How do you stop a man like Wilfried Zaha?

Kick him.

That's what Boro defender Daniel Ayala has resorted to doing.

No booking though, which means he can do it again.

Crystal Palace winger Andros Townsend gets the ball.

He runs,

and runs,

and runs,

and loses the ball.

Five times the England international has done that now.

Image source, PA

This is an excellent game, end-to-end action.

Boro winger Stewart Downing clips a ball to the back post which Alvaro Negredo heads down into the path of Cristhian Stuani six yards out.

The Uruguayan is winding up a shot, but Mamadou Sakho pokes his foot out at the last second to thwart the Boro striker. 

Joel Ward finds Christian Benteke again.

Benteke turns Bernardo brilliantly on the edge of the box and gets a shot away, but Victor Valdes dives to his right to push the ball to safety.

The whistle had gone anyway, as Robert Madley signals Benteke had controlled the ball with his hand.

He didn't, it came off his thigh.

Why are Boro not getting tighter on Benteke though?

Nope, Middlesbrough are just not learning.

They allow Christian Benteke too much space in the box again and the Palace striker leaps highest to meet Joel Ward's cross, but cannot keep his header down.

Palace winger Wilfried Zaha is down in the box again...

...and the referee blows his whistle.

Penalty?? No.

Robert Madley feels Zaha impeded Adam Forshaw, not the other way round.

Boro boss Aitor Karanka has now taken his seat in the dugout and is frantically jotting down some notes on his pad.

"Tell Ben Gibson to mark Christian Benteke before it's too late," he probably writes.

At the other end, January signing Patrick van Aanholt gallops forward and puts a pin-point cross onto the head of Christian Benteke, but the lanky striker's header is easy for Victor Valdes.

Warning signs for the visitors, they need to pick Benteke up in that box.

Image source, Getty Images

Middlesbrough see the opposition penalty area for the first time and should do better with this opportunity.

Fine work down the right-hand side sees diminutive full-back Fabio break clear and put a bouncing ball into the box.

Striker Cristhian Stuani is free but cannot get the ball under his control, and Maarten de Roon blazes over the cross bar on the follow up.

Image source, .

Only Chelsea and Manchester United, with 11 goals conceded, have better records.

Middlesbrough have been on the back foot in this opening 10 minutes.

It's not exactly Storm Doris, but there is a strong wind blowing at Selhurst Park.

Both goalkeepers will need to be extremely precise with their handling this afternoon.

Boro stopper Victor Valdes confidently comes off his line to claim an Andros Townsend cross into the area.

Wilfried Zaha has been the chief tormentor for Middlesbrough.

The speedy winger picks the ball up on the left and in a flash, is inside the box.

Visiting defender Daniel Ayala leans in on Zaha and the Palace man goes down in the box.

Wide-eyed, he looks to referee Robert Madley for a penalty?

Nothing given.

Image source, Getty Images

Palace boss Sam Allardyce chewing gum, laid back in his seat in the dugout, looking very relaxed.

Boro's boss Aitor Karanka, on the other hand, is on his feet, patrolling his technical area with his hands in his pockets.

On the pitch, it has been a cagey start at Selhurst Park.

Palace's Wilfried Zaha has had a good time against Middlesbrough recently, with one goal and three assists in his last two games and almost creates the first opportunity of the match.

The Ivory Coast international shows neat footwork in the box, but his cross from the right has too much on it and drifts out of play.

Encouraging signs for the home supporters, who are making all the noise.

Toot. Palace get us under way.

Image source, PA

Steve Wilson
Match of the Day commentator

"Fancy a goal-fest to brighten up your weekend? Probably best to stay clear of Selhurst Park then.

"Fancy a tense, tight, gritty battle with anxiety oozing from every pore? Palace is the place for you.

"Having watched Crystal Palace lose their last five league games at Selhurst - and score a pitiful 11 league goals on home soil all season - it's really no wonder that the famously boisterous Holmesdale Enders have had their patience stretched almost to the limit.

"Boro's inability to score is, if anything, even more chronic - just three goals in the last eight league games, none of which they have won.

"With both firmly entrenched in the bottom five this probably won't be pretty - but it will be important."

Final photographs and sprints being done by the players on the pitch.

The last work before kick-off goes to our MOTD man...

This is the longest current winless run in the top flight.

Chumbawamba's Tubthumping "I get knocked down, but I get up again" is belting out over the tannoy at Selhurst Park.

Manager Sam Allardyce's choice?

Historically, if you need a manager to make a quick impact at a club, Big Sam tends to be your man.

Sam Allardyce has enjoyed impressive starts to life at previous clubs, including Bolton, Newcastle, Blackburn and West Ham.

So when Crystal Palace decided Alan Pardew was no longer needed in December, it made sense that the Londoners turned to the quick-fixer in their bid to remain in the Premier League.

It was a swift return to the familiarity of club football for Allardyce, 62, who had suffered the ignominy of seeing his spell as England boss end after one game.

So why have the Eagles, now 19th in the table and two points from safety, not benefited from the traditional Big Sam bounce?

Find out here