Crystal Palace

Ben Collins
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Three weeks after making a £48m move from Wolves, Jorgen Strand Larsen made his third league appearance for Crystal Palace against his former club.

In his first 180 minutes of league football for Palace, he scored more goals (two) than he did in 1405 minutes for Wolves this season (one).

But it looked like the 26-year-old Norway striker was still playing for the league's bottom team as he was starved of service.

He had just one shot, a first-half effort that was blocked on the edge of the box, and Palace's only other chances before the interval came from a Wolves error and a well-worked set-piece.

Yerson Mosquera's underhit backpass put Yeremy Pino through on goal and although he lobbed keeper Jose Sa, it bounced well wide.

Will Hughes then played a corner straight to Adam Wharton at the near post and he nudged the ball back to Pino, whose scuffed effort came back off the far post.

Even after Krejci handed the Eagles control - his second booking was for dissent - Palace failed to show the energy and intensity their fans came to expect under Glasner before last season's FA Cup triumph.

They had just one shot before Wharton played the ball wide for Mitchell and his low cut-back was turned in at the near post by substitute Evann Guessand.

That gave Palace just their second win since early December but this was far from convincing and does little to persuade Palace fans they should stick with manager Oliver Glasner until he wishes to leave at the end of the season.

Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "I think everybody who watched the game could see how nervous we are in the first half, making so many easy mistakes and then a great keeper saving a penalty, which was important.

"Then the second half we said before let's keep a clean sheet, we're able to score goals again and we had a very good impact off the bench with Evann [Guessand] deciding the game. Also the red card helped us, so today many things were very positive. Also, the fans were pushing us to the end to get this win and that was a big and massive win and a big relief for all of us."

On where the nerves are coming from: "In the last months if you're in a negative run it's so noisy the whole time. The whole transfer window is noisy to the end and then many things are happening and our expectations around the club and within the team are higher than ever before. we are not really pleased when performances are not right.

"I think the win today will help us but it's the same now for us its a first small step. The first step to the right direction was the away win at Brighton and now the second small step forward and getting this confidence back and I'm sure the structure will be better and better and the results will be better and better."

Did you know?

• Crystal Palace won their first home match in the Premier League since beating Brentford in November 2025, putting an end to an eight-match run without a win at Selhurst Park in the competition (D3 L5), picking up as many points this afternoon (3) as they did in those eight winless matches combined.

• On his 150th appearance in the Premier League, Dean Henderson saved his fifth penalty. Of goalkeepers to have faced 15+ penalties, he has the joint-best save ratio (33.3% - 5/15) along with Mark Bosnich (33.3% - 6/18).

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Crystal Palace's performance

What did you make of Wolves' display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Image source, BBC Sport

Crystal Palace XI: Dean Henderson, Daniel Munoz, Chris Richards, Tyrick Mitchell, Chadi Riad, Jaydee Canvot, Will Hughes, Adam Wharton, Ismaila Sarr, Yeremy Pino, Jorgen Strand Larsen.

Subs: Brennan Johnson, Christantus Uche, Nathaniel Clyne, Daichi Kamada, Borna Sosa, Evann Guessand, Justin DeVenny, Rio Cardines, Walter Benitez.

Wolves XI: Jose Sa, Ladislav Krejci, Yerson Mosquera, Santiago Bueno, Jackson Tchatchoua, Hugo Bueno, Andre, Tolu Arokodare, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, Mateus Mane, Adam Armstrong.

Subs: Matt Doherty, David Moller Wolfe, Joao Gomes, Pedro Lima, Rodrigo Gomes, Toti, Angel Gomes, Tom Edozie, Sam Johnstone.

Image source, BBC Sport

There are four games in the Premier League on Sunday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Crystal Palace v Wolves - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 3

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• Sunderland v Fulham - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2

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Fair play to Wolves, because they have turned a bit of a corner under Rob Edwards.

Their results have still never looked like being enough to keep them up but they showed again against Arsenal that they are at least being competitive now.

