Zaha hopes the well deserved three points should mean people can focus on what can be achieved from a personal and team perspective and put behind them the disappointment the Eagles suffered at the opening twelve months ago.
“The main thing for me is scoring goals. Everyone talks about ‘no end product, no end product.’ Well, tell me now. We’ve let last season go, so everyone else needs to. We have started differently this season, and now can see how things go.”
Looking back on the afternoon’s action the Ivorian striker was pleased the chances created were taken in each half to get the season off to the perfect start.
“To be honest our plan was just to stay patient really, because obviously we know they can play and they love to keep the ball. But as long as they are not hurting us, that is the main thing. So we just needed to stay patient, especially us as strikers, because we would have had to just run around everywhere. But yes, just when we had our chances we just had to take them, and we did.”
He also recognised the contribution of goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey, who made a number of first half saves to keep his side on level terms.
“You need that sometimes. Everyone has to play their part, and Wayne did what he had to do for us to get the win, so we all did our bit,” said Zaha as he looks ahead to what can be acheived in the club's sixth consecutive season back in the Premier League.
“I’m not the type to stand here and say yes we are going to come second, or whatever. I just feel like we just take every game as it comes. We have got a decent squad, so we just see how far we can go.”
It is not only the pace of Zaha and the aerial power of Christian Benteke which the Palace double act hope will cause defenders problems in the coming months but they know it will not only be their feet that will be doing the talking.
“I have just got to make the right runs, because most of the time he gets onto every header, today he literally put me through on goal, but we have got a good understanding, and we speak French as well, so it just makes it a lot easier, you know!," added Zaha.
“I can tell him where I am going to go, and they won’t know. So it makes a difference, it works for us."
Zaha heaped praise on Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s contribution for Palace’s second goal and he knows first-hand how difficult an opponent the south London born defender is.
“For the second goal he’s won the ball, fell over, got up, fell over, and ran forward - I was just literally waiting for him to get control of the ball. But I don’t think I have seen anyone get the better of Aaron. In training, 50-50s, you know you are not going to win it with him, so it’s nice to have him on our team.
“I will admit he is a hard defender to play against. Because, he somehow manages to toe everything away, when I trained against him at first I thought, yeah he is a decent defender. But you can see that for yourself now.”
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