Matt Thacker
With Crystal Palace just days away from a historic European final, you would be forgiven for thinking that was the only thing on supporters’ minds.
However, manager Oliver Glasner clearly had other ideas.
The Austrian named a near full-strength starting XI for Palace’s home clash against Everton, a decision that surprised many who expected heavy rotation.
But since arriving at Selhurst Park, Glasner has made his mentality crystal clear – every game matters.
Chairman Steve Parish has repeatedly reinforced that message, saying: “Oliver wants and believes he can win every single game.”
Despite the carnival atmosphere inside Selhurst Park, with supporters already dreaming of European glory, Everton threatened to spoil the mood early on. James Tarkowski silenced the home crowd when he powered the visitors into a 1-0 lead.
It was yet another set-piece goal conceded by Palace, an all too familiar problem this season.
But Palace responded through their star man.
Ismaïla Sarr levelled proceedings with his 20th goal in all competitions this season, continuing what has been a remarkable campaign. In doing so, Sarr became only the second Palace player in the club’s Premier League era to score 20+ goals across all competitions in a single season, joining Andy Johnson, who scored 21 in the 2004/05 campaign.
Palace then suffered the worst possible start to the second half when Beto restored Everton’s advantage to make it 2-1, threatening to dampen the atmosphere once again.
However, this Palace side has developed resilience under Glasner and Jean-Philippe Mateta ensured the points were shared when he struck to make it 2-2 in an entertaining finale.
Both teams had chances to win it in a thrilling, end-to-end contest, but in truth, a draw felt like a fair result.
An intriguing subplot to the afternoon was the presence of Thomas Tuchel in the stands. Naturally, much of the focus centred around goalkeepers Jordan Pickford and Dean Henderson, the two men likely to battle for England’s number one shirt heading into the World Cup.
Palace fans certainly made their feelings known.
Supporters singing to Henderson with chants of “England’s Number One”, before cheekily switching to “England’s Number Two” whenever Pickford was involved in play. Both goalkeepers responded impressively, producing big saves within moments of each other as they looked to catch Tuchel’s eye.
Yet perhaps Tuchel’s attention was not solely on the men in goal.
Tyrick Mitchell may not dominate headlines, but Palace’s left back has quietly put together an outstanding season, both domestically and in Europe. Another assist at the weekend followed his contribution in the European semi-final just days earlier.
And it is not just Mitchell’s attacking output that has improved; his all-round game has gone to another level.
Defensively, he has been exceptional. His work rate is relentless, his positioning intelligent and his ability to handle elite wide players could make him a valuable option for England.
With international football often decided by fine margins, having a disciplined defender capable of nullifying world-class wingers can be invaluable. England could find themselves facing the likes of Lamine Yamal, Michael Olise or Mohamed Salah, and Mitchell may be exactly the kind of selfless player willing to sacrifice personal glory for the team.
Palace now turn their attention to Man City midweek. Interestingly, this week is one year since the two sides met in the FA Cup Final. The stakes may be different this time around, but the match still carries major importance, particularly for City.