Stephen Warnock Highlights Pressing as Crucial to Crystal Palace’s Win

Stephen Warnock, a former Premier League defender, discussed Crystal Palace’s display against Tottenham on Sunday during an appearance on BBC Match of the Day. He remarked on the significant improvement compared to their previous game, stating: “It was a huge win and a huge difference in performance from the Nottingham Forest match. Against Nottingham Forest, it was 10 men behind the ball with no intent to press. Today was a complete difference.” Warnock further explained the team’s pressing strategy, noting: “It was all about triggers [in the press]. They pressed high up the pitch and once they won the ball back they were looking to look forward at every opportunity.” He observed that Crystal Palace consistently applied pressure whenever Tottenham attempted to advance. Warnock specifically praised [Daniel] Munoz and [Ismaila] Sarr for their “excellent” work on the right-hand side in executing this pressure, concluding it was “What a performance from Oliver Glasner’s team.” This scenario is not unprecedented for manager Oliver Glasner. During the 2021-22 season with Eintracht Frankfurt, his team had failed to secure a victory in their initial eight matches. Subsequently, they defeated Bayern Muninch in what was considered the season’s most significant game, ultimately proceeding to win the Europa League.