Speaking to the media after the game, she said: “It feels really good, I can't describe it, we've been waiting for this for a long time, we were ready for it.”
Having worked her way back from a long-term injury dating back to December 2023, the Chelsea loanee was thrilled to make her full debut in Palace colours – and even more so to mark it with a goal.
“I can't really describe it, I've been waiting for this for a long, long time, especially after my injury,
"Now coming to Palace, first game as well, it's just like everything came together, it was perfect,” Nouwen said.
Nouwen’s goal arrived at a crucial moment, giving Palace the lead in the 33rd minute. She said: “I think it's always important to get the first goal in, it just gives you a bit of calmness, you feel the momentum from that, so it was perfect timing.”
Settling into a new team mid-season can be challenging, but Nouwen says she’s enjoying life in South London.
“Yeah, I'm really enjoying it, it's nice. The team is really nice, everything went really smoothly, and now I'm just happy to be back and get my game time in,” she said.
On what was a momentous day for the club as Palace won their first ever home game in the WSL, Nouwen reserved some praise for the home fans.
She said: “They were really important, we could really hear them the whole game, and I think that just helps us fight even more for it, so yeah, they were amazing.”
