Crystal Palace have shifted the momentum back in their favour.
After their 19-game unbeaten run was ended at Everton a month ago, it looked as though they might struggle to regroup and find consistency again. Defeats followed against AEK Larnaca in the UEFA Conference League and Arsenal in the Premier League.
But three successive wins have since followed. The latest, 3-1 against Dutch side AZ in the Conference League, was a reminder of how important that momentum is for Palace under Oliver Glasner.
It is a distinctive part of his management. Intensity, familiarity and consistency all come when the team are in the ascendancy, both in terms of results and in their performances during games. They thrive on momentum.
The 19-game unbeaten run was testament to that. It began following two heavy defeats against Arsenal and Newcastle United, but after finding their feet and establishing a solid defensive base, Palace made themselves awkward to play against.
When they are free-flowing, playing with such verve and confidence, they are extremely difficult to stop. It led to their FA Cup and Community Shield success, confidence breeding confidence, and the few changes to the starting XI developing familiarity. The momentum built and built.
The question was, once that run came to an end, would they be able to get it back? It did not look promising at first, with a draw against Bournemouth followed by those two defeats. Against Larnaca, in particular, Palace seemed to have lost their way, as the low-block against which they struggle exposed their vulnerability. Arsenal were simply too good and locked up the space to deny any significant attacks.
But Palace’s reaction has been a positive one since, with victory over a much-changed Liverpool side in the Carabao Cup followed by wins over Brentford and now AZ.
They were riotous at times in the first half against AZ, who could not shift their style to be more defensive and failed to handle Palace’s quality. Ismaila Sarr’s direct running in behind and composed finishing made him almost unplayable. When Palace establish a head of steam, they are formidable. Even as they led 3-1, they sought a fourth goal, playing with the intensity demanded from Glasner.
He is often unhappy on the touchline. But as they began an open training session before the AZ match, he could be heard demanding far more from his players. Very early in a small-sided game he told them they needed to “wake-up” and “be sharp”. Everything needed to “be quicker” because it was “like a warm-up”. His standards are impeccably high, and they bring results.
Oliver Glasner was a typically animated presence on the touchline (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Glasner does not believe it is a “punishment” for being successful that they have to play so many games, saying in his pre-match press conference he would “retire and play golf” if he ever felt that way. The congestion is clearly challenging, it does offer the opportunity to build consistency.
This win helped reduce the chances of a Conference League play-off game in February, which would intensify those scheduling challenges. Now, with the pressure off, they can take on KuPS and Shelbourne in their final two Conference League fixtures with confidence. Defeat by AZ would have been problematic.
Given the team have rediscovered their momentum, there might be some level of disappointment that the international break follows a game against arch-rivals Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday. It denies them an opportunity to continue to build on the platform they have created. Many of the squad will be with their national teams, meaning there is little rest and therefore little advantage gained from the break.
What follows after the break is a cluttered schedule. They will need to rotate, whether Glasner desires it or not. He talked pre-match about the value of rhythm for his typical starting XI, and noted how they are the ones who are fit and those with fewer minutes are suffering more injuries. To find solutions he may have to balance the benefits of familiarity with player fitness. That will be another test of how to maintain this rhythm.
One game rolls into the next for Palace. Training sessions are extremely limited, largely focused on set pieces or video analysis to discuss tactics. Rest is prioritised.
“You get confidence from winning,” Glasner said after the AZ game. “More importantly we created chances, even when the unbeaten run ended we were competitive. I’m always talking about consistency, having the players available, knowing the way we are playing, knowing exactly what we have to do and staying humble and ambitious.”
There are downsides for Palace being in Europe, primarily the physical demands on a relatively small squad, some of which is underused by the manager. Chris Richards is still suffering with a calf problem, Chadi Riad slipped in his first team training session after returning from a ruptured ACL, while Sarr has a minor tweak and tightness in his hamstring which is being carefully managed. Games are catching up with them, even if they will not complain.
Yet among the many positives, which far outweigh the downsides, these three game weeks are a great opportunity to create a positive mentality, to bounce from game to game and arrest negative momentum quickly after defeats or propel themselves further forwards after victories.
The last week has seen three wins for Palace. It was the perfect tonic to what appears to have been a four-game blip. Their dismantling of AZ was the most comprehensive of all, and it has come at just the right time to take confidence into the game against Brighton.