Crystal Palace striker, Jordan Ayew, is suffering from a lack of confidence after missing a chance to register a potential match-winner in their Premier League draw with Brighton & Hove Albion on Monday, club manager Patrick Vieira has stated.
The Ghana international, whose last goal came in a 4-1 win over Leeds United last year, saw 86 minutes of action as The Eagles and The Seagulls settled for a 1-1 stalemate at Selhurst Park in a match week six fixture.
With Palace seemingly cruising to a potential 1-0 win, the forward was presented with a glorious chance to make it 2-0 after being played through on goal with the goalkeeper but his shot went wide.
“Jordan was like every other player, everybody was really disappointed not to take the three points,” Vieira said after the game.
“Obviously Jordan missing the chance was important but when he doesn’t score, especially a forward, here is a lack of confidence and self-belief.
“It is my responsibility to bring him back to what he can do and scoring goals.”
Palace broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time when Wilfried Zaha converted a penalty.
In the fifth minute of the second-half injury time and virtually the last action of the game, Brighton scored a dramatic equaliser through Neal Maupey.
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“It was the team effort, the way we prepared the game, the effort from the players on the field,” Vieira remarked.
“When you’re looking at the front three, the work without the ball, Wilfried [Zaha] and Jordan [Ayew] coming inside to stop the midfielders getting on the ball, it was a really good team effort. This is one of the reasons why they didn’t create many chances.
“The last kick is in our hands and we made that mistake. The organisation we had in midfield didn’t allow us to win that second ball. It’s a process of us learning that, until the last whistle, anything can happen – especially when you’re 1-0 up.
“We are improving, we are getting stronger. Our collective game, the way we played with and without the ball, is really united. I think the players are really aware about what they have to do on the field.”
Last season, Ayew scored one goal for Palace and is yet to break his duck for the club this season.
At the international level, the 30-year-old has been named in Ghana’s 32-man squad for their upcoming 2022 World Cup qualifying double-header against Zimbabwe next month.