Chilwell on attacking returns & the goalscoring feeling
Ben Chilwell hopes that he and Tyrick Mitchell can continue to contribute in attack as much as they do in defence, after the left-wing backs scored all three goals in last weekend’s win over Fulham.
The 29-year-old saw Mitchell score twice at Craven Cottage to tie the game at 2-2 before coming off the bench and, with his first touch of his second spell at Palace, converting a rebound for what proved to be the match-winner.
And ahead of Palace’s home game against Ipswich Town on Saturday afternoon, Chilwell says he hopes that he and Mitchell can continue to make their mark up the pitch, as well as at the back.
On scoring, he beamed: “It never leaves! That feeling, scoring at Fulham, was the same feeling I had when I was 10 years old when I scored my first goal for my local team. It's the same feeling, it never leaves you.
“Obviously, scoring goals isn't traditionally something that I'm used to so much. Of course, I've scored goals, but for me it's very special to score goals, and especially a goal in that sort of moment of a match, and the occasion...
“My first game back in England, first game back at Crystal Palace, away, the winner… there were a lot of different aspects that made the goal so special. Yeah, of course, every feeling like that is the reason that you play football.
“I think the style of football, the way football is going in particular, and especially with this system where you play a back five, with wing-backs, it's very important that the wing-backs contribute in that aspect.
“Goals, assists, getting into the box, creating an overload at the back post, they're all things that the Manager has touched on. The first conversations I've had with him, they're things that he wants from me.
“And, of course, T was brilliant in that game and scored two great goals as well. It's definitely working at the moment and it needs to continue. It's definitely something that he wants from us and, like I said, we just have to continue.”
Chilwell also opened up on the feeling he experienced when he realised a return to Palace, following a year at RC Strasbourg, might be possible.
On his reasons for returning, he said: “Firstly, it was my own personal experience when I was here last time. It was such a positive one. From the first day I came in, I just felt super at home.
“All the players, all the staff, like I've touched all the fans, have always been brilliant with me. So, that firstly, and then, of course, when I mentioned it to my mum, to my friends that come to all my games, that the potential for me to come back to Crystal Palace was there… to see how excited they all were as well, because they enjoyed it as much as me, if not more than me, when I was here last time.
“We just had such a good time last time I was here. We won the FA Cup, won a lot of our games in the Premier League from January onwards that season. It was such a special six months that I was here, and the celebrations after the FA Cup were special… It was a no-brainer.”
Crystal Palace v Ipswich Town
- Saturday, 12th September
- 15:00 BST
- Premier League
- Selhurst Park
- Live audio commentary on Palace TV+.