Seventh heaven: the story of Palace's season-ending surge

Club

22 May 2024

Crystal Palace secured just a second top-half Premier League finish in 2023/24, shooting up the table by winning six of the last seven games of the campaign - and here's how they did it...

Liverpool 0-1 Palace

It all started at Anfield.

After a promising performance produced no points against Manchester City the week before, Palace headed to Anfield with Liverpool still favourites to finish top of the pile - but the Eagles blew the title race apart.

Ebere Eze scored the only goal of the game, later crowned Palace's Goal of the Season, finishing off a 21-pass move, the final six all one-touch, to give Oliver Glasner's side the early lead.

From there, chaos ensued. There were huge chances at both ends: Mateta had a shot cleared off the line, while Wataru Endō smashed against the crossbar. In the second-half, more of the same: Mateta was denied by Alisson, while Curtis Jones, Mo Salah and many more missed major chances amidst heroic Palace defending.

Joachim Andersen was colossal, Tyrick Mitchell was always there in the nick of time and Nathaniel Clyne blocked on the line. Palace held on.

2 minute highlights: Liverpool 0-1 Crystal Palace

“Our first-half was really brilliant, how we played, how we defended, also the confidence we had in possession,” Glasner said. “What a goal we scored, really amazing here at Anfield.

“I think what was perfect was our desire, our passion, our spirit, because in the second-half there was so much pressure from Liverpool and we defended.

“I don't know – a leg here, a leg there, and with every single cell in their bodies they defended, and we got the reward, so congrats to the team for this performance today."

Palace 5-2 West Ham

A statement performance which set the tone for what was to come. If Anfield saw Palace hanging on, West Ham were absolutely blown away.

It didn't take long, either. Palace were four goals up inside half-an-hour, with Michael Olise, Ebere Eze and Jean-Philippe Mateta smashing home.

Mateta added a fifth in the second-half to complete a convincing performance, the first time the Eagles had scored five at Selhurst Park for the first time since 2019.

Two-minute highlights: Crystal Palace 5-2 West Ham

“I'm very happy for the win today," said Mateta after the game. "We worked very hard all the week and I think we deserved it.

“I'm very happy. I worked so hard since I'm here and I think I deserve what I have now, and I’ll keep working hard.”

“We just listen to [the manager] and we try to do it on the pitch.

“We're going to think about Newcastle, starting now, because we play them in three days."

Palace 2-0 Newcastle

BOOM. Mateta didn't just think about Newcastle, he went out and blew them away.

The Eagles went in at half-time goalless, having dominated the opening period but in the knowledge that the visitors - who had beaten Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League this season - could come roaring back.

Instead, Mateta was clinical, smashing home twice to give both corner flags a kicking and Palace all three points.

2 minute highlights: Crystal Palace 2-0 Newcastle Utd

The last time Palace had won three Premier League games in a row was April 2023, beating Leicester City, Leeds United and Southampton – three teams who would go on to be relegated a month later.

This time around they had beaten three teams fighting for European places, including the current Conference League holders, Jürgen Klopp’s title-challengers and Eddie Howe’s side.

The fixture list looked daunting, but Palace had blown the doubts away.

Fulham 1-1 Palace

The only game Palace failed to win on this run, but those in attendance at Craven Cottage witnessed one of the goals of the season from Jeff Schlupp.

After Palace fell behind in the second-half, they fought back through substitute Schlupp, who picked up the ball on the edge of the penalty area and lashed a rasping drive into the top-corner - in front of the away end.

All The Angles | Jeffrey Schlupp vs Fulham

Earlier in the game, Clyne had attempted a shot from a similar distance, with Schlupp laughing: “It was just a bit of banter!

“It's fair to say Clyney doesn't score many goals, especially from 40 yards out, so when I saw him lining up for it, we just had a bit of a chuckle!

“I thought, you know what, ‘let me come on and show him how it’s done!’ – and I managed to do that!”

Palace 4-0 Manchester United

A fourth straight game in London and back at Selhurst Park, this time against the biggest club in the world - but it was clear which side was in the ascendancy from kick-off.

Under the lights at Selhurst Park, the Eagles launched into Man Utd with real intensity. Michael Olise opened the scoring after just 12 minutes, with Mateta adding another before half-time.

Would the Eagles take their foot off the gas after the break? Not a bit of it. Tyrick Mitchell and another from Olise made it four, bringing back memories of the five-goal thrashing back in December 1972 courtesy of Don Rogers, Alan Whittle and Paddy Mulligan.

2 minute highlights: Crystal Palace 4-0 Manchester United

"Unbelievable," was Adam Wharton's analysis. "Perfect," said Marc Guehi.

Palace were recognised by the League Managers’ Association, winning the Utilita Performance of the Week Award from a panel of Howard Wilkinson, Sir Alex Ferguson, Chris Hughton, Rachel Yankey, Les Ferdinand, Clarie Tomlinson, Dave Bassett and Barry Fry.

“Congratulations – but always stay humble," said Glasner. "We know it is not so long ago where we struggled with relegation, just five points away, but now we've found ourselves and the players have confidence. That is what we want to read. We are doing well, but we still have a lot to improve.”

“It's all credit to the character of the players, because they trusted us from the first day. They listened, they tried and they worked really hard in training and now, they get their reward."

Wolves 1-3 Palace

How to follow up that result? Another comfortable victory, of course.

This time Palace headed to Molineux, with - who else? - Michael Olise, Jean-Philippe Mateta and Ebere Eze on the scoresheet.

“The intensity that we’re playing at now is so high, teams are struggling to cope with us.

2 minute highlights: Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-3 Crystal Palace

“We’ve got the players in the right positions going forward where we can do damage, be creative and are free to do what we need to do.

“When we’ve got players like this and players in the defence who are solid, trying to keep a clean sheet and stop them, we know that we can always win games.”

Palace 5-0 Aston Villa

A five-star showing to round off an incredible run. Fourth-placed Aston Villa, set to compete in the Champions League next season, were demolished in south London.

Jean-Philippe Mateta became the first man since Yannick Bolasie in April 2015 to score a Premier League hat-trick for the club – with shades of a former Palace great, with the last final-day hat-trick Ian Wright’s treble against Birmingham in 1989.

Mateta is now on seven consecutive top-flight home matches with a goal to his name – another Palace record.

2 minute highlights: Crystal Palace 5-0 Aston Villa

The statistics speak for themselves: four straight home wins for the first time in the Premier League (and for the first time since 1990/91); a joint-biggest Premier League win (5-0); and a joint-highest Premier League points tally (49).

Palace not only broke their record for the most goals scored in a Premier League season (netting 57 times), but obliterated their record tally in a top-flight campaign, previously set back in 1992 (with 53).

“I'd like to say thank you to the players, thank you to the staff, thank you to all the members of the club for supporting us, for trusting us. Yes, we know the first game we won 3-0, but then we had six weeks, or six games, no win.

“But they all stayed positive and we really worked hard, really worked hard, and now we all get the reward.”

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