Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson is ruing the absence of Ghana forward Jordan Ayew after seeing his side suffer a heavy 5-0 loss to Arsenal.
The London derby had Brazilians Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhaes score twice respectively at the Emirates Stadium.
Jordan Ayew missed the game due to his involvement with Ghana at the 2023 AFCON in Cote D’Ivoire and is set to play for the Black Stars against Mozambique on Monday, January 22.
With one of his star men missing the tie, Hodgson was disappointed his team couldn’t make up for Ayew’s absence and expressed confidence things will change when Ayew and Michael Olise (who missed the game due to injury) return.
“Our attacking threat, when you lose [Michael] Olise and [Jordan] Ayew at the same time, is obviously blunted. That will change when those two players come back” he said in a post game interview with Palace media.
Jordan Ayew has an assist two games into the 2023 AFCON ahead of Ghana’s must win game against Mozambique on Monday.
For Palace, Jordan Ayew has two goals and five assists in 19 English Premier League games in the 2023-2024 season.