Ahead of the festive fixture, the Eagles manager also discussed the need to be efficient in front of goal; Bournemouth's strengths as a side; and how he and his players will find the time to celebrate the festivities this year...
The key quotes from Glasner's pre-Bournemouth press conference
Oliver Glasner says Crystal Palace must learn from their errors against Arsenal when they travel to face Bournemouth on Boxing Day (Thursday, 26th December, 15:00 GMT).
“It’s all about learning”
[I was critical on Saturday] about box defending, so it's not about the whole defence. I think in making pressure, pushing Arsenal back in their build-up, winning balls, we did very well.
Once, we had almost an empty net goal when Will Hughes slid in, I think, eight yards in front of their goal. In high pressure, defending in the midfield block, we did very well for a long part of the game, but we defended the box not good enough.
We see all their goals. Their players had two, three yards of space, and this kind of player, we can't give two, three yards because then they score from it. It was not that we were an underload or a tactical problem, so we were mainly at least the equal numbers or plus one, how we want to do it, but we have to mark the players closer.
This is what sometimes happens. You watch the ball and then the striker goes behind your back and you don't know where he is, and then the cross comes, and the cross comes perfectly, so that also means for us to mark them before the cross is delivered.
This is what we showed the players. It's all about learning. They always talked about it. When you play against the top teams in the Premier League, against the top teams in the world, you can learn a lot, and this is what we showed them, and this is what we will work on, of course.
“In any game there are key moments”
I think in any game there are key moments and especially, now we're talking about Arsenal, and it's not that Crystal Palace beats Arsenal every year, if we want to beat them and win against them, we have to be almost perfect in every part of the game.
We had 15 shots against them. It's really a high amount against their excellent defence, and also there were some big chances.
This is what we also see from the top teams. I think we had a great start into the second-half. We were close to scoring the second goal, being in the game again. And I think their first finish in the second-half was the 4-1 and game over.
This is what top teams are doing, and this is what we will try and the players always try. It's also not to criticise them. It's just to analyse the game, how it is, and that's why Arsenal are challenging for the Premier League title, and Crystal Palace are not.
“Bournemouth are very strong”
They’ve had a fantastic job from their manager [Andoni Iraola] and I also think the players, alongside Tottenham, they play at the highest intensity. They have the most pace, so much pace, in their attack.
In their midfield, they’re everywhere, and that's why they can play at that high intensity. They always make pressure. They can take off the right full-back and bring in a No. 6 as a full-back, so he needs to have pace, and he has, because he can play there.
They go very direct in behind, making all those runs in behind with [Antoine] Semenyo, with Evanilson, with [Justin] Kluivert, with [Dango] Outtara, and then if you defend it, sometimes then you block the crosses or the passes into the middle, then they get set-plays, and they are very strong also with set-plays.
Now, they’ve had five penalties and when look at how the penalties happen, it is always… I think [Manchester United’s Noussair] Mazraoui was just one half-a-step slower than Kluivert, the same against Wolves, because they have so much pace and they make these runs.
This is, I think, excellent work, how the team is sticking together, and excellent work from their manager and so they get the benefit.
I also think what they have really done well – and then it's over with all the praise for Bournemouth! – is they lost [Dominic] Solanke for a lot of money, but they replaced him with a top striker [Evanilson] from the Portuguese league from FC Porto. And this, I think, they did really well.
“The players can celebrate with their families”
Of course, we have to try focus on the games. We’ll train tomorrow morning, a bit earlier than usual, and then [the players] can go home again and celebrate with their families.
Then we travel in the evening to Bournemouth and sleep in the hotel there. This is what we have to find the mix.
But again, I told the players today. For all of us, as soon as you sign a contract in the Premier League, you know that you have to work on Christmas. It's just the schedule and it’s nothing to complain about.
I mention it quite often. I think we're still in a very privileged situation. I know many nurses. Many policemen, taxi drivers, waitresses, whatever… so many people have to work in the Christmas period so I think it's nothing to complain about.
We’ll just do the best of it and find some hours for the players where they can celebrate with their families, and this is what we did.
Match Details
- Thursday, 26th December
- 15:00 GMT
- Vitality Stadium
- Live audio commentary on Palace TV+