Wharton: We allowed Everton to gain the momentum
Adam Wharton was left frustrated that Crystal Palace let slip the momentum they had built up against Everton, eventually coming out on the wrong side of a late 2-1 defeat on Merseyside.
For the majority of the match the Eagles were the dominant side and looked set to end a long run without a win in Sunday’s fixture, but two late goals turned the match on its head and saw Palace suffer an unfortunate defeat following a 19-game unbeaten run in all competitions.
“Obviously we know Everton are a top team,” Wharton told Sky Sports. “They’ve got some top players and when they're at home, if they get the crowd behind them, they're very difficult to play against.
“I thought the first 60-70 minutes we played very well, dominated the game. We had a lot of chances to put the game to bed, but we didn't. And then I think we sort of brought it upon ourselves. A few sloppy mistakes on the ball… maybe we thought we were comfortable.
“They sort of gained momentum, the crowd got behind them, and then it's always a difficult battle against them.”
Wharton said Palace’s midweek European travels were not in their thinking after the defeat, noting: “We made a few subs, and we can't be putting it down to playing on Thursday. This is what our whole season is going to look like.
“We've got four competitions to play in, so we're going to be playing a lot of games. We can't be making excuses, saying we played on Thursday.
“We've got three days to recover. We've got 90 minutes to work hard and grind out a result. I don't think we can put it down to that. It’s just frustrating.”
As for his side’s recent run of results, he explained: “For me, personally, the unbeaten run is irrelevant. This is football. You go into every game wanting to win. We don't want to lose or draw every game.
“Especially when you're on the pitch, you're not thinking about that. You're just thinking about, in the moment, how to win the game that you're playing.
“It's over now. People will probably stop talking about it. It might put a bit of pressure off some of the players if they're feeling it. But, yeah, we're going into the next game with exactly the same mindset [to win].”
Everton’s Jack Grealish – who scored the matchwinner and received the Player of the Match trophy – said in his Sky Sports interview that he felt Wharton was a more worthy recipient, and the Palace man duly said: “I worked hard. I try and give my best for the team every single game to try and help us win. That's what I try to do every single game.
“Jack's a top player. He's obviously kicked on since he moved here. He played well and scored the winning goal, so it’s a good game from him.
“I'm not too fussed about any award. I just want to win every game. Unfortunately we didn’t do that.”