Adam Wharton ends wait for first Crystal Palace goal, urged to add more | OneFootball

Adam Wharton finally opened his Crystal Palace account at Brentford, the first Premier League goal by a Palace midfielder under Oliver Glasner. It came after 80 attempts across 93 appearances.

Daniel Munoz carried the ball into the box and laid it to Wharton, whose low shot, dummied by Ismaila Sarr, squeezed through Caoimhin Kelleher’s arms. NY Times notes Glasner has urged him to play closer to the box.

Wharton celebrated with a backflip as away fans serenaded his parents and demanded five more years. In stoppage time he broke again under pressure but saw his effort blocked. At full time Will Hughes and Maxence Lacroix pushed him to salute the away end.

Glasner afterwards said it had felt only a matter of time, pointing to his status as Palace’s leading assist provider and a recent push to play higher. He cited chances against Shakhtar Donetsk and Everton from similar areas and hoped more might follow, while Palace’s holding midfielders remain primarily facilitators.

This finish had a slice of fortune with Kelleher unsighted, but it was controlled and timely. He now hopes to make Thomas Tuchel’s England World Cup squad on Friday, and while the coach’s mind is probably already made up, his regular call-ups suggest he stands a chance.

Source: NY Times