“This is not what i was been expecting from them”- Despite THRASHING Rivals Brighton Crystal Palace Oliver Glasner insist not what he really expect from them…
In a match where the scoreline didn’t fully reflect the defensive work Crystal Palace had to put in during key moments, Oliver Glasner expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance.
Ismaila Sarr scored twice for the Eagles, with Trevoh Chalobah also finding the net. However, a late own goal from Marc Guehi denied goalkeeper Dean Henderson a clean sheet. Brighton dominated possession in the second half, holding 79% of the ball as they pushed to come back from a 2-0 deficit at halftime.
Glasner acknowledged the difficulties his side faced after the break: “The problem came at the start of the second half when we couldn’t apply pressure on the ball. JP [Mateta] looked a bit fatigued, and Ebs [Eze] took a heavy knock in the first half, so his foot is swollen. We needed fresh legs, and once we got those on, we were able to regain control of the game.”
A key aspect of the team’s improvement has been the central defenders, who have come together as a solid unit despite being assembled late in the summer. Glasner, however, believes there’s still more to come from his defensive trio.
“Our back three is completely new compared to last season,” Glasner explained. “Marc was injured at the end of last season, then went to the Euros, and returned just 10 days before the season started. The other two players joined on deadline day, two weeks after the season began, and Marc was with England. So, we didn’t have much time to train together. Trevoh also wasn’t allowed to train with Chelsea’s first team. We faced many challenges, but everyone stayed calm, listened, and worked hard. As they got used to each other, it became clear they would learn how we want to play and defend, and it’s been improving.”
“While we’ve seen progress in the past week, I’m confident they haven’t reached their peak yet. I know them, and I believe they can perform even better as a unit, and that’s what we’ll continue to push for.”
