Crystal Palace host Manchester United at Selhurst Park as the Eagles seek out a first Premier League win of the season – find out what manager Oliver Glasner had to say about the game below.
The Eagles have shown their strength of spirit and character in recent performances, coming from two goals behind against Leicester City to claim a draw and then defeating a spirited Queens Park Rangers side at Loftus Road to advance in the Carabao Cup.
Now, ahead of hosting United at Selhurst Park, manager Oliver Glasner discussed a range of subjects at his pre-match press conference – so catch up on the key quotes below…
Leicester City manager Steve Cooper has discussed whether Palace’s first goal last weekend should have been ruled out for offside.
“We had the game during the week, so we prepared for GPR. I also saw many clips where Ebs’ goal was regular at Brentford, but it was disallowed. It makes no sense talking about the past.
“I think Leicester doesn't get the point back and we also don't lose one or get two more.Then we had QPR during the week and now we’re preparing for Manchester United, so we didn't have time to think about it.
“I think I mentioned after the Brentford game that we didn't complain about it. During a season there will be some decisions for you and some decisions against you that we can discuss.
“Then it's always when you stop for the passing moment in the VAR and it's a tight decision. I remember many situations. It was also at Brentford with Odsonne Edouard, where we had a very tight decision against us. That's football and I think it makes no sense discussing about it one week later.
“I didn't read it. I was told it today, before, but it doesn't influence me. I watched Champions League football yesterday and I also think they [Leicester] prepared for their upcoming game.”
Glasner was asked about his side's 4-0 win over Manchester United at Selhurst Park back in May.
“No, I don't think [that it was Palace’s best performance under Glasner]. We had a bit of problems. We were very efficient in the first-half, so we had a bit of problems in the first half.
“The second-half was really good, so we didn't give them chances. It was very difficult. We also conceded in this year, so they are always able to score goals.
“Even when they [Manchester United] lost 3-0 against Liverpool, the xG was almost the same. They have a lot of quality in their offence, with their wingers, brilliant in 1v1, with players from the midfield always scoring. Now it was [Joshua] Zirkzee or [Marcus] Rashford who played in the EFL Cup, so a very, very good offence.
“But also you can see that if you defend well, you will get your chances because they play very offensive football and have clear structures, so that speaks for their manager [Erik ten Hag].
“But I'm convinced that we will find our spaces where we can create chances and score goals. We did really well in that game, in the last game, and then it's to be efficient if you get the chances to score from it. In all those games we had, we had chances.
“But it was just in the Cup, we took the lead twice, but in all four Premier League games the opposite team took the lead. But I think, maybe not Chelsea, but in any other game, we had the first big chance, but we missed it – it was West Ham at home, it was Leicester at home, and it was Brentford, and it would be a different game if you take the lead.
“This will be important. I'm really convinced we will get our chances, but also to take them and score goals from them.”
“I mentioned after the [QPR] game we did our homework before signing Eddie, because we were thinking he can play several positions, because he's very smart and he's not the typical mind, strong with the back to the pitch.
“He's more a technical player, finding space, sometimes being in the pocket, also dropping a little bit deeper, but always finding the moment to be in the opposite box. And he's a great finisher. He showed it with his right foot and he had a big chance with his left foot.
“But we also could see that there were some misunderstandings between him and Ebs [Eze], between him and JP [Mateta], so this will take time to get each other known, but he's on a really good pathway.
“When you see all our games, since we arrived, it's all the offensive players. I think with the system we play, how we play, we bring them into scoring positions. But then it's the finishing quality. He has great finishing quality, so I was not really surprised that he scored a goal.
“He played two games within three days and almost for the full time. He didn't do this very often at Arsenal. And he's ready, he's fit, so it also showed that even if he didn't play there, and in pre-season he wasn't always involved in the Arsenal training and pre-season games, he's very professional and he's in very good shape.
“I hope the next goal will follow tomorrow.”
Manchester City’s Erling Haaland is the only player to score more Premier League goal than Jean-Philippe Mateta since Glasner’s arrival at Crystal Palace.
“I think there are more reasons. It's not the one reason. The first one, the most important guy is JP himself, because he's very hard-working every day, very ambitious. And he has a very good finishing quality with his left, right and his head.
“It's now to bring him into this position. This is what I think we did better last season. And this is what we have to improve.
“When we do it, we could see it against Leicester, we could see it against Norwich. But now against QPR, we didn't find him in the right moment… we also can miss chances, but he didn't have big chances. I think this is what we have to improve, that we get him more and more into the scoring positions, because then he has an unbelievable finishing quality.
“He has the confidence because he knows, ‘when you give me the ball, I can score a goal.’ And this is crucial for a striker, that you have this confidence.”
