Hughes on performance - and THAT effort - against Alkmaar
Will Hughes says Crystal Palace’s control of the game without the ball was a key aspect of their ultimately comfortable 3-1 win over AZ Alkmaar on Thursday night.
“An overall brilliant performance and great result against a strong team,” was the midfielder’s view on the game, speaking to Palace TV.
“I thought we started quite poorly, especially with our pressing. But credit to them, they're a good technical team. They moved the ball well and it took us a bit of time to get into the rhythm.
“But after the first 10 or 15 minutes, we created plenty of chances and deserved the win in the end.”
The second-half saw Palace suffer a brief scare when – 2-0 up going into the interval – Alkmaar pulled a goal back, but Ismaïla Sarr struck again moments later to restore the two-goal lead.
With there being plenty of substitutions on both sides in the second period, chances proved rarer after the break, with Hughes stating: “I wouldn't necessarily say it was dominant in the second half. I think we controlled the game without the ball, which you can do, which we're very good at sometimes.
“The lads are playing every three days, so there's bound to be a bit of tiredness creeping in. But it shows the strength in depth we have that we can make changes and give players that deserve a few minutes a chance.”
It's a learning curve for us, and the quicker we do that, the further we'll go
—Will Hughes
The tests continue to come thick and fast for Palace, with another quick turnaround as Palace prepare to host old rivals Brighton & Hove Albion at Selhurst Park on Sunday afternoon.
Hughes said of the fixture list: “We just get on with it.
“There's such a big emphasis on recovery now. We've barely trained recently. It's just more about recovery. But it's part of the game now. Mentally, you have to go again.
“I think we've been very good with that. A lot of teams have struggled in the Premier League when they've been playing European football. And it's a first for us, so we have to adapt.
“It is brilliant, [playing in Europe] under the lights here. European football is fantastic. It’s a slightly different game to the Premier League in terms of what you get away with, et cetera, but we have to adapt quickly to that!
“It's a learning curve for us, and the quicker we do that, the further we'll go in this competition.”
He might have been one crossbar’s height away from winning November’s Goal of the Month competition – but did Hughes ever his spectacular half-volley was going in?
“No,” was the jovial reply.