Crystal Palace analysis: Season reaches new low as angry Eagles fan confronts Damien Delaney on Selhurst Park pitch

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Giuseppe Muro4 February 2017

Sunderland began their latest attempt to secure another great escape from relegation with a convincing 4-0 victory at troubled Crystal Palace.

Strengthened by their recruitment throughout January and the returns of those playing at the African Nations Cup, they left their hosts at their greatest risk of relegation since they returned to the Premier League in 2013.

Even after Jermain Defoe's two goals doubled the advantage built by earlier finishes from Lamine Kone and Didier N'Dong, Sunderland's latest three points only brought their total to 19 - level with 19th-placed Palace - and did not lift them from the bottom of the Premier League standings.

Giuseppe Muro assesses the key talking points for Palace...

A bad season reaches a new low

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Palace looked to have turned the corner with their win at Bournemouth but this embarrassing home defeat to Sunderland leaves then in real trouble.

Only goal difference is keeping Palace off the bottom.

Sam Allardyce has never been relegated from the Premier League but, on this evidence, keeping Palace is going to be huge challenge.

Palace fans turned on the team

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Home supporters made their feelings clear and "you're not fit to wear the shirt" rang out around Selhurst Park after the fourth Sunderland goal went in.

Then as the players were walking off at half-time one fan ran onto the pitch to confront Damien Delaney before quickly being dragged off by stewards.

The few supporters left inside the ground at the end booed Palace off.

It is getting tight at the bottom

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Sunderland winning and Hull beating Liverpool means just two points separate the bottom six teams. Middlesbrough, Leicester and Swansea are now just a point above the bottom three.

Palace one of six teams being cut adrift and the Eagles look in real trouble.

Defoe is still one of the best around

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The 34-year-old scored two excellent goals at the end of the first half as Sunderland ripped Palace apart.

Sunderland are hanging their survival hopes on Defoe and showed he is still clinical in front of goal.

Tough talk not backed up

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Patrick van Aanholt will probably be regretting his pre-match comments that Crystal Palace are better than Sunderland.

Van Aanholt said "no disrespect to the Sunderland players but we have got a better team" before the game but his new team were embarrassed by his former club on a nightmare afternoon for Palace.

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