Wharton hails Sarr’s proficiency & Palace’s progress in Europe

With Palace bidding to unlock the UEFA Conference League’s meanest defence at the third time of asking, needing to do so to secure victory in the Round of 16 second leg, Wharton and Sarr took just 13 minutes to make the breakthrough.

The former secured his eighth assist of the season in all competitions – Palace’s highest – with a first-time pass which deflected into Sarr’s path, the Senegal forward clinically converting.

And after a dramatic series of events ensued as Larnaca’s Enric Saborit equalised – and was then sent off – before extra-time, top scorer Sarr struck again, his 15th goal of the season and fifth in Europe proving enough to see Palace through to a quarter-final against Italy’s Fiorentina in three weeks’ time.

“We're really pleased,” Wharton told TNT Sport. “Obviously, it was a different game to the Premier League, tough to break down, but the most important thing is getting to the next round and we're glad to do that.

“He [Sarr] has been top. He's been doing well in the Premier League as well. He's scoring a lot of goals, getting a lot of assists – and he's so quick!

“Especially against these teams, if you get that little bit of space in behind, because they're so compact, it works wonders having him. We're really happy to have him.

“These teams in the Conference League that we've come up against in Europe, they're very compact, they sit in low blocks. So when you get the space on transition, I think we need to try and utilise that.

“I’m just looking for the first-time ball in behind, to obviously use the space whilst we've got it – because if we don't, then they're going to drop back and then we won't have a lot of space to play in.”

The Eagles have occasionally struggled to break down their more defensively minded opponents in Europe this season, but Wharton says the Round of 16 tie was evidence of his team’s progress in that regard.

He reasoned: “I think a big part of it is game management, making sure you don't go a goal down, because when you do, it's very difficult and they go even deeper than they already started.

“[We’re] just trying to prevent their counter-attacks. We did it quite a lot last year in the Premier League and we got a lot of joy from it, sitting deep and hitting on the counter, and that's where a lot of our success came from.

“In this competition, it's been a lot more of us in possession, trying to break down the low blocks. It’s been a different sort of tactical side of the game.

“I don't know what the stats were for this one, but in the first leg, like I said, we conceded two shots – and one of them was about 35 yards out, so I think we’re making sure we prevent them from getting chances. If we don't concede, then we've got a big chance of winning.”

Palace now have a three-week break before their next competitive fixture, which will be at home to Serie A strugglers – but two-time Conference League finalists – Fiorentina.

“It's exciting!” Wharton said of the draw. “A quarter-final of a European competition – it's a massive thing.

“A lot of us players haven't played Europe before, and Crystal Palace haven't, so it's a great chance for us, the club, the fans, to go there, and Fiorentina are a big club.

“They're a big club in Italy and it'll be a great challenge for us. Hopefully we can go there and get through to the next round.”