Crystal Palace had a few positives to take from their 4-2 defeat to Manchester City on Saturday afternoon, with Oliver Glasner taking the time to praise one of his players.
In losing at home to Manchester City, Crystal Palace extended their run without a win to five Premier League games, telling of the challenges Oliver Glasner must look to overcome.
The Eagles started extremely well against Pep Guardiola’s treble winners, taking the lead after just four minutes thanks to a finely worked and finished goal by man of the moment, Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Shades of brilliance from the visitors took the game away from Palace, who could have extended their lead prior to Kevin De Bruyne’s wonder goal, with a lack of potency in the final third showing.
That being said, Glasner was still able to praise his players for the chances they created against opposition as strong as City, with the manager expressing his delight with one moment in particular after the game.
Oliver Glasner was delighted by what Adam Wharton did against Man City
While Mateta and Odsonne Edouard were responsible for Palace’s two goals on the day, it was Adam Wharton who received high praise from the manager.
The 20-year-old was instrumental in midfield, coming up against arguably the best in the position at the moment, Rodri.
It would be impossible for the outsider to detect Wharton’s lack of Premier League experience when watching him in action, particularly against the champions, where he set up Mateta’s opener with a decisive pass.
Speaking to the media after the game, Glasner gave a shout-out to the midfielder for his work in the goal, as per London News Online.
“Somebody has to win the ball before the goal, somebody has to solve the situation because we go into counter press.”
“Adam Wharton played an excellent pass with one touch in behind.”
“He’s [Mateta] the guy who scored but there are other players involved in the situation.”
Adam Wharton has been crucial for Crystal Palace since signing
When Palace secured the £22m signing of Wharton from Blackburn Rovers in January, not many would have expected to see the youngster become such an integral part of the plan so soon in his career.
In a game that saw Eberechi Eze start and Michael Olise return to the fold, it was the 20-year-old who stood out once again for his creativity in the midfield, recording two key passes and an assist against the treble-winners.
Glasner was right to single out the former Championship jewel for his decisive moment on Saturday afternoon, with the hope there that he can maintain his impressive form since arriving at Selhurst Park.
The problem that Palace now have is that there are even greater challenges to overcome, with a trip to Anfield up next in the Premier League.
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