After just 27 minutes Crystal Palace’s evening, looked like it was about to turn into a disaster.
Despite taking the lead against Aston Villa through Eberechi Eze’s powerful header from a Daniel Munoz cross, Palace were dealt two significant blows.
First, Eze pulled up off the ball and signalled to the bench he needed to be replaced. As he lay on the turf, manager Oliver Glasner must have been cursing his misfortune at an injury to one of his most important players.
Only for things to get worse shortly afterwards. This time Adam Wharton was the cause of Glasner’s consternation. He too put himself on the turf and received treatment, a short assessment and was also removed from the pitch. Palace looked like they were in trouble.
Their two most integral players both forced off through injury. The score at that point was irrelevant, signalling a potential progression to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup that looked like it would carry a heavy cost.
Yet the news afterwards, as Palace conceded only to score again and earn a 2-1 win, was more comforting. Wharton’s injury was a continuation of the groin problem he has been managing since Euro 2024 in the summer but Glasner said he was “hopeful” the 20-year-old would be available to face Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.
The prognosis for Eze is more mixed. It is too soon to determine how serious his hamstring injury is, but the fact he was able to walk off unaided and without significant treatment seemed to be promising.
Eze receiving treatment for the injury that forced him off at Villa Park (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
So Palace’s victory has come at a cost, and a potentially fairly heavy one if Eze is absent for a significant period of time, and if Wharton’s pain prove to be something more significant than initially thought.
A quarter-final tie away against Arsenal does not suggest itself as one of the more winnable fixtures, especially given Palace’s struggles in the Premier League this season so far this season.
Glasner’s squad now becomes even thinner without Eze, and it was already small after his decision to trim it to just 20 senior outfield players. Palace are already without Jefferson Lerma with a hamstring injury which forced him off in Sunday’s 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur, with some hope he might return after the international break, while Cheick Doucoure has been absent since injuring his toe in the defeat by Leicester City.
There was concern over Ismaila Sarr after his efforts against Spurs but he was fit enough to play the final five minutes after being introduced from the bench.
However, for all the downsides to this victory, there is a considerable upside. The first is that they have recorded back-to-back wins for the first time this season. That can only help to build confidence and produce momentum.
The win against Villa has the potential to kickstart their campaign. What happens in the next round is largely irrelevant even if a win would be a further hefty boost to morale. It is what Palace take from this game that matters most.
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Glasner should play his regulars in the Carabao Cup – beating Villa could kickstart Palace’s season
Despite a few periods in which they were unsettled — perhaps inevitably after the changes — Palace moved the ball far better and played with a greater intensity and purpose than they have for much of this season.
“Going here with 14 players from the first team squad and four from the under-21s then winning it, scoring a fantastic goal with a high press, which was similar to the goal against Tottenham, and defending with a lot of desire and passion — I’m very proud of the performance,” Glasner said in his press conference after the game.
It bodes well that Palace have now started to find their rhythm with a more settled side. It is also promising that Daichi Kamada, who struggled initially and has failed to offer much since arriving on a free transfer from Lazio in the summer, was influential in the second half.
His winning goal was taken superbly and he played a perfect ball over the top for Eddie Nketiah to chase, only for the forward to be fouled. There was plenty of industry, too. The second half was by far his most effective in a Palace shirt.
“For him, it was difficult coming in after 15 minutes as a No 10 then 15 minutes later switching to the No 6 (and he lost) the ball before the equaliser,” Glasner said. “I talked to him at half-time and said, ‘Stay calm’. Sometimes it looks like he wants a bit too much, stay calm and he will score and he was excellent. A finish from the edge of the box is one of his strengths.”
It would be wrong to put too much emphasis on the result against a significantly weakened Villa side, but there were plenty of positives to take which ultimately outweigh the negatives — the injuries and the unfavourable draw, as well as putting further demands on an already thin squad. Progress in this competition should be welcomed.
(Header photo: Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
