Wharton: We know we’re always in the game
Adam Wharton was delighted to be back winning football matches with his teammates, after returning to action in Crystal Palace’s 2-1 win away at West Ham United on Saturday.
The midfielder had come off injured at Villa Park just before the turn of the month, and missed Palace’s first two fixtures in September and a call-up for England during the international break.
But having had his fitness confirmed by Oliver Glasner prior to the trip to London Stadium, Wharton went straight back into Palace’s starting XI, where his metronomic influence in midfield helped the Eagles gain the upper hand in a tight contest in East London.
“It felt good,” he smiled, speaking to Palace TV. “That's all I want to do: just play football.
“It's what I've been working on the last few weeks, getting my fitness back, getting ready, just to be available to help the team and play when I'm needed, so I'm glad.
“I thought we found the pockets well. The tens were getting in good positions – Daichi [Kamada] and Yeremy [Pino]. We got in those positions, and it was just the final pass, probably.
“But there were positives to take and I thought we played pretty well in the first half. They only had the chance at the end from the transition.
“Second half, we were a bit slow to start. Obviously, they got back in the game. We weren't playing as much, finding the spare man, finding the pockets. But as the half went on, I thought we grew into it and we started playing better again and took control again, I think.”
We're confident at the moment and we know we're always in the game
—Adam Wharton
While Wharton was honest in his admission that he felt he could’ve done more to prevent Jarrod Bowen’s goal, he was also pleased to see teammate Tyrick Mitchell restore Palace’s lead not long after with a thunderous effort, having played his part in the build-up.
Wharton said: “I should have done better for their goal. That was poor from me.
“But I think, even when we conceded, the team was still confident that we could create the chances that we needed to get that goal to win.
“That's just from every day, working hard together. Obviously, the recent games have been going well, which helps.
"I think we're confident at the moment and we know we're always in the game.”
On Mitchell’s right-footed volley itself, Wharton jokingly summed it up as: “Swing and a hit!
“He deserves it. Honestly, he doesn't get the credit that he should.
"Defensively, you very, very rarely see a winger go past him, for the majority of the games, and I think he doesn't get the credit that he is due.
“I think you all know he's scored, but it was definitely a swing! Thankfully, he connected well.”