“In any single game when he came in, he had a very positive and big impact, positive impact on our game, so maybe this is a little bit his disadvantage at the moment because as a manager, you always want to have somebody on the bench where you are convinced that he can have a positive influence when you take him on the pitch.
“In the offensive three, JP scored two against Leicester. Now it was Ebs and it was Eddie. And, yes, all the offensive players, they scored a goal, so then we brought him on against Leicester as a right wing-back – and then even when we changed to a back four as a right full-back, a little bit risky, but we know his strengths.
“He has a lot of power, energy. He's always making runs. He can prepare situations. He can score goals. And, yes, it gives us a good feeling, and I'm sure he will get more and more minutes.
“What I really appreciate is that he accepts his situation at the moment and is always positive and having this positive impact for the team.”
“We can't play with just 11. We can't play with just three players in offence. And there's also sometimes switching, like it was now.
“Adam [Wharton] needed a break. Will [Hughes] had a birth in his family: his second child the day before the game. And then it's okay, Cheick was injured, so then Daichi [Kamada] played as a No. 6 next to Jeff Lerma. We need these options, because Daichi also played on the No. 10 against Norwich, and he scored a goal as well.
“We need these options to be competitive, because we have, I think until now, we have most of the games – more than the international ones – because we had two in the Carabao Cup. And we also know that many of our players didn't have a pre-season.
“Now it's finding the rhythm. I mentioned after the game, it's not so fluent like we would wish. But I think it's also not possible at the moment. It's also a fact the last four games we had two wins and two draws after losing the first two games in the season.
“It looks like we are fighting us back into the league. We are fighting us back into our best shape. Sometimes you don't have to think about it because everything is working. Everything is running – but sometimes you have to fight for this.
“And this really gives me a lot of confidence and I appreciate it as a manager of this group, that they are fighting for their points, that they are fighting for their wins, and this is what we will do tomorrow again.”
“I think patience is not my biggest strength! Also, when we signed Daichi, we knew he could play in the No. 6 and No. 10, so now, in this system, he can play four positions. And this was the same with Eddie Nketiah. He can play at least three positions in offence.
“And we have Jeff Lerma. He plays now as a six, but remember, last season, he played in the back three.
“Nathaniel Clyne can play the right wing-back. He can play the centre-half. The same with Joel Ward.
“We have many players who can play in different positions, and we decided to reduce the amount of players. We have now 20, plus we took Franco Umeh with us.
“Therefore, it's just necessary that some players can play in different positions. They showed it.”
“First of all, when we played them, they had many injuries. This time, yes, they have some injuries, but many players are available. They had some big signings in the summer: Zirkzee, [Matthijs] de Ligt, [Noussair] Mazraoui, At the end, [Lisandro] Martinez is back and fit again. They have signed [Manuel] Ugarte.
“I think they spent a lot of money because they were not happy with their position – eighth they were at the end [of last season]. I think they want to compete and challenge for the Champions League, so it's a different goal they have than we have.
“But I think in the game, here at Selhurst, we are able to beat them. We know we have to perform. Like always in any Premier League game, we have to perform on our top level, so we get the confidence back slowly with fighting.
“I can now tell you many players who can decide a game in their offence because they have such a high quality. They had a rotation during the week when [Alejandro] Garnacho, an Argentinian international player, is on the bench. Then they had Antony, a Brazilian international player, on the bench.
“This just shows the quality they have in their squad. But we feel ready for the rumble at Selhurst.”
“We have to come into our best shape, therefore it needs work on the pitch. We need the players here. I mentioned it last week – we had the first training session with the group. You can imagine this week we didn't really train a lot, when we have three games in eight days.
“Then, we're looking forward to the next two weeks, because then we have full training weeks. Then half of the team goes to the national teams again and we could have won, I think, especially against West Ham and Brentford.
"But we didn't, and this is what I mentioned. We have to fight back. We have to work on it, and this is what the group is doing.”
“I think he gets a lot of praise. He was with England at the Euros and he played in almost every game. And, of course, you see England has a lot of talented players.
“He’s very professional. He has a lot of talent. He's hardworking. And in any single game, he can score one, two goals. He's an outstanding talent. Every manager is looking for players who can score goals.
“But there are also still things to improve, and he's listening. He tries to improve. So, for me, he is one of the best English players.
“But I think everybody sees and knows it and also praises it, because he was with England at the Euros. Of course, like always, I also think that Adam Wharton should have had more minutes there, but it was Gareth Southgate's decision.
“Ebs is one of the best English midfield players, definitely, and I think there are not two opinions. Everybody would say the same.”
