Crystal Palace's Enhanced Fitness Levels Drive Improvement In Premier League Performance

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Oliver Glasner attributes Crystal Palace's recent Premier League improvement to enhanced fitness levels. Initially, they secured only one win in 13 matches. However, after a 2-0 victory against Leicester City, they have suffered just one defeat in their last ten games. Their unbeaten streak on the road now stands at six matches, marking their longest since February 1992.

Glasner highlighted the challenges faced during the summer, which affected their early performance. He explained to TNT Sport that integrating 10 new players was tough, especially with limited pre-season time for many. "We had 10 new players in the dressing room [over the summer], with 12 players having a maximum of 10 days of pre-season and four players signed on deadline day," he said.

The team began training together only in mid-September, which delayed their progress. Glasner noted improvements in defence and consistency as players gained fitness. Mateta's participation in the Olympics meant he joined late, while others had more preparation time. "It just took time," Glasner remarked.

Marc Guehi has been instrumental in Palace's success, scoring all his Premier League goals from set-pieces. Five of these goals were scored away from home. Guehi expressed his happiness with the team's performance and praised Mateta's contribution: "He [Mateta] has been fantastic. He trains first class every day."

Leicester started strong but failed to capitalise on early chances, particularly through Jamie Vardy who missed several opportunities. Vardy attempted six shots but couldn't score, a situation he's encountered only once before in a Premier League match against Southampton in January 2021.

Ruud van Nistelrooy lamented Leicester's second-half performance when they conceded twice and managed only 0.64 expected goals (xG). He told TNT Sports: "I think the difference in performance from us was too big." Van Nistelrooy emphasised that Leicester should have scored first to gain momentum.

Calls for Unity at Leicester

Despite some fans expressing frustration towards the club's management, Van Nistelrooy urged unity as Leicester sits 19th in the league table. He stated: "In difficult times, we need to stay together." The manager stressed the importance of supporting both the club and team during challenging periods.

This season has seen Crystal Palace overcome initial hurdles to find form through improved fitness and teamwork. Meanwhile, Leicester faces challenges that require collective effort to navigate successfully.