Even so, I can see this game being all about Jorgen Strand Larsen, following his £48m move from Wolves to Palace at the end of the January transfer window.

Palace still need the points and I would not be surprised if he has a say in the outcome - let's go for him to score the winner.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Noel Sliney
BBC Sport senior journalist

A team which can't win at home hosts a side which can't win away this Sunday (14:00 GMT). Crystal Palace have beaten Wolves in the past five Premier League encounters at Selhurst Park but this season has become a forgettable one for both teams.

Palace stripped of home comforts

The mood in the caged away end in Bosnia and Herzegovina on Thursday night was febrile by the end of the laboured 1-1 Uefa Conference League draw with Zrinjski as Crystal Palace fans turned on the players and, in particular, manager Oliver Glasner.

Fan dissatisfaction has been growing over the past 10 weeks, during which Palace have only won once in 15 games, plummeted from fourth to 13th in the league prior to this weekend, exited both domestic cups – including surrendering their defence of the FA Cup to non-league Macclesfield – and sold captain Marc Guehi. Add to that confirmation of Glasner's departure at the end of the season and it's easy to understand the unrest from the terraces.

Glasner's response on Friday was pointed: "Right now, I'm just not good enough to replace the players we sold. I'm just not good enough to integrate the new players in a way to play the same way like we did and I'm not good enough that we can cope with the schedule we had.

"On the other side, I was good enough to play the best season ever, win two trophies and also to look back: 32 points after 26 games…Crystal Palace has been better twice. Once was our season last year, and once in 2021.

"It looks like even now when everybody is completely angry, disappointed, frustrated, we are playing a better Premier League season than eight of the last 10 seasons Crystal Palace has played."

Regardless of the success Glasner has brought to the club, his side will need to significantly raise their level to appease the home crowd against Wolves.

A meagre 37.5% of Crystal Palace's league points this season have come at home, with only Spurs having a lower share. The Eagles haven't won at Selhurst Park in any competition since early November and are experiencing their longest winless home run in the top flight since 1997-98.

Can Wolves remedy their travel sickness?

Wolves finally registered their first away win of the season in any competition last weekend when they overcame League Two side Grimsby in filthy conditions to reach the FA Cup fifth round.

They have drawn three of their past four away league games and need just two more points this season to surpass the lowest overall tally in Premier League history – 11, by Derby County in 2007-08.

Nonetheless, Wolves are in danger of becoming the first club to twice end a Premier League season without an away victory. They went winless throughout the 2003-04 season, while Hull City in 2009-10 were the sixth and most recent side to suffer that fate.

Wolves are also the only team in England's top five divisions without an away league win this season.

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on whether manager Oliver Glasner should stay or go.

Here are some of your comments:

Gary: I think Glasner should resign. It's obvious the players are no longer responding to him. Give the job to Paddy McCarthy to the end of the season. He will play a flat back four I'm sure. We need to tighten up at the back, something Glasner refuses to do. The one big mistake he's made is telling the players he's leaving, so I think he should go now. Shame it's ended like this. He is our greatest manager the club has had. His time is up though.

Phil: It feels as if Glasner has been trying to talk the board into relieving him of his duties for a while. He is a great manager but, like with Guehi and Mateta recently, he's clearly decided that he wants to leave as soon as possible. It's a shame to end things on a sour note when he's been so good - but if he doesn't want to be here, probably it's best to end things sooner rather than getting a new manager in just before the next season starts!

Bob: Glasner has had his glory and now wants to leave. OK, let him go and move on. Get a new manager in now who will steer us in the right direction. Get either Thomas Frank or Ole Gunnar Solksjær! We can't do any worse at the moment.

Paddars: The morale appears to have subsided since the loss of the FA Cup match at Macclesfield, the departure of several "star" players, the shenanigans with Mateta and the announcement of Glasner signing off at the end of the season......why was that allowed to occur? The Conference game last night was appalling since they had almost a week off to prepare, but it looked as though they were disinterested. I hate to think what will happen in the second leg at Selhurst next week. Perhaps Parish etc are more interested in the new stadium plans than supporting the team? As for Glasner.....a one-trick pony in my view.

