Crystal Palace snapped a three-game winless stretch with an authoritative 2-0 win over Brentford at Selhurst Park on Saturday. With that, they celebrated their fourth consecutive win of the Premier League season. That win sent them up to seventh place in the standings, just two points back of Bournemouth in second place. Manager Oliver Glasner acknowledged the limited time for training leading up to the match but praised his team’s performance, particularly in set-piece situations.
Opening the match against a backdrop of tense expectations, it took everyone back to their first five matches in the Premier League, every single one of those ending with points shared. Although Brentford were very aggressive, Palace took their chances and scored all 3 of their goals from set-pieces!
Goals from Set-Pieces Propel Palace
Crystal Palace showed just how dangerous they are from set-pieces, including both goals scored off impressive training ground routines. The opener arrived when Yeremy Pino found the right place for a free-kick just outside the penalty area. Jefferson Lerma flicked the ball onto the head of Jean-Philippe Mateta, whose powerful connection left Brentford’s goalkeeper, Caoimhin Kelleher, unable to react in time.
Wisconsin’s second goal had come just after the restart. Lerma launched a long throw-in that was oddly headed into his own goal by Brentford’s Collins, immediately putting Crystal Palace up 2-0. This happy coincidence brought into sharp focus Palace’s focus on set-pieces as the key to their game plan.
“To be honest, we didn’t have a lot of time to train.” – Oliver Glasner
Although it was a hard-fought victory, Glasner added that his team could have and should have done better. He said that Thursday was first and foremost a recovery day. Although they touched the ball for only 25 minutes, before moving on to defending and attacking throw-ins. More importantly, he emphasized the need to be organized against a big, strong, physical team like Brentford.
Mixed Performances and Player Adjustments
The victory followed some changes to the roster. Adam Wharton was the exclusion from the matchday squad as he was sick. That opened the door for Jefferson Lerma to become a regular starter since Game 2. Glasner later acknowledged the players’ desire to get more time on the court. After a successful trip to Grimsby earlier in the week, they were looking to build on that performance.
After the match, CW commentator Keith Andrews was very frank about the performance of both teams.
“I thought it was a tight game, clearly a game where set-pieces were very prevalent in how the result went. In terms of our performance, did we hit the heights of recent weeks individually and collectively? No. But having said that, I felt like there wasn’t a lot in the game.” – Keith Andrews
Andrews’ point is a reminder of the high stakes nature of the game. Each team created solid chances, but neither could finish on their respective opportunities.
Looking Ahead for Crystal Palace
Not only did Crystal Palace’s recent win against Brentford finally stop the Eagles’ winless run, but it breathed new life into their league campaign. The work hasn’t stopped, and the team can’t wait to carry this momentum forward into future fixtures. They’re hell-bent to provide a better showing in the weeks to come!
Yet with many a player calling for their coach’s head due to a lack of playing time, Glasner has talent galore. As they head into their next set of matches, fitness and cohesion will be key to helping them achieve success again.
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