan Djuric after seeing him score their second goal of the night

Bristol City celebrate with Milan Djuric after seeing him score their second goal of the night

Bristol City's Matty Taylor celebrates in front of the home fans after netting the equalising goal

Bristol City's Matty Taylor celebrates in front of the home fans after netting the equalising goal

Players of Crystal Palace looks dejected as the Carabao Cup disaster unfolds in front of them

Players of Crystal Palace looks dejected as the Carabao Cup disaster unfolds in front of them

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson said his side 'capitulated' against Bristol City

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson looks frustrated on the touchline as his team crumble

Sako of Crystal Palace reacts after seeing his team fall further behind at Ashton Gate

Sako of Crystal Palace reacts after seeing his team fall further behind at Ashton Gate

MATCH FACTS 

BRISTOL CITY (4-4-2): Steele 6.5; Pisano 6 (Paterson 65, 6), Flint 7, Wright 6.5, Magnusson 6.5; O’Dowda 7, Brownhill 6.5, Pack 6.5, Bryan 7; Taylor 7.5, Diedhiou 5 (Djuric 31, 8[Bakinson 79,6])

 Subs not used: Fielding, Vyner, Kelly, Eliasson.

Scorers: Taylor 34, Djuric 39, Bryan 60, O'Dowda 66

Manager: Lee Johnson 8 

CRYSTAL PALACE (4-4-2): Hennessy 4.5; Fosu-Mensah 5, Kelly 5.5, Tomkins 5, van Aanholt 4.5 (Lumeka 83); Puncheon 6, Riedewald 5; Lee 5.5 (Ladapo 56, 6), Loftus-Cheek 6, Kaikai 5 (Souare 63, 5.5); Sako 6

Subs not used: Henry, Phillips, Delaney, Mutch

Scorers: Sako 21

Manager: Roy Hodgson 5

Referee: Tim Robinson 7.5

Man of the Match: Milan Djuric

Attendance: 21,901

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And for Palace boss Roy Hodgson, who made 10 changes, it was evidence of how meagre his resources are for the relegation fight ahead.

‘I take responsibility for this,’ he said. ‘We have played quite well in beating Chelsea and narrowly losing to Newcastle and I thought a few of those needed a rest. 

'I also wanted to see some of the other players in a game, and hoped a few of them would do something to knock on my door and show me they should be playing in the Premier League.

‘But there were very few performances that made me think I am picking the wrong team. I’m disappointed for the fans who came all this way not knowing what team I’d select, and disappointed by the way we capitulated. 

'For the 10 players who stayed at home it confirmed their place and the fact I’m choosing the right team (in the league).’

For Hodgson, who thought he had seen some light when his side stunned Chelsea 11 days ago, there was even a horror re-run of the awful Euro 2016 defeat which cost him the England job. 

He might be focused on rebuilding his career at Selhurst Park, but up popped Iceland international Hordor Magnusson to revive his worst nightmare.  

Crystal Palace's striker Sako gave them the lead after 21 minutes with a low-driven effort

Crystal Palace's striker Sako gave them the lead after 21 minutes with a low-driven effort

Taylor finished from a tight angle to cancel out the opening goal from Bakary Sako

Taylor finished from a tight angle to cancel out the opening goal from Bakary Sako

The Bristol City defender provided a carbon copy of the Aron Gunnarsson long throw which undid England on that catastrophic night in Nice.

With 39 minutes gone and Palace having just let in an equaliser, defenders Martin Kelly and James Tomkins froze as Magnusson hurled the ball into the box, leaving City substitute Djuric to drive it into the roof of the net.

‘We knew about their long throws and we knew they are difficult to deal with, but it was poor from our point of view because we should have cleared it,’ said Hodgson.

As if the poor displays by the 10 he brought in weren’t bad enough, the one who kept his place, Patrick van Aanholt, began the debacle when he headed straight to Taylor who volleyed home City’s equaliser. 

Bristol City's Callum O'Dowda scores his side's fourth goal of the game to seal a shock win

Bristol City's Callum O'Dowda scores his side's fourth goal of the game to seal a shock win

Bristol City's Joe Bryan celebrates scoring their third goal with team-mates in the second half

Bristol City's Joe Bryan celebrates scoring their third goal with team-mates in the second half

The Bristol City fans are sent into wild celebration as their team go clear of Crystal Palace

The Bristol City fans are sent into wild celebration as their team go clear of Crystal Palace

Palace had begun brightly as Sako ran on to Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s incisive pass before beating goalkeeper Luke Steele, and it seemed their 2,000 fans who had made the trip would have a good night.

Instead it became a humiliation as the moment City equalised, Palace crumbled. Johnson’s side, beaten 3-0 by Leeds on Saturday to drop out of the Championship play-off places, even shrugged off the loss of striker Famara Diedhiou to injury.

They had not reached the quarter-finals of the League Cup since 1989 but now have three Premier League scalps this year in Palace, Watford and Stoke. 

And boss Johnson, whose dad Gary once took the club to within a few minutes of reaching the Premier League when they lost a Wembley play-off final, has got his team playing some neat passing football.  

Josh Brownhill of Bristol City and Ruben Loftus-Cheek of Crystal Palace battle for the ball

Josh Brownhill of Bristol City and Ruben Loftus-Cheek of Crystal Palace battle for the ball

Roy Hodgson watches a familiar story unfold on the Crystal Palace bench as his team concede

Roy Hodgson watches a familiar story unfold on the Crystal Palace bench as his team concede

They completed the rout with some spectacular goals. Taylor worked the ball wide to Bryan after 59 minutes, and the defender produced a spectacular shot from 25 yards to put City further in front.

Then Jairo Riedewald should have easily cleared his lines after City pumped a hopeful ball forward but instead he sliced it to the feet of midfielder O’Dowda. The Irishman took one touch before striking beyond the outstretched hand of keeper Wayne Hennessey.

It was O’Dowda’s first goal for the club and he said: ‘It has been a long time coming but I am just happy for the boys and for our fans. And I think we can go even further.’