Brutal ending but Crystal Palace are growing under Patrick Vieira

PA
Jack Rosser @JackRosser_28 September 2021

What may hurt Patrick Vieira more than anything after last night’s “brutal” end to their clash with Brighton is the superb performance that was undermined by their late lapse.

Vieira is trying to do so much in so little time after succeeding Roy Hodgson this summer and, for the most part, last night was an exhibition of that work.

The Frenchman has been tasked with integrating a raft of new signings into a system unfamiliar to the group — and one with which comes plenty of risk.

For 94 minutes last night, it looked like those risks would be delivering a sweet reward until victory was snatched away in the dying seconds by a Neal Maupay leveller in the fifth minute of added time.

“It is brutal,” said Vieira after the 1-1 draw. “We scored before half-time and then, in the second half, they did not create many chances.

“And then we conceded that goal at the end. It is brutal and I am really sorry for the players. They worked hard to get that win. To concede a goal like that is brutal.”

It was a horrible end for Palace but, perhaps, an avoidable one. The home side had exerted such control over the most part of this contest by playing aggressive, front-foot football but dropped off late on, allowing Brighton to up the ante.

There were also late lapses in concentration from Vicente Guaita, whose poor free-kick was low and sent straight to Joel Veltmen, whose first-time ball over the top set up Maupay. Marc Guehi could also have done more to stop that pass reaching its target.

“The last 20 minutes we went a bit backwards,” added Vieira. “We did not put enough pressure on the ball. But even if they tried the long ball, we defended really well. Those kind of mistakes we have to improve [on] them.”

The ending left a bitter taste and tempers flared as James McArthur and Brighton goalkeeper Robert Sanchez squared up to one another at the final whistle.

Action Images via Reuters

In the main, however, it was another night where this Palace group showed that they are capable of playing the type of football Vieira, the fans and the Palace board want to see implemented.

In the last meeting between these two rivals at the Amex Stadium, with Palace under the more pragmatic Hodgson, Christian Benteke capped a smash-and-grab performance with the winner in the fifth minute of injury-time, the Eagles managing just two touches in the opposition box. This time, Palace went in search of all three points in a vastly different manner.

The hosts were at Brighton from the off, pressing high, with plenty of energy in midfield. Conor Gallagher, the midfielder on loan from Chelsea, epitomises what Vieira is trying to do. The England Under-21 international is something of a throwback; all action at both ends and a constant driving presence who looks to make things happen around the opposition’s box. It was his darting run that won the penalty from which Wilfried Zaha gave Palace their deserved lead in first-half added time.

“His energy and what he gives to the team is amazing, as well as his quality,” Palace captain Luka Milivojevic said of Gallagher. “He can give you a mix of everything, so [we are] very pleased to have him in the team.”

Getty Images

Guehi and Joachim Andersen, another two new additions, were commanding at the back for the most part and are forming quite the partnership.

Anyone in need of a sign of the changing times at Selhurst Park can look to the moment on the hour mark, when Guehi was attempting an overhead kick before Andersen pushed forward down the right, looking to find his defensive partner at the near-post.

A Hodgson team this is not. Palace did not end the night with the result they wanted nor, arguably, deserved, but any early-season concerns over Vieira will vanish entirely if that performance is repeated.

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