Crystal Palace began a demanding sequence of fixtures with a 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest, a result fan and content creator Ollie Thomas believes could prove important for the club's season.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Thomas said Palace had benefited from fortune during the match and allowed Forest too many opportunities, but he welcomed the attacking return that delivered three goals. The victory followed a draw at Leeds and gave Palace four points from the two matches.
Thomas viewed the Forest result as a valuable platform for the challenges ahead. Palace are due to face Lyon on Thursday evening at 17:45 BST before taking on Brighton, and he said the win provided both breathing space and confidence before the latter fixture, in which he considers Palace the underdogs.
The supporter also felt the result could benefit Pierre Sage and improve the team's standing with fans. He described beating Oliver Glasner as particularly significant, calling Glasner Palace's greatest-ever manager while acknowledging the excitement generated by the football under the current setup.
However, Thomas identified Palace's defence as the team's biggest unresolved issue. He said he was uncertain about the answer at the back and backed Jaydee Canvot to operate at left centre-back, describing him as Palace's best defender and one of their most valuable assets.
