Why Crystal Palace’s Luka Milivojevic decision must be applauded

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When Crystal Palace’s Luka Milivojevic saw his penalty saved against Everton last weekend, it would have been easy for the club to strip the captain of his spot-kick duties after his high-profile miss.

But Roy Hodgson and the Palace backroom staff decided to place their faith in Milivojevic, a superb call that immediately paid off as the Serbian bagged two penalties on the weekend.

In Palace’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal, the club captain confidently slotted home two spot-kicks in high-pressure situations.

Milivojevic’s first goal opened the scoring, with the midfielder coolly dispatching his penalty into the bottom-right corner and sending Bernd Leno the wrong way.

And his second penalty was perhaps even more impressive, coming in the 83rd minute with the Eagles trailing 2-1. The Serbian kept his nerves in check and lashed his strike past Leno and into the left corner with aplomb.

In all, Milivojevic’s flawless penalty performances validates the confidence that Crystal Palace placed in him after his mistake at Goodison Park.

So often in modern football, knee-jerk decisions are made that negatively impact the club mentality; thankfully, measured heads at Selhurst Park prevailed with regards to Luka Milivojevic’s penalty duties.