CROYDON, England (Interstat) — A solitary, stoppage-time goal from forward Evann Guessand delivered Crystal Palace a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton in a Premier League match Sunday at Selhurst Park.

The contest, which defied a pregame projection for a draw from Interstat’s game simulator, was decided in the 90th minute. Guessand found the decisive finish, capitalizing on a late surge from the home side to secure all three points for Palace in their league opener.

The match was a physical, often disjointed affair, reflected in the eight yellow cards issued by the officiating crew. The disciplinary tally mounted quickly, with Palace midfielders Will Hughes, Jaydee Canvot and Adam Wharton all booked in the first half. Wolverhampton’s substitute Ladislav Krejčí received a yellow card in the 58th minute, and his afternoon worsened just three minutes later when he was shown a red card, forcing the visitors to play a man down for the final half-hour.

Despite the numerical advantage, Crystal Palace struggled to break down a resilient Wolverhampton defense for much of the second half. The game appeared destined for a scoreless draw until the final moments of regulation time. The winning sequence involved a multitude of Palace players, with substitutes André and Ismaïla Sarr, along with defender Chadi Riad and midfielders Wharton and Canvot, all credited with an assist on the buildup to Guessand’s dramatic winner. The goal itself sparked a flurry of late bookings, as André and Sarr were both shown yellow cards in the ensuing stoppage-time celebrations and scuffles.

The result provides an ideal start to the Premier League campaign for Crystal Palace, who begin the season with one win and no losses. For Wolverhampton, the narrow defeat marks a frustrating start, as they now stand at zero wins and one loss.

The match outcome aligned with another metric from Interstat, whose ELO system had given Crystal Palace a 92.70 percent probability to win the contest. Palace’s ability to finally convert their pressure and man-advantage in the dying seconds validated that statistical favoritism, though the path to victory proved far more arduous than many anticipated.

Defensively, both sides were largely organized for the majority of the 90 minutes, with the red card to Krejčí serving as the pivotal moment that ultimately tilted the match in Palace’s favor. The home side’s persistence paid off through Guessand, whose late intervention ensured the points remained in South London.