Victor: Glasner has done an amazing job with us. FA Cup winners, Community Shield winners and getting us into Europe. But recently it is clear his focus isn't the same and the players aren't playing with the same enjoyment and confidence as they did at the beginning of the season. I think he should go and bring in someone else. Personally I would like Thomas Frank who would step quite easily into the role.

John: Yes, he should go immediately. Appoint Paddy McCarthy until the end of the season and review what he achieves. Carrick at MU and the Brentford man shows what can be achieved promoting from within. Remember the Liverpool "bootroom" success years.

Mike: The best chance for survival this season is for Glasner to stay. If he were to go early, results will not improve because it will be the same players. The problem is the squad, the balance is all wrong, we have not strengthened at wing-back and defensively, which is much needed as at the moment defensively we are hopeless and we struggle to get the ball forward quickly through midfield. The problems stem from poor transfer dealings, which is a big weakness with Parish.

Crystal Palace have been fined £50,000 for failing to ensure supporters did not behave in an improper manner during the Premier League fixture with Nottingham Forest.

The punishment stems from a banner held aloft by fans during the 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park in August.

The Eagles denied the charge but a commission says it was proven, imposing the £50,000 sanction.

In the written reasoning for the decision, it states: "Fans in the Holmesdale Stand erected a banner measuring about 8/10 metres in height and 12/15 metres in width. The banner was immediately seen by the control room, which despatched stewards to the area. The stewards were on site within about 30 seconds. The banner was voluntarily taken down within about 2 minutes. It remained on the ground in the stand until half time when it was removed."

Oliver Glasner's future as Crystal Palace manager is in serious doubt after the club's poor run of form.

The Austrian manager has already announced that he will leave the club in the summer when his current contract expires.

But a section of Palace's away support turned on the 51-year-old during Thursday's 1-1 draw against Zrinjski Mostar in the Europa Conference League, chanting "we want Glasner out".

Sources have told BBC Sport that the club is now considering Glasner's position after a run of just one win from their last 15 games.

Earlier, Glasner answered questions on his future, which you can watch above.

What do you think of this news? Is a new head coach now a wise option?

Get in touch with your views here

Tyrese King
BBC Sport journalist

Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Wolves at Selhurst Park (kick-off 14:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• The Austrian was asked if he will remain in charge until the end of the season and said: "I always said, and this wasn't the first press conference where I could just repeat myself. As I said, eventually you always depend on your players, and they will get all the support like always, and then we will see."

• On whether he wants to stay at Selhurst Park until the summer, Glasner said: "Let's see what the future brings, you never know."

• On if he has the drive to lead the club: "Yes, I think so, yes."

• Glasner offered more on his position, stating: "In football, it's easy. As a manager, you will stay or be allowed to stay when the results are OK. Football is all about this and the last months, the results were not good. The performances were not consistently good and that's it."

• On Palace's current form: "I'm always realistic, and we're not in the best moment right now. And to be honest, I understand, and I take responsibility for everything because I'm responsible for the whole team."

• He added: "And right now, I'm just not good enough to replace the players we sold. I'm just not good enough to integrate the new players in a way to play the same way like we did, and I'm not good enough that we can cope with the schedule we had."

• On what his team accomplished last year: "On the other side, I was good enough to play the best season ever, win two trophies and also to look back 32 points after 26 games - I look back because I like to look back sometimes - Crystal Palace has been better twice. Once was our season last year, and once in 2021. Never before it was more or less between 25 and 29 points all the time."

• He also believes that even now when everybody is "completely angry, disappointed, frustrated", his Palace side is "playing a better Premier League season than eight of the last 10 seasons". Glasner added: "We play European football, and that is the reality."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on Crystal Palace's Conference League draw with Zrinjski.

