On This Day: Crystanbul (2014) - News

After taking a first-half lead, Brendan Rodgers' side had stormed out of the blocks from half-time and pinned the Eagles back to display their dominance and secure three points.

Victory was crucial for Brendan Rodgers' men, and their three-goal advantage kept them in the race for their first league title since 1990.

But then... well, Crystanbul.

Goals from Damien Delaney and Dwight Gayle stunned the Reds and Selhurst Park’s famous atmosphere carried Palace to one of the Premier League’s greatest-ever spectacles.

It was an occasion Palace fans would, last year, vote as our greatest-ever Premier League game.

It was a fitting end to a season that saw Palace consolidate their Premier League status for the first time with an 11th-place finish, defying the odds as relegation favourites after nine losses from their opening 10.

Recalling that famous night, Delaney and Gayle both referenced the impact the loyal fan base had. Delaney said: “I remember the Liverpool crowd singing: ‘We want eight, we want eight!’ But the crowd were great. Even at 3-0 down to Liverpool they were still going.”

For Gayle, the belief that the Eagles could claw back the deficit was never in doubt after Delaney opened the scoring. “Obviously being 3-0 down to could-of-been-champions was going to be a hard feat,” Gayle recalled. “You could tell when we got the first one, we were going to go on and get the second and third.”

Relive what the pair had to say in full when Chris Grierson caught up with them a few months after ‘the greatest ever draw’ in the video below.

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