Crystal Palace special season is a term that fans are uttering with increasing confidence as the Eagles carry on with the most impressive campaign in the Premier League season since their inception. Their ascension to the top four following a hard-fought 2-1 at Fulham which was won by a late header by Marc Guehi has turned a reserved hope into a solid faith. Palace who have scored 26 points in their first 15 games, the highest number in any season in the Premier League season are not just pursuing Europe. In the unbelievable state of affairs, they are even basking in a dream of the Champions League.
Eddie Nketiah who scored the first in his 50th match appearance in the club summed it up with saying the sky is unlimited and manager Oliver Glasner was impressed by the togetherness that has continued to characterize this team. To begin with, he emphasized the group effort that has led to their recent success by noting that the will and solidarity of players have made them stand at a place where Palace fans could never dream existed.
Nonetheless, the hail is somewhat mixed with tension since only a week ago Glasner took the club to task publicly after the club became inactive in summer after it lost to Manchester United by a thin margin of 2 goals to 1. His contract is out of contract at the end of the season and the futures of such key players as Guehi and Adam Wharton are in question, as well the question arises: can Palace continue the momentum, retain their manager, and make this season truly a Crystal Palace special?
Glasner joined the club in February 2024 and altered the entire course of the club. Following impressive performances at Wolfsburg and Eintracht Frankfurt, he flew to south London and promptly proceeded to score two consecutive record Premier League points tally. Next was the historic FA Cup victory over Manchester City which was the first major trophy to the club.
This was the first time Palace would be taken to Europe despite the rule of being forcibly taken out of Europa League and into the Competition Leonid to the Conference League under the multi-club ownership. A Community Shield victory over Liverpool and it is understandable that pundits such as Jamie Carragher are saying he might have become the greatest manager in the history of the club.
Another predominant consideration is the conversion of the Selhurst Park into a fortress. At home, the league has not been beaten by any team until their defeat by United last week, and their road performance has been more spectacular. Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City are the only three clubs that were able to win more points on the road since Glasner took charge in March 2024.
However the season has also told about the European football burdening a small squad. The four league games after midweek European games have also been defeated. Glasner had no hesitation to mention due to the fact that the PS60m that had been made on the sale of Eberechi Eze could not be invested properly. Palace, in his opinion, had wasted the opportunity of even making the Crystal Palace special season even better.
This is a genuine issue with the limitation of the squad. In an interview with BBC sport, Shay Given acknowledged that the club needs to immediately cement the future of Glasner since he has done phenomenal work. But January will be critical. Having attracted huge offers, Guehi already admired by Liverpool and with his contract ending in a year can expect great offers. Wharton, an imperialist in the midfield, is sought after by a number of the Premier League suitors. Ismaila Sarr will be out of the Afcon soon when he is fit, and Jean-Philippe Mateta is a player that is ambitious, perhaps even too ambitious of the club. It is a team that is riding on a wave of success but is on the verge of enduring collapse.
And the question then arises whether Palace is strong enough to continue their momentum. Their first 6 credentials are obvious, but the Premier league is not merciful and a lean squad is enough to bring down even the most aspiring season. The cohesiveness that Glasner boasts of has got them this far, but stability, investment, and prompt action on the part of the ownership will spell the difference between this team being able to finish a Crystal Palace special season and see it slip away.
At this point, Palace fans are on a lifetime ride. A dream is there but one has to roll up his sleeves to guard his dream.
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