Three months on, the question remains much the same as far as Crystal Palace are concerned: how high can Roy Hodgson’s side fly? A comfortable victory courtesy of superbly taken first-half goals by Luka Milivojevic and Jordan Ayew lifted Palace above Arsenal and to within four points of fifth-placed Manchester United after carrying on where they left off to earn a fourth successive win. It was a remarkably efficient performance that made for entertaining primetime viewing – this was the first time the BBC had screened a top-flight game since 1988 – but a worryingly stale Bournemouth were left nursing old scars after struggling to embrace the new normal. Aside from some early invention by David Brooks, making his comeback from injury following almost a year out after two ankle operations, Bournemouth struggled to puncture Palace’s defence. But Brooks’s eagerness got the better of him when he fouled the advancing Wilfried Zaha, presenting Palace with an inviting opportunity 20 yards from goal. The manner in which Aaron Ramsdale, the Bournemouth goalkeeper, barked at his teammates to assemble a wall suggested he knew what was coming. Milivojevic has proved a reliable source from dead balls and here the Palace captain curled the free-kick into the keeper’s top right corner via the underside of the bar. “It was a hammer blow for us because they are a team that, when you do go behind, are very hard to play against,” said Eddie Howe, who conceded his team failed to recover from a sluggish start. Zaha flashed an effort over early on and, despite being a marked man, he repeatedly found joy down the left flank. It was there where Palace were able to expose some slack marking to double their advantage. Zaha engaged Harry Wilson and Jack Stacey, before sending Patrick van Aanholt through on the overlap and the Palace full-back slid a wonderful ball into the box for Ayew to side-foot home. It was an ice-cool finish and the drinks break followed, allowing Bournemouth to start an immediate inquest and Palace to start thinking big. “A perfect night for us, we cannot have imagined a better beginning after a big break,” said Milivojevic. “Three points and a clean sheet, I am very proud of the boys. European football is possible, we are not far from it and the last few seasons we have been looking behind.” For the hosts the onus was on Brooks, who scooted past Van Aanholt in the opening few minutes to conjure something out of nothing, but Howe admitted his side cannot expect too much from the winger who completed an hour before succumbing to cramp. “It’s not a one-man show,” said the Bournemouth manager. “David is an important part of the team but we have a team to perform and create chances for each other.” Results elsewhere heightened the importance of this match for Bournemouth but Palace, who started the evening in mid-table, had every reason to be encouraged by those around them floundering. Bournemouth, bereft of Ryan Fraser after the winger declined a short-term contract extension, had to make do with half-chances during a disappointing first half, with Callum Wilson nodding over after meeting a delicious cross from the left by Brooks. Joshua King was expertly shepherded by Joel Ward but, more often than not, Bournemouth found themselves back-pedalling. Howe tweaked things at half-time, introducing Arnaut Danjuma in place of Harry Wilson, and a further change was enforced when King limped off after a full-blooded challenge by Gary Cahill, which led to the video assistant referee, Simon Hooper, taking a second look. But by the time Bournemouth began to assert themselves, Palace were happily planning for Wednesday’s trip to Anfield. “It is a fourth game in a row with a victory and clean sheet, so we have to be delighted with that,” said Hodgson. “We controlled the game well enough to make certain our lead was never in enormous danger.”