Aidan Mifsud: Southampton need to do the Man United kit change at halftime. Colour as awful as their performance.

The first-half stats. Three shots on target, two goals.

Crystal Palace and Alan Pardew needed some luck and they have got a 2-0 lead after a pretty poor first half at Selhurst Park.

A huge error from Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster, in front of the watching England manager Gareth Southgate, gifted Christian Benteke a tap-in, before James Tomkins was left unmarked at a corner to double the lead three minutes later.

Southampton have it all to do in the second half. It has not been a classic, by any stretch of the imagination, but Palace and Pardew will not care. They lead at the break.

Image source, AFP

Nearly a goal back for the visitors just before the break. A cross is flicked on and Pierre Hojberg lashes at goal with a well-struck left-footed volley, which goes narrowly wide.

Nathan Redmond has the ball in the corner of the penalty area, but, with a number of Palace defenders in front of him, can only shoot wastefully at goal. It looked too tight an angle, and it was, with the ball drifting well wide.

Alex Scott
Arsenal Ladies & England right-back on Final Score

Alan Pardew has, throughout his entire managerial career, never lost seven games in a row. He'd lost six before today... we should have known Palace would do well!

Image source, Getty Images

Southampton's first shot on target comes in the 41st minute and it is easily dealt with by Palace goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey.

Sofiane Boufal, arguably Saints' best player so far, twists and turns on the edge of the area and curls a shot at goal, but Hennessey is behind it and comfortably catches it.

Jason Roberts
Former West Brom striker on Final Score

Talking about the first of two goals Southampton conceded in a three-minute spell...

Forster will be asked about this error even years after he's retired! He swung to clear it but it just hit Benteke - grim for the goalie.

Image source, Reuters

Nathan Redmond tries to collect the ball on the edge of the Crystal Palace area, but is crowded out by a number of home defenders.

Not many will have caught the eye of the England boss so far.

We're getting closer. A lovely move from the hosts releases Wilfried Zaha who crosses from the right-wing deadball line. 

The whipped delivery finds Christian Benteke and the Belgian striker has got ahead of his marker and powers a header at goal, but it goes just wide of Fraser Forster's post. That is the best football we have seen from either side so far.

Image source, AFP

We nearly had a shot on target. After Crystal Palace failed to clear the ball, it fell to Saints left-back Ryan Bertrand, whose effort takes a huge deflection off James McArthur. Luckily for the home fans, the ball only hits the side netting.

Twenty minutes in. Not much happening.

A little bit of skill from Southampton's Sofiane Boufal who produces a fancy drag-back to create space for a shot, but the ball hits a diving Scott Dann.

Neither goalkeeper has been tested so far. However, it was still 0-0 at this stage last week in the Eagles' game, which ended Swansea 5, Crystal Palace 4 so don't give up hope just yet.

Image source, AFP

New full-time England manager Gareth Southgate, a man who is no stranger to Selhurst Park after playing more than 150 times for the Eagles, is at the game.

So who is he watching? Southampton striker Charlie Austin has scored six times in 12 Premier League games, and will James Ward-Prowse ever move up from the Under-21s to the full side? Elsewhere, Ryan Bertrand, Nathan Redmond, Fraser Forster, Scott Dann, Andros Townsend and Jason Puncheon will be keen to impress.

Wilfried Zaha has played twice for England, but is fed up waiting for another chance and has announced his intention to play for Ivory Coast in the future.

Not much to get excited about so far in terms of goalscoring opportunities at either end, although the early signs are this one could be a bit feisty. The Southampton players are pressing as soon as a Palace man gets the ball.

It is a bit frantic, but not much class so far.

This was the scene before kick-off for the minute's silence.

Whatever Palace can do, Southampton can follow. And this time it is Saints midfielder James Ward-Prowse to waste a promising position, as he overcooks a cross, which sails harmlessly out of play.