The Andy Carroll Effect.
Almost immediately, the effect of having Andy Carroll on your side was made clear. A few seconds after the striker trotted, like a brushed racehorse, onto the grass, Carl Jenkinson swung in a cross. Two Palace players were occupied with Carroll, marshaling the man, as well as the airspace surrounding him, and that left Diafra Sakho with only one defender to drift away from. Enjoying this reduced focus on him, the Senegalese aimed a header onto the post, mere centimetres away from securing the lead. Even when Carroll isn’t playing well, he will always command a double-team at set-pieces. Unfortunately, West Ham seemed to forget this fact, as from then on they spent most of the last half an hour shooting from distance when crosses were surely the order of the day. Finally, when Mauro Zarate was urged wide by the Palace defence three minutes from time, he crossed to Carroll, who duly won his header, setting up Manuel Lanzini to score West Ham’s second goal.
