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Crystal Palace have enjoyed a solid start to the season which could have been even better if a decision had gone their way against Sunderland.
Crystal Palace’s summer might have been a turbulent one, however, Oliver Glasner’s steady hand continues to steer the good ship Eagles in the right direction.
Unbeaten after four games in the Premier League and sitting in eighth place, the Selhurst Park outfit have every right to feel aggrieved about not being in the top six had a controversial refereeing decision gone their way against Sunderland.
Why Crystal Palace didn’t get a penalty against Sunderland
In an entertaining 0-0 draw, Palace had more than enough good chances to put the game to bed drawing a series of fine saves out of the Black Cats’ keeper and squandering clear-cut opportunities that, on another day, could easily have seen a comfortable victory. Had the deadlock been broken, this might have been the case.
Speaking to We Are Palace after the game, former Premier League whistler Mark Clattenburg has explained why he thinks it wasn’t given: “I would have been surprised if the penalty was awarded. Crystal Palace wanted a penalty, but I am not sure the contact was sufficient to award a penalty when two players were challenging for the ball in a split second.”
Oliver Glasner was also convinced that his side were hard done by in his post-match interview saying: “In the end, we have to accept the draw, if you don’t score, you don’t lose, but I think at the end, we had to get a penalty. It was a clear penalty, but we have to accept it.
“The VAR must have told the referee that the Sunderland player didn’t touch him, but for me, when I see the pictures, it looks like he touches him.”
Should Palace be looking up the table or over their shoulder?
Despite losing Eberechi Eze to Arsenal, Palace have still looked sharp in the final third with Daichi Kamada in particular looking sharp in and around the opposition box. Eze’s are big boots to fill, however, Wilfried Zaha and Michael Olise were every bit as important as Eze and the club continued to survive.
The importance of keeping Marc Guehi has been as influential as any new signing could have been at the other end of the park though with the skipper helping to marshal a defence that has lost just one goal in four games so far.
Liverpool might return in January, but the cost of losing the England international at any point during the season could be more expensive than what Palace might bring in to sell him.
It’s been a solid start to the season by Palace, what they need to work on now is just a little bit more composure when presented with the sort of chances that they created against Sunderland and there is no reason why they can’t aim for the European places. That, and getting a favourable decision or two.
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