While many a manager has been guilty of treating the EFL Cup like a distraction they don’t need, a second-round clash with Norwich City may have been seen more as an opportunity for Oliver Glasner and Crystal Palace.
An opportunity to bounce back after successive defeats to start the new Premier League season. An opportunity to boost the confidence, rack up the goals, and bed in some of their new signings.
Hammering Norwich 4-0 at Selhurst Park, things suddenly look that little bit rosier in Crystal Palace’s garden, second-tier opposition or not.
Captain Marc Guehi looked assured and focused at centre-half despite all the speculation swirling around him. Daichi Kamada announced himself as a Palace player with one well-taken goal and an assist to boot.
Jean-Philippe Mateta got off the mark with a fabulous overhead kick. There was some minutes too for Cheick Doucoure, the influential midfielder stepping up his return after eight months on the sidelines.
And while Sam Johnston closes in on a move that will see him leave Crystal Palace for Wolverhampton Wanderers, per The Athletic, it was another Eagles shot-stopper who stood tall between the sticks to set up a third-round clash in September.
Crystal Palace beat Norwich as Dean Henderson shines
Dean Henderson denied Norwich an instant equaliser after Kamada opened the scoring in the first-half.
Even better was still to come, the England international keeping out two Canaries players with a fabulous double save when the game was still competitive.
And, for Norwich coach Johannes Hoff Thorup, the frustration is that things could have been oh-so different had Henderson not been in such rock-solid form.
“We gave it a try. I’m always disappointed losing games,” Thorup says at his post-match press conference, via the Pink ‘Un on YouTube.
“He did some good saves. Some brilliant stuff, particularly in two situations of the game where we could have bounced back and scored a first goal to (make it) 1-1.
“And them, of course, straight after the second goal. He did well. And that’s why he plays in the Premier League.”
A £20 million signing from Manchester United in the summer of 2023, Henderson had a rather mixed first season in South London.
This, however, was a performance which should act as a reminder of why Henderson had forced his way into the England reckoning while briefly establishing himself as United’s number one under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a few years back.
Oliver Glasner hails goalkeeper’s role in EFL Cup win
“A perfect evening. The boys are delighted. We talked about flicking the switch today, and we did that in good style,” Henderson tells the Palace website.
“That’s my job, and it’s nice to make a few saves. I’ve been starved of it and I’m delighted. You’re searching for that great save just to get you going into the season, and I managed to do that tonight.
“I had some opportunities to make them and I was delighted. The boys are very confident in there and we’ve just got to build the momentum and put a run together.”
Glasner was equally thrilled, though things could still get worse before they get better for a Palace side who may lose Guehi to Newcastle United before the window closes this week.
“We had a great start into the game with a brilliant goal (from Kamada),” says the former Eintracht Frnakfurt boss, also highlighting the starring role played by his goalkeeper.
“We could see that we still had not too much confidence. We made two or three easy mistakes and they were dangerous in transitions. We had a great save from Dean.”
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