Johnson hails Palace fans for warm Selhurst welcome
Brennan Johnson was full of praise for the Selhurst Park crowd, after the Wales international made his home debut in Crystal Palace’s 0-0 draw with Aston Villa on Wednesday evening.
The 24-year-old offered a lively attacking outlet throughout for the Eagles, and was unfortunate not to open his account for the club following a fine early save from Emiliano Martínez after he had burst behind the Villa backline.
An entertaining game ultimately went goalless – but Johnson was delighted to make his first appearance as a Palace player at the Eagles’ famous stadium.
“It felt amazing,” Johnson be, speaking to Palace TV. “From the start of the game to the end, I thought the crowd were incredible.
“[Playing here] is something I'm really excited to do more and more, because I think when it got tough tonight, they really kept us going. Massive credit to the fans – a midweek game, late kick-off, and they really turned up for us tonight, so a massive thank you.”
In terms of his first week as a Palace player, Johnson added: “I think everyone's made me feel so welcome I think since the first second, so I couldn't have asked for a better welcome from everyone.
“Now I feel like, after two games, I feel like I'm getting used to the way that we play. I know it's going to take time, because there are some positions that aren't that natural to me.
“The longer it goes on, the more I'm going to love it, I'm sure, so a massive thank you for everyone making me feel so welcome.”
So many players played well tonight, and everyone worked so hard for each other
—Brennan Johnson
Regarding his first-half denial by Martínez, Johnson recalled: “I think that's a sequence that we do really well, and it's me just trying to adapt so I can get into the position to score.
“It was great hold-up by JP [Mateta] and a great pass by Ad [Wharton], so yeah, when I get in those positions, I feel like I've just got to stay patient. It was a good save but, next time I get in that position, hopefully I can find the back of the net.”
The No. 11 was lively throughout and, as well as having two shots on target, almost created a second-half winner for Mateta by firing a dangerous ball across the box from a tight angle.
The two teams went toe-to-toe but ultimately finished goalless, although Johnson feels Palace’s performance merited three points.
He added: “I think they're an amazing team, they've had unbelievable results recently, but I think if you looked at the game today, probably overall, I felt like we edged it.
“Obviously they had a really good chance when they hit the post but yeah, so many players played well tonight, and everyone worked so hard for each other, that we can be proud of the work that we put in tonight, and hopefully kick on from there.”