Henderson looks to ‘attack the game’ against Brighton
Dean Henderson thinks the Selhurst Park atmosphere will play a pivotal role in Crystal Palace’s next Premier League fixture against Brighton & Hove Albion.
Speaking to Palace TV after his league debut for the club at Manchester City – in which Henderson produced seven excellent saves, including five inside his own box – the goalkeeper explained how the nature of the match will further motivate his side.
He said: “We’re at home. We’ve got to attack the game and have a right go at them.
“Obviously, we know they’re a good team, but it’s a derby and the lads will be right up for it. Hopefully the atmosphere can pull us through.”
Reflecting on the full-time scenes following Palace’s late comeback at the Etihad Stadium, Henderson added: “It was unbelievable. The Palace fans came out in their numbers and the boys put in all the hard work, and we reaped the rewards at the end.
“I’m obviously delighted for the boys. They deserved it and they ran their socks off.
“Everybody contributed, everyone on the bench, the boys… the team spirit is fantastic. All week [before the game] we had a belief in the dressing room. The manager instilled it in us that we were going to come and get something, and it was nice to see.
“We were bouncing off the walls when we got in! We were all knackered as well. It was great, honestly. The fans deserved that around Christmas time. They’ve stuck by us.
“Obviously we’ve had some tough results, but we’ve just got to keep going and keep fighting for each other.”
Having excelled on his first Premier League start since January for Nottingham Forest, Henderson was pleased to get underway in Palace colours.
He said: “It was good! It’s obviously probably the toughest game you can come into. The concentration.
“I was just delighted to come through the game. It’s been a long year for me, so I’m just delighted to put on the Palace colours. Thanks to all the fans for supporting me.
“It’s nice to get a few saves in there. It’s a tough place to come. There’s one place to get sharp, and that’s in the Etihad goalmouth!”