Oliver Glasner knew this had been coming. He had been seeing the improvement for weeks, maybe even longer. Sure, there were rough moments of interruption along the way, but the direction of travel has been almost exclusively positive for the Crystal Palace manager.
And yet he still found plenty to be critical of in his post-match press conference. The finishing, the individual errors, the second-half performance. You might be forgiven for wondering whether Palace had actually taken a point from Manchester City. That they might be disappointed not to take all three indicates their progress.
If the 1-0 win over Ipswich Town in midweek was a role reversal of a poor performance but a good win, then this 2-2 draw with the champions was back to normal for Palace over the last seven matches, albeit with the notable exception of their poor showing in the 2-0 defeat by Fulham on November 9. This was a capable enough showing, but more than anything, it was reminiscent of the middle part of Glasner’s 13 games in charge at the end of last season after taking over from Roy Hodgson.
During that run, Glasner’s side were beaten 4-2 at home by the same opponents. That was a stronger City team, less affected by injuries, but Palace more than held their own for at least the opening 45 minutes in April, if not more of the game. Palace then had been wounded by a failure to emerge from a slump which had not been arrested under Glasner in the early matches, where their performances were below par and their results remained disappointing.
Suddenly they found a level of energy and tenacity that day which had been absent. From the very start, they were at City’s throats. It took four minutes for Jean-Philippe Mateta to put them ahead and shock their opponents. Fast forward to Saturday and it was Daniel Munoz who put them ahead after four minutes.
Where Adam Wharton led the charge in April, it was Will Hughes and Jefferson Lerma who were both pressing intensely at the weekend, fighting with desire and energy in midfield. Hughes’ attacking contribution — providing two assists — was invaluable. Glasner’s setup and style favours games against teams with higher lines or who might be exposed on the counter. That is how they succeeded at least in part in both games against City.
Palace have been looking to find their groove this season. The style and manner of their results in a run which has seen them lose just once in eight games across all competitions, or seven Premier League matches, has seen them gradually find their feet and is therefore slightly different to the situation that faced them ahead of the 4-2 loss last season. They came into this game with signs of confidence on the back of their promising run of form.
None of this is to say there are still not some significant problems for the 2024-25 version of Palace that require remediation. Dean Henderson’s error may not in and of itself have allowed Erling Haaland to head in the first equaliser, but Palace’s individual errors — many of the more glaring ones in a defence whose goals conceded record is among the better half of the Premier League this season — continue to be costly.
It is impossible to eradicate such mistakes entirely, just as in attack there are multiple excellent chances not being taken. However, reducing them from levels in recent matches is the difference between earning a draw and a victory. It is that which will push Palace into a more comfortable position than their current 16th place.
“We could all see today the progress,” Glasner said in his post-match press conference. “We are still within the process.”
Glasner was positive about the way he believed Palace’s game came together in the opening half an hour and towards the game’s climax, although there were, he continued to stress, many things on which to improve.
Palace may not have needed the sudden jolt back into life as much as they did in April — a match that was followed by six league wins and a draw — but the hope will still be that this provides a foundation to build on for the remainder of the season.
It feels like they are finally establishing their rhythm. Many of their injured players are returning and gaining match sharpness, finding familiarity, and Glasner has a more settled line-up. They will need to rely on some good fortune with injuries over the winter given the relative lack of depth in the squad, but they are moving in the right direction on the pitch.
If the performance on Saturday can replicate the impact on mood and form that their match against City in April had, then they will surely start to turn good performances into victories.
(Top photo: Maxence Lacroix scores Palace’s second; by Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty Images)
