Oliver Glasner backs Eberechi Eze to find form, ambitious Crystal Palace look to 'reduce gap' to Manchester United

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Speaking exclusively to TNT Sports, Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner backed forward Eberechi Eze to quickly rediscover his form following a sluggish start to the Premier League season for both player and club. The Austrian also discussed the club's longer-term ambitions. The Eagles face Liverpool, live on TNT Sports and discovery+, in their next match.

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Oliver Glasner has highlighted the importance of Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi to Crystal Palace as the club look to turn around a slow start to the Premier League campaign.

The Eagles welcome table-topping Liverpool to Selhurst Park, live on TNT Sports and discovery+, eyeing what would be a first league win this campaign.

Sitting in 18th place at the start of the weekend, Palace have drawn three and lost three of their opening games, with Eze finding the target just once so far.

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Glasner remains unconcerned about his star man’s current dip in form and believes the forward has been unlucky, with his output not necessarily justifying the quality of his play.

“He always has chances,” Glasner told TNT Sports. “He always creates chances, he always has chances to score himself.

“He was really unlucky this season. He had chances for five or six goals at least.

“He can solve situations dribbling, he creates space for other players. He's so very important in our offence.

“He's a good guy, good character, so he tries his best. His biggest strength is threatening the defence, creating moments in offence. And therefore he is very important for us.”

After Glasner arrived at Palace to replace Roy Hodgson in February, he oversaw Eze hitting a rich vein of form in the final 13 games of the campaign, scoring six times from an xG of 4.26, laying on three assists from an xA of 3.12.

He also attempted 61 dribbles at an average of 6.09 per 90 minutes.

These numbers have dropped this season, however, with just one goal from 2.26 xG, no assists, 29 dribbles at 4.84 per 90 minutes, according to Opta.

Glasner is not fixated on the player’s numbers, saying there are no specific targets for Eze to reach, but rather focusing on how he plays and contributes to the team.

“No, it's just take it game by game,” he said. “What can improve in the positioning, maybe in some runs, to getting more moments, more chances again, maybe to finish earlier and different situations.

“How we can get him into more situations where he can finish, where he can have an assist, and this is what we're talking about, and then we will have good numbers at the end of the season, for sure.

A 'big sign' for Palace to hold on to Guehi

Another key player for Palace is Guehi, who performed fantastically for his club last season and starred as England reached the final of Euro 2024.

The defender’s displays caught the attention of Newcastle, with The Magpies reportedly making several bids to pry him away from Selhurst Park in the summer.

In the end, the player stayed and Glasner is delighted to still have him to call upon, despite his rising stock and heroics for his country perhaps impacting his Palace duties.

“Very important that Marc stayed, especially after we lost Joachim Andersen,” he admitted.

“I think Marc trained more with the English national team than with us, so he's more used to playing for England than for us, because at the end of last season, he was injured, and he had no preseason, playing, playing, playing [at the Euros], not really a lot of training so ... it's almost a new role for him.

“So it's, I think, a big sign for Crystal Palace to keep Marc, and it's also a big chance for him now too.

“I think many forget about his young age. He's just 24, to grow in his personality, to have more responsibility in defence, and because everybody knows about his talent. He's a fantastic player.”

Ambitious Palace aiming to ‘reduce the gap’ to Manchester United and Newcastle

Despite their current position in the league, Glasner insists on looking upwards and building on his positive start to life in south London.

The Austrian famously led Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt to UEFA Europa League glory in 2022 and qualification for the UEFA Champions League the following season, and remains as ambitious with Palace, despite the club’s standing.

The Eagles have never competed in one of Europe’s major competitions and last year’s 10th-placed finish was their joint-highest placing in the Premier League era.

Glasner, however, believes the club are heading in the right direction and has a vision to see Palace continue to climb the table as they attempt to close the gap to the top sides in England.

“Every club is different,” he said. “For example, in Frankfurt it is much bigger. I think in Frankfurt more than 600 employees. We [Palace] have close to 200 I think. And of course, you can feel this. You can see this in daily work.

“But the most important work is with the players, with the staff. And this is always the same, because they're always human, working with a lot of talent, let's say between 18 and 38, and in different stages of their career, in different moments.

“And then it's to build a group together that sticks together, that has a common way of playing, a common way of living, of working together. And this, everywhere, it's the same.”

Having opened a new, state-of-the-art training facility in 2021, Palace are set to redevelop the main stand at their Selhurst Park home, increasing capacity from 26,000 to more than 34,000.

Selhurst Park is set to be redeveloped

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Glasner is pleased the club are taking this step forward, and feels it will help them continue to establish their status as a force at the top level.

“I think it's the club made a big decision to extend the stand,” he said. “They know we have to increase the capacity of the stadium, to increase the revenues, to invest more, and then to be more competitive with the top teams, because this is what it needs.

“Here in England, you have many clubs with a lot of financial possibilities, and then it's to be competitive over years. It's not to be a one-hit wonder. And next is to be competitive over many years, you have to close the financial gap and then, yes, to work very consistent over years with the academy, with finding your own way, how you can compete with those teams.

“When the best finish is 10th, if you want to come close to Europe, you have to be seventh. In front of us last season was West Ham, it was Newcastle, it was Man United. They were eighth. It's not too easy to come closer to Man United. It's not too easy to come closer to Newcastle, but everybody in the club is working hard to reduce this gap. If we can reach it, achieve it this season? We don’t know, but let’s see.”

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