There’s perhaps a reason why Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha hasn’t returned to a Premier League top four team and we witnessed it on Sunday.The 29-year-old was shown a red card in Palace’s 3-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur after picking up two yellows in the first half.The second showed petulance by pushing Davinson Sanchez and earning a second booking.It was a moment of madness from Zaha and showcased the sort of immaturity that top clubs might find off-putting.
Zaha hasn't returned to the top
His talent has never been called into question. It’s the reason why Manchester United signed him in 2013.
But since returning to Selhurst Park on a permanent deal in 2015, he has never been able to convince the big boys of his maturity.
Indeed, clashing with men dressed as hornets isn’t a habit that is going to appeal to clubs with ambitions of competing for major trophies.
When Zaha was rattled by Harry the Hornet
On Boxing Day in 2016, Zaha fell out with Watford mascot Harry the Hornet in one of the more comical moments of his career.
Zaha was denied a penalty after going to ground late on and received a booking from referee Mark Clattenburg, who deemed it a dive.
When Zaha went to applaud the Palace fans at full-time, Harry the Hornet cheekily dived at his feet. You can see it below.
Zaha’s reaction shows the mascot managed to get under his skin. He sarcastically applauded Harry and continued to complain as he was taken towards the tunnel.
Big Sam couldn't handle it
Zaha wasn’t the only one left upset. Then-Palace manager Sam Allardyce took aim at the mascot at full-time.
“The mascot is out of order, isn’t he? If someone is diving, they don’t get that angry,” Allardyce said, per The Guardian. “There’s contact. It wasn’t given.”
Nor could Roy Hodgson
Quite remarkably, Roy Hodgson brought the incident up again in 2018 ahead of Palace’s trip to Watford.
Hodgson was in charge of Palace at this point and he labelled Harry’s actions in the previous encounter “disgraceful”.
“If you’re asking me whether Harry the Hornet, who I presume is the mascot, should dive in that way, I think it’s disgraceful,” Hodgson said, per The Guardian.
“Because that’s not what football matches are about. If it’s provoking the crowd into looking for something that’s not there, it should be stopped.”
With one fall, Harry the Hornet managed to wind up a quality Premier League footballer and two experienced managers. Quite excellent, that.
