(Reuters) - - Wilfried Zaha underlined his importance to Crystal Palace by scoring the only goal in their 1-0 win at Huddersfield Town on Saturday, a result that stemmed their three-match losing run in the Premier League.
Palace almost always lose, and seldom win, when Zaha is absent and they relied on another brilliant solo effort from the inspirational Ivorian, who was returning to the team after injury.
Against the run of play, Zaha broke through on 38 minutes, picking up the ball 40 metres out and jinking through two defenders before firing an unstoppable shot past the keeper for his eighth goal in 10 Premier League games -- as many as he scored in his previous 44.
Huddersfield were unlucky not to take at least a point, with Aaron Mooy hitting the post, but have struggled in front of goal this season and have now gone five home games without a goal -- their worst run since going six in 1972.
(Reporting by Neil Robinson; editing by Clare Fallon)