Brilliantly dealt with by Wayne Hennessey, who sticks his gloves up above the crowd to deal with a tricky ball dipping under his bar. 

Image source, Getty Images

Watford have started this second half really well. Adlene Guedioura scampers past Scott Dann on the left flank and is tripped. 

Free-kick for the home side, which Guedioura will deliver...

Strong from Scott Dann (that's Scotty Dann if you're Alan Pardew). Odion Ighalo looks to get a run on the Palace centre-back, who proves his mettle with a meaty block to whistle the ball away cleanly. 

Palace get us back under way.

Here we go then, all 22 players back on the turf present and correct...

We just need a football. 

Steve Bower
Match of the Day commentator

Manchester City have a stern test on the horizon at Liverpool on New Year's Eve but first they must keep winning here. They'll need different qualities to make it three in a row before Sergio Aguero returns from suspension.

Image source, Rex Features

Trevor Sinclair
Ex-Man City winger on BBC Radio 5 live

Morgan Schneiderlin was outstanding at Southampton. I don't feel he's been given a real chance at Manchester United. If you go to a giant club like United and play the odd game here and there, you can't get into a flow of games. I feel he needs to move on and it's the right time for him to go. He's a great fit for West Brom.

Image source, Reuters

Leon Osman
Former Everton midfielder on BBC Radio 5 live

Without Romelu Lukaku, Everton would be struggling for goals and it doesn't surprise me that Ronald Koeman is trying to tie him down on a new contract.

He's a lot bigger than me but when I played with him I found myself screaming at him a few times to run a bit harder. 

You look at him in the second half during the recent win over Arsenal...he puts a shift in. But you wonder why he wasn't doing that before. 

As a team-mate, you are always wanting him to do more. Playing alongside him, you sometimes want him to use that physicality a bit more.

Image source, Getty Images

A few other games still to come today of course...

Sir Trevor Brooking
Former West Ham and England midfielder at Vicarage Road

Palace have created the better opportunities. They should have the game tucked away by now and they haven't but they have played very well. 

Watford are the ones who have all the problems in this team talk. 

Must do better, will be the half-time message in the Walter Mazzarri household. 

Big Sam's side should be two goals up - what will the new boss say to Christian Benteke about that missed penalty?

Better from Troy Deeney. This is what he's good at, the hold-up play on the edge of the box, the weighted pass towards a midfield runner, but Etienne Capoue can't reach the ball before Joel Ward.

Jason Puncheon goes in the book too now, for a late challenge on Juan Zuniga in the build-up to the attack. 

Image source, Reuters

Troy Deeney's looking rusty. Again a strong pass played into his path bounces off and Palace can pick up and counter.

Younes Kaboul gets a telling off for bringing down Yohan Cabaye as he gobbled up space on the way to Watford's sticks.

Sam Pougher: What are we thinking getting Benteke to take the penalty? He's a great scorer but rubbish penalty taker. Should've been Cabaye! 

Simon Tingle: remendous refereeing by clattenburg, correct application of new rules on double jeopardy under pressure

Ross Arnett: I wonder if Sam Allardyce will keep Benteke on penalty duty after that. Dreadful penalty

Christian Benteke goes into the book for a tangle with Jose Holebas.

FIVE minutes added on - because of the earlier injuries.

Palace retreating further back, trenches dug on the edge of the box. Watford continue the aerial bombardment, Troy Deeney the target missed.

Nordin Amrabat's floated cross is too long for Odion Ighalo, who ends up trying to hold on to the ball in the corner flag as if he was wasting time with minutes to protect a lead. 

Watford have been pretty tame in front of goal so far and we've seen little sign of that changing soon.

That's two missed penalties already this season for Christian Benteke. Not great from the former Liverpool big man.

That was a huge, huge let-off for Watford. They must make the most of this second bite. Walter Mazzarri will not be in an easy mood at the break. 

Time for a leveller before half-time? Just over five minutes to play.