‘The mood is buzzing, the music is bouncing’ – Palace get their rewards

“The mood is buzzing, the music is bouncing and everyone is happy”.

Eddie Nketiah, the club’s star striker, said that after scoring his first Premier League goal for the club in the 4-1 win over Aston Villa on Tuesday.

After starting the season with a slow start, Palace have since turned around, winning just one of their first ten league games. They are currently on a run of just three defeats in 15 games.

They are 12th in the Premier League table, just eight points behind Manchester City, who are fifth after adding more games.

Manager Oliver Glasner stated, “We know that we can perform very well, and this is what we showed today.”

The Crystal Palace squad’s thrashing of Villa represented a significant moment, marking a number of milestones.

After suffering an injury in his first league game since October, England’s Adam Wharton, France’s Jean-Philippe Mateta, England playmaker Eberechi Eze, and Nketiah, who signed from Arsenal in the summer, scored their first Premier League goal since then.

Senegal forward Ismaila Sarr, meanwhile, scored two goals on his 27th birthday.

If they defeat London rival Millwall on Saturday, The Eagles will be in position to advance to the FA Cup quarter-finals. They are currently aiming for a second successive top-half finish.

“I believe that everyone who works hard gets paid,” said Glasner.

“We expected it and I mentioned it quite often that the start]of the season] would be quite bumpy. Pre-season not going in the perfect way, many players arriving late. The most crucial thing was that we worked hard and stayed together.

“I believe that now we can see the progress and development of individual players, the system, and the players’ knowledge of what we must do.”

One thing is theory, and the other is passing it on to the pitch, which they have done really well in the last few weeks and months.

Glasner was quick to point out, however, that just 10 days ago he was sitting in the same spot disappointed after a 2-1 home defeat by Everton.

Thomas Tuchel, England’s head coach, was present for the game, and Wharton’s midfield display will have won him over.

After only three months of Premier League football, the 21-year-old was so impressive in his first season that he was named in the England squad that reached the Euro 2024 final.

On Tuesday, Wharton scored three of the Palace goals, and his first-time forward passing soared throughout the contest.

We are aware of the strategies the gaffer has used, and if we stick to the plan, we are confident in our chances in every game we play. Wharton said.

After missing a few months, Glasner claimed that Wharton “adjusted so quickly to the pace of the Premier League again.”

With Tuchel scheduled to name his first England squad next month, the performance couldn’t have come at a better time.

Mateta is a player who will enjoy Wharton’s team-building and forward passing.

The Frenchman has scored eight Premier League goals in 2025 – the joint-most of any player in the competition alongside Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah.

Mateta, who scored 16 league goals last season, has 12 this campaign and is arguably the most improved player since Glasner arrived.

The attack’s focal point is him, and his much improved hold-up play allows players like Eze and Sarr to use him.