Crystal Palace captain Adam Wharton described the 4-0 victory over Lech Poznan as an important boost after a slow start to the campaign, while stressing that the team still has work to do.
Speaking to TNT Sports, Wharton said Palace are still adapting to a number of new signings and are attempting to build their understanding quickly. He felt the performance represented progress, although he acknowledged that the Eagles need to become more disciplined defensively.
Wharton also highlighted the attacking demands of the manager’s approach. Palace have been working on patterns of play in training, and the midfielder was encouraged by the one-touch combinations on display against Lech Poznan. He added that the atmosphere at Selhurst Park helped drive the team forward once they began playing on the front foot.
The Palace captain said the experience gained from last season’s European campaign should benefit the squad this time around. He also played down thoughts of a possible England call-up, explaining that his attention is currently on Palace’s schedule, with matches arriving every three days, although he admitted selection would be a significant honour.
Striker Jorgen Strand Larsen scored from the penalty spot after missing his previous two attempts. He said he felt he had to take responsibility, while describing the finish as a risky effort that went higher than expected. Larsen also revealed that Yeremy was willing to take the penalty, but joked that he needed one after his recent misses.
Larsen added that Palace could have won by an even wider margin and said Sunday’s fixture had remained in the players’ thoughts. The result extended Palace’s unbeaten European run at Selhurst Park to seven matches, while they have now kept clean sheets in four of their last five home games in major European competition.
Palace were also three goals ahead at half-time in a home match for only the third time in the past decade, following earlier examples against Norwich City in December 2021 and West Ham United in April 2024. The club have converted their last eight penalties in all competitions, excluding shootouts, since Jean-Philippe Mateta’s failure from the spot against AZ in the UEFA Conference League in November 2025.
