Report: Palace dispatch Burnley in winning start for Glasner

Summary:

• Palace unchanged for Glasner’s first game in charge
• Lerma sidefoots narrowly over the bar in first minute
• Eagles apply the early pressure at Selhurst
• Edouard effort blocked and Andersen strike saved from close range
• More Trafford heroics keep Edouard’s close-range header out
• Brownhill sent off on 35 minutes after hauling back Lerma
• Edouard clips the bar from resulting free-kick
• HT: Palace 0-0 Burnley
• Ayew and Lerma go close within a minute of the restart
• Palace apply further pressure but Trafford continues to impress
• França and Ahamada enter the fray for final quarter
• Ahamada tests Trafford moments after coming on
• Richards stoops to head home first goal of the Glasner era
• Ayew slides home Palace’s second moments later
• França then wins a penalty, converted by Mateta
• Fofana sees late Burnley consolation chalked off by VAR
• FT: Palace 3-0 Burnley

Glasner began his tenure in earnest by naming an unchanged starting XI from that which drew with Everton at Goodison Park, the only changes to his squad seeing Kaden Rodney and Luke Plange take their places on the bench.

The Austrian had spoken in his pre-match press conference about his desire to see his team play high-intensity football, and they duly came racing out the traps.

Jefferson Lerma, who had scored a screamer against Chelsea in Palace’s last outing at Selhurst, was inches from finding the top corner again after an inventive set-piece routine involving Jordan Ayew and Adam Wharton inside the opening seconds.

That intensity continued with Palace’s full-backs – Tyrick Mitchell and Daniel Muñoz – high throughout the half, and the Eagles’ back three showcasing their full long passing range to good effect.

After a succession of early crosses into the box nearly found Ayew and Jean-Philippe Mateta in good areas – and within the space of a minute, both Odsonne Édouard and Joachim Andersen, on his 100th Palace appearance, could have given their sides the lead, but both had a side-footed volley and toe-poked effort respectively blocked inside the box.

Nine corners for Palace in the first-half was a reflection of the one-way traffic inside the opening 45 minutes, and the sense inside Selhurst Park was certainly that a goal was coming.

Indeed, they could have had it after 28 minutes when Wharton’s hanging cross was met by a downwards header from Edouard at the far stick – but Burnley ‘keeper James Trafford, not for the first time, produced an impressive sprawling save with his body, moments before doing the same from Muñoz.

Then, on 35 minutes, an unexpected boost for Palace: a poor pass out from the back by Trafford fell straight to the feet of Lerma and, as he shaped to shoot from the edge of the box, Burnley’s Josh Brownhill had little choice but to haul him back for a clear red card.

From the resulting free-kick, Edouard stepped up and curled an excellent effort over the wall – but not quite with the required dip, as it clipped the top of the bar on its way over.

It was their final chance of the first-half, but they made a bright start following the restart, Ayew and Lerma both seeing close-range finishes blocked as the barrage of crosses into the Burnley box continued.

Trafford continued to prove the main barrier to Palace’s breakthrough – so, with a quarter of the game to go, Glasner looked to his bench, introducing Matheus França and Naouirou Ahamada for Wharton – on a yellow card – and Edouard.

Their impact was immediate, as Ahamada’s rising strike – beaten away at the near post by Trafford – led to the corner which, recycled via a fine curling cross from Ayew, saw Chris Richards, unmarked at the far post, stoop to head home his first Crystal Palace goal form close range.

The floodgates were opened – and the Palace goals poured fourth.

Moments after going ahead, França had his first Palace goal contribution, picking up the ball near the halfway line, exchanging passes with Mitchell and driving into the box. Closed down, he took a touch on the outside – and drilled the ball across the face of goal where Ayew was able to slide home.

The goal survived a VAR check for offside – and it was three just seconds after the restart, as França once again led a counter-attack, drove forwards and won a penalty from a late challenge by Vitinho inside the box.

Mateta stepped up to take it – and duly sent Trafford the wrong way from the spot, before wheeling away to celebrate with his trademark corner kick demolition.

Glasner’s era was in full flight, Selhurst Park jubilant – and even when Burnley thought they had pulled a goal back following a fortunate ricochet to David Fofana, the goal was ruled out after Lorenz Assignon stepped across Sam Johnstone’s path.

This was Crystal Palace’s day.

Palace: Johnstone (GK), Muñoz, Ward, Richards, Andersen (Tomkins, 90+1), Mitchell, Lerma, Wharton (Ahamada, 66), Ayew (Ozoh 90+9), Mateta, Edouard (França, 66).

Subs: Henderson (GK), Clyne, Rodney, Umeh, Plange.

Burnley: Trafford (GK), Assignon, O'Shea, Esteve, Taylor, Odobert, Brownhill, Berge, Gudmonsson (Cork, 90), Amdouni (Cullen, 36), Fofana (Rodriguez, 91).

Subs: Muric (GK), Manuel, Ekdal, Vitinho, Larsen, Delcroix.

As It Happened