Here are some of your comments:

Terry: Glasner deserved his chance to deliver us a good season. He is no longer the man to deliver us the Conference League. He needs to leave before the relationship ends in an unamicable way.

Dave:Really lethargic, seemed like we didn't have a plan at times. With the quality we have in the team, it was a hard watch against a lesser team. Glasner needs to go now and we need a fresh spark. Also very disappointing is Brennan Johnson. He looks a complete waste of money.

Donald: An away draw isn't the end of the world but the fall off in performance levels is worrying. Thanks to Macclesfield the excuse of too many games in too few days wasn't there. Glasner needs to demonstrate his coaching ability and integrate the new signings as the club doesn't look as though it is going to give him the easy out of firing him.

Gyika: That was nowhere near good enough. We are desperately lacking a leader out there. Glasner has to take the blame too—he has absolutely no Plan B against a low block. If we've already got a replacement lined up, we should hand him his P45.

Vic: We just don't have the nous to break a full block. No pace apart from Sarr and very little invention to cause a threat. We have known for months the problem and have spent £80m with little to show for it. Glasner cannot say he hasn't the tools.

John: Very poor. Two Keepers on the bench again limiting options. A lame duck manager is not what we want at this stage of the season. We need some renewed impetus. Being in Europe is probably not helpful to our hopefully continued Premier League membership.

Steve: I am very concerned that Glasner is unable to change the system. His obsession with three at the back, and wing backs way up field, exposes a severe weakness on the counter. A better quality side would have put three or four past them. I fear Wolves might repeat the damage Burnley inflicted, unless Glasner tightens up the defence and midfield. It's time to take immediate action that will halt this dreadful run, and a spiralling drop into the relegation zone.

Bunny: We will take the draw. Great atmosphere in Mostar, but we need to be ruthless in the return leg. Long journey home now!

Keifer MacDonald
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

It has been a miserable season for Crystal Palace.

After defying the odds to beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final less than 12 months ago, the wheels have slowly begun to come off for the south London club.

Since the Eagles last featured in the Conference League on 18 December, things have gone from bad to worse.

Palace have slipped from fifth to 13th in the Premier League, exited the League Cup at the quarter-final stage, and seen their reign as FA Cup holders ended by sixth-tier Macclesfield.

Add to that the departure of captain March Guehi to Manchester City and confirmation that Glasner will leave the club at the end of the season, and it has been a testing couple of months at Selhurst Park.

Thursday night's trip to Bosnia was supposed to provide relief from a difficult domestic season, but it instead highlighted Palace's ongoing problems.

For all of their possession, they could not turn control into a convincing display.

For now, talk of the final by supporters - and any travel plans to go with it - may be slightly premature.

Image source, Getty Images

Oliver Glasner speaking after the 1-1 draw at Zrinjski in the Europa Conference League, firstly on an injury to Maxence Lacroix, which forced the defender off on 64 minutes: "I don't know the level. You have to make a substitution due to a muscle problem. Hopefully it's not too bad as Riad had cramp at the end - he's just come back. Lerma is out, so now we have to be very creative to find the right players for these positions."

On the game, where Palace surrendered their lead but had 72% of the ball: "It was the same against Burnley, controlling the game with the lead and then we made two easy mistakes.

"Even when you see all the opportunities, we always had an overload but then we can't defend the one-v-one.

"Lerma is injured, we play with a 19-year-old, with a 21-year-old who was injured for 18 months and Chris Richards, so we see they are not in the best rhythm.

"When you have the lead like today and controlling the game, just don't give them these easy opportunities. We have to be very self critical today. We controlled the game like against Burnley but we gave away the momentum with easy mistakes. Maybe that's what we have to learn, with a few young players in defence the learning should be quick.

"They are well organised in defence, good on transitions and this is what we will analyse. In attack it was a little bit too slow. Sometimes it's a lack of creativity in attack and we miss runs in behind. When we did this we were dangerous and created chances.

