Jo Potter believes Crystal Palace Women must find a way to begin matches with greater intensity after they drew 1-1 away at Aston Villa.
The Palace manager felt the first half fell well short of the team’s standards, drawing comparisons with the previous week’s stalemate against Birmingham City. She said her side improved after the interval, but only fully settled into their approach after Villa took the lead.
Potter was encouraged by Palace’s late pressure and felt they could have gone on to claim all three points. However, she stressed that the team must generate its own confidence and momentum instead of allowing opponents to control long spells of possession.
Abbie Larkin provided the response Palace needed, producing an excellent equaliser in the 74th minute. Potter praised the forward’s display and identified her threat as an important asset, while also highlighting the need for the team to find her more often and for the young player to maintain her effectiveness consistently.
Palace now face a short international break before returning to action against West Ham at home on Sunday, 18th October. Potter views the pause as an opportunity for the squad to recharge and work on individual details, with a demanding run of fixtures awaiting them when they return.
