After midweek setbacks, Palace’s players responded magnificently, giving Roy Hodgson’s team a memorable victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford.
In the Carabao Cup, Palace lost their match on Tuesday, but in the Premier League on Saturday, they triumphed 1-0 thanks to a very different effort.
“I’m most happy about the way the team played today, and I’m so pleased for the players,” Hodgson said in his explanation.
“It wasn’t easy coming up here for the second time in a few days, but what gives me the greatest joy is the performance we gave, the hard work we put in, and the defense we played for the entire ninety minutes.
“I felt we placed players under a lot more pressure on the ball because of the shape and pressure we applied right away, in contrast to the other night—which, to be fair, had a very different side. Their inability to complete the passes they were making against us on Tuesday was due to Casemiro dropping deep, which made it simpler for our defenders to stop them.
“We maintained a high level of performance and didn’t falter. We had courage. The midfielders and the back players closely followed the offensive players as they applied pressure.
“It’s not complicated science.” The majority of coaches who visit this place will be hoping for exactly that kind of performance because they know that when they play teams like Manchester United at stadiums like Old Trafford, if you’re open, have gaps in your defense, and are not compact, they’ll get into those areas and score goals because of the caliber of players they have.
“In my opinion, the players deserve all the credit, possibly as a result of how disappointing Tuesday was for us. We arrived in the hopes of making progress in the Carabao Cup. We were essentially thrown out of the game, therefore we give the guys even more credit for their performance today.
As a result of the outcome, Hodgson became the first visiting manager in Premier League history to win three straight games on the field while managing the same team, and he also became the second manager, behind Pep Guardiola, to avoid losing five straight games at Old Trafford.
Leave a Reply