"We were very dominant. But it's not just having possession. We need to be more dominant into the box."

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Crystal Palace's first leg performance

Come back on Friday for a selection of your replies

Zrinjski Mostar: Karacic, Vranjkovic, Barisic, Dujmovic, Mamic; Djurasek, Savic, Abramovic, Ivancic, Mikic, Cuze

Subs: Bogdan, Sajko, Lagumdzija, Karacic, Juric, Sakota, Arapovic, Nalic, Surdanovic, Cavar, Memija, Majic

Oliver Glasner makes three changes to the Crystal Palace side that lost 3-2 to Burnley in the Premier League eight days ago, with Chadi Riad, Borna Sosa and Brennan Johnson replacing Jefferson Lerma, Tyrick Mitchell and Evann Guessand in the starting 11.

Crystal Palace: Henderson (C), Munoz, Richards, Lacroix, Riad, Sosa; Kamada, Wharton; Johnson, Sarr, Strand Larsen

Subs: Benitez, Matthews, Mitchell, Clyne, Canvot, Cardines, Hughes, Rodney, Devenny, Pino, Guessand

Holly Bacon
BBC Sport journalist

Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner has been speaking to the media before Thursday's Conference League play-off first leg at Zrinjski Mostar (kick-off 17:45 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Glasner said no players have returned from injury. Jefferson Lerma, who went off injured against Burnley, is expected to miss "about three weeks" and they hope to have Jean-Philippe Mateta back in the next "two or three weeks".

• The Palace boss also said Eddie Nketiah has "had a setback" and they "will miss him for a few more weeks".

• Glasner said "playing two legs is always about going to win the game", adding: "You see how the game is going. I don't like to enter the pitch and say a draw is fine. We want to play football, we want to score goals and we want to attack, but of course it's always important to have a good balance and to go to win the game."

• On their opponents: "We are here to win the game and show a good performance but Mostar are doing well. Normally they don't concede a lot of goals, or score a lot of goals - always tight results, especially in the Conference League."

• Glasner said he doesn't think Zrinjski will play very defensively and that they have respect for the Bosnian side: "They're always pressing high and creating a lot of chances when they press high, but if you break their press they're always defending with nine or 10 players around the box. Therefore we have respect for them."

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Tottenham, Crystal Palace and West Ham are among the clubs keen on signing Real Madrid's 32-year-old Germany defender Antonio Rudiger this summer. (Fichajes - in Spanish), external

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Alex Pewter
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

If Crystal Palace's victory at the Amex appeared to be the team getting back on track after a long winless run, then Wednesday's collapse against Burnley amounted to being signal failure at the very least.

You would expect any team to take three points from the position of being 2-0 up so early in the game, especially against a relegation candidate, and a win would have nestled the team happily in mid-table.

The reaction to the result was visceral. That was partly down to the scars of such a poor run of late and also the fact that Oliver Glasner's lame-duck status - regardless of people's individual view of the manager - does bleed into the thinking of plenty of fans.

Perhaps in this situation, ignorance would be bliss. Not knowing for sure that he is leaving at the end of the season would keep the focus on the present, whereas now any defeat or substandard performance is more likely to raise questions of his own motivation or his influence over the changing room.

Suddenly, that disastrous 10-minute spell against Burnley has cost the team more than just points.

Even if those opinions don't carry much water, you can see a situation where the pressure continues to mount until it isn't viable any more for the club. Which brings us on to Zrinjski Mostar, Thursday's European opponents.

Away from the Premier League and an almost must-win fixture against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday, the allure of winning the Conference League is probably underpinning the remainder of Glasner's time at Palace.

Only a few hundred fans will be travelling to Bosnia-Herzegovina this week, but it will be a critical moment for the season.

For as long as the team can stay in the competition, there are always greener pastures just over the horizon, with a vision of ending the season with yet another trophy.

Without that, it will be hard to keep making the case for the Austrian manager, even though we may want to.

Find more from Alex Pewter at FYP podcast, external