Oliver Glasner says Crystal Palace will set out not merely just to preserve their unbeaten run in, but to win, Saturday's Premier League match against champions Liverpool at Selhurst Park.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference in front of the world's media, Glasner discussed the prospect of playing Arne Slot's Liverpool side four times in five months, after also being drawn to face them in the next round of the Carabao Cup.
The Manager was also asked about the Reds' strengths and weaknesses; his current squad's first full week in training; and the foundation of our current long-unbeaten streak...
I think we showed that we are competitive in the Community Shield, and also at the end of last season
—Oliver Glasner
When you go back two months and it's our fourth game [against Liverpool, including next month’s Carabao Cup tie] – because the last game of last season was at Anfield as well! Maybe we’ll get them a fifth time in the FA Cup! We experienced similar with Aston Villa last year.
Again, we're always looking forward to playing the champions. We want to compete. We want these challenges against the best teams.
Liverpool were the best team last year because they won the league. But I think we showed that we are competitive in the Community Shield, and also at the end of last season.
This is what we want to show again tomorrow: that we are competitive and, then, let's see how the game is going.
I don't know [where we will finish this season]. I never know. But I think we are playing very consistently on this high level. It's not just these five games at the beginning of the season. I'm always shown many statistics, many data. Even in 2025, I don't know exactly, but we are top six in the Premier League.
For me it's important that we are always talking about what we can improve. When we are analysing our games, we see we are doing many things really well. There is a lot of confidence, there is a lot of trust in the players among each other. Everybody knows exactly what to do. But we know that we are still with many things to improve.
When we think how often we come into good situations in the final third and then, also, what's the output? I was told that we have the third highest xG after five league games. We still feel, and when we are watching back our games, that we could have created more chances, and that's now to work on it and show the players, supporting them, encouraging them, training.
We had a full week of training. It was really great. Even when we gave the internationals three days off, because we are now counting and it looks like they have now 16 consecutive weeks playing three games, so then they needed time to rest.
We started on Tuesday again, but from Wednesday we had a week. We could do tactical training with the new players. It was the first week training together with this squad, and it was really great.
Should they avoid defeat against Liverpool tomorrow, Palace would equal the club’s record unbeaten run of 18 matches in all competitions, attained in August 1969,
I don't care about it. Last year we had the worst start in the Premier League in Crystal Palace history – and at the end, we had a points record!
I don't care about records. Of course, it's always better having positive records than the other way. But, of course, I told the players that the approach is not to stay unbeaten. The approach is to win the game.
If it's a draw at the end, we have to accept it. But we always want the best, and the best is winning the game. We will give our best to achieve it. But, of course, I know there is an opponent who tries to avoid this, and that's why football is so interesting!
I think our foundation is our defensive consistency. We are really doing well as a team, not just the back three or the keeper. We know if we need the keeper, we have the keeper. If we know we need the back three, we have the back three available.
But it's also our wing-backs, our midfielders, our tens, our striker, JP, how hard they are all working to do their job in our defence. And on the other side, we always show that we are able to create chances and score goals from possession, like it was at West Ham; from set-plays as well at West Ham; transition like it was at [Aston] Villa.
We know we are able to create chances and to score goals, and when you have this proven over many months, this gives confidence to the team. Even if maybe, like it was again at West Ham, after the equaliser for 15 minutes, we were struggling a little bit, it was not our best performance.
But we always know that we are able to get the turnaround and be back in the game again and be able to play forward and create chances, and this is what helps us to stay patient in the game, to stick to our plan, to stick to our principles – and I think all this, it's not just pressing one button or two, it's a development over months, and now we all get the reward.
But on the other side, it doesn't mean because things happened in the past, that this will always be in the future, and that's why we always have to try to improve. It's the best thing to stay at least on the same level, but we always want to achieve and reach the next level.
It’s a team with so many great players and a fantastic coach. Huge respect for Arne Slot, coming first season into the Premier League and winning the title.
They want to come through the pocket, with [Alexander] Isak, with [Dominik] Szoboszlai, with [Alexis] Mac Allister, all these players understanding the space. And if you don't give them the pocket, they have great 1v1 players on the wing, with [Mo] Salah, with [Cody] Gakpo.
And also they are doing so well in set-plays, with [Virgil] Van Dijk, who scored the game-winner against Atletico at the end, and also clear structure, so I think it's not just saying it's this or that.
On the other side, what they proved, especially in this season, is that they always –a little bit similar to how we are – they always believe until the final whistle that they can win the game. I think they have five or six late goals where they could get the win. And so, yeah, I think it's the quality, the structure, and, of course, their attacking threat.
They [Isak and Hugo Ekitike] have a similar profile, yeah: huge pace, great runners, great feeling when to run into the space and goal scorers. They both scored against Southampton.
And Alexander Isak showed it the last year, and especially the last year with Newcastle, he’s just a good striker. He knows where to move and is a great finisher.
But JP is doing well as well!
Glasner was asked how he sees tomorrow’s game panning out in terms of comparisons with last month’s Community Shield win against Liverpool at Wembley.
I think both teams play similar, because Arne Slot has his way of playing, and we have our way of playing. So we watched this game back, and we're pretty sure they did the same, to find weaknesses in our defence, and we will try to find weaknesses.
We will know exactly where their threat is, how they want to play, how they are attacking. But it's not just to defend. We're always looking for our chances. Where are the weaknesses of the opposition?
We scored two goals against them, and this is now to show the players again where we think we can have our chances to create chances and score goals. And on the other side, of course, we need the foundation again that we can control their attacking line.
It will be a great challenge.
Crystal Palace v Liverpool
