OLIVER Glasner said he was “proud” after Crystal Palace held in-form Aston Villa to a goalless draw at Selhurst Park – despite having only “twelve-and-a-half fit players”.
Unai Emery’s Villa came to South London having won twelve of their previous thirteen games in all competitions.
Palace, meanwhile, started without key players Chris Richards, Daniel Munoz, Jefferson Lerma, Daichi Kamada and Ismaila Sarr.
“It was a very good point today and really I give credit to the players,” Glasner told Palace TV. “I’m very proud of every single player on the team. Because of all the circumstances [and] playing here against maybe the most in-form team in the Premier League.
“And then getting this well-deserved point.
“I think everybody could see and feel that in the first half especially, we didn’t have a lot of confidence.
“I think our fans were surprised that we had so little confidence. But then they helped us and pushed us, so we could get back into the game in the second half. It was a very good performance.
“The game could have gone either way honestly, but for me it’s a very important point and a well-deserved point.”
Glasner added: “We had twelve-and-a-half players today. Because Chris Richards just had yesterday’s training session and that was the first time he was wearing his boots in the last two weeks.
“To then make so much pressure like we did in the second half, that makes me proud.
“We didn’t feel anybody was fatigued and it was really great to see. And then of course you could see that, in these 20 minutes, football is a game of momentum very often, and we had it.
“That would have made it easier [to score], but we missed a few chances.
“But again, the effort, the togetherness and how we worked into this game today was really great to see. And that’s why this point gives me again a lot of confidence for the upcoming month.”
Brennan Johnson made his first Selhurst Park appearance and forced Emiliano Martínez into an early save.
“It felt amazing,” Johnson said. “From the start of the game to the end, I thought the crowd were incredible.
“[Playing here] is something I’m really excited to do more and more, because I think when it got tough tonight, they really kept us going. Massive credit to the fans – a midweek game, late kick-off, and they really turned up for us tonight, so a massive thank you.
“I think everyone’s made me feel so welcome I think since the first second, so I couldn’t have asked for a better welcome from everyone.
“Now I feel like, after two games, I feel like I’m getting used to the way that we play. I know it’s going to take time, because there are some positions that aren’t that natural to me.
“The longer it goes on, the more I’m going to love it, I’m sure, so a massive thank you for everyone making me feel so welcome.”
