LONDON, Aug 12: Huddersfield made a dream start to its first English Premier League season by winning at Crystal Palace 3-0 on Saturday.
Despite widely being considered contenders for relegation, Huddersfield excelled on its return to the top flight after a 45-year absence.
After Joel Ward's own goal, there were two fine finishes from club-record signing Steve Mounie at Selhurst Park at the start of the Premier League's 25th season.
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"We know we were very clinical and had a bit of luck when they missed chances," Huddersfield manager David Wagner said. "With the togetherness and fighting attitude we had, and the idea to keep them away from goal by pressing them as high as possible, we were brave enough to try to press them high and over the game our game plan worked. "
For every way in which it may have been wonderful for Wagner, it would have been a concern for Palace counterpart Frank de Boer.
In his first competitive match as manager since being sacked after 85 days by Inter Milan, De Boer watched Palace become flat and low on confidence after conceding a poor opening goal, when Ward turned in Mathias Jorgensen's ball.
Mounie doubled the visitors' lead three minutes later, and Tom Ince would have scored a third before Ward's timely intervention shortly after that amid a 15-minute period De Boer believed cost them.
"They were the team with the most opportunities at that moment," he said. "But it was just down to making the wrong decisions."
