Vicente Guaita's impressive debut rewards Crystal Palace's smart summer business

By Max Cohen

Crystal Palace goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey missed Saturday’s clash against Leicester City with back spasms, opening the door for Vicente Guaita to make his Premier League debut.

The Spaniard kept a vital clean sheet en route to the Eagles’ 1-0 victory, as Palace’s smart summer business was rewarded.

Signed from Getafe in the offseason, Guaita arrived at Selhurst Park with high expectations and aspirations of becoming Roy Hodgson’s number one goalkeeper.

Yet Hennessey stepped up his form accordingly following the purchase of Guaita, regularly justifying his role as first choice between the sticks in SE25.

But after an injury ruled out the Welshman, Guaita had to fill in at short notice — and an excellent performance followed.

(Photo by BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images)

In dreadful, slick conditions at Selhurst Park, Guaita made a number of strong saves, most notably denying Jamie Vardy to keep Palace’s clean sheet intact in the second half.

Overall, the goalkeeper’s impressive display illustrated the benefits of adding depth to the squad in the transfer window.

Even though Vicente Guaita may not be number one at Crystal Palace, he showed up with a massive performance when the Eagles needed him most — a ringing endorsement of Palace’s smart transfer business.