Adam Wharton feels that Crystal Palace made significant progress by starting their Europa League journey with a convincing 4-0 victory against 10-man Lech Poznan on Thursday.
Following a challenging start to the Premier League season under new manager Pierre Sage, with only one win from their first four matches, Palace showcased a strong performance at Selhurst Park, particularly in the first half.
In the 10th minute, Yeremy Pino opened the scoring after seizing on a poor throw-in from Terry Yegbe and sliding the ball past Mateusz Lis from within the penalty area.
Just 17 minutes later, Chris Richards extended Palace’s lead when he directed a header from a Wharton corner into the far corner of the net, but the team’s scoring didn’t stop there.
Pino was fouled inside the box by Radoslaw Murawski, leading to Jorgen Strand Larsen converting the resulting penalty kick into the top-left corner, bringing the score to 3-0 within the first 34 minutes.
Murawski received a second yellow card three minutes from the end, allowing Eddie Nketiah to capitalize on their one-man advantage and seal the score at 4-0.
With this win, Palace has claimed six victories in their last seven matches in major European competitions (with one loss), including their last four in a row. This 4-0 triumph marks their largest victory on the European stage, as Wharton hopes the Conference League winners can build on this momentum.
“There’s still a lot of improvement needed; it’s early in the season and we have many new signings. We’re working to blend quickly,” Wharton shared with TNT Sports. “Our start has been slow, but tonight was a positive step. There were moments where we could defend better, but definitely progress.”
“The manager emphasizes an attacking mindset, urging us to push forward. In training, we focus on these sequences, and there were instances tonight where we executed one-touch plays effectively. It’s encouraging to see that starting to come together.”
“When we attack, we engage the crowd, and in matches like these, that support can propel us forward.”
“Last season was a learning curve for many players. The game in this competition differs from the Premier League, especially in intensity. This experience will only be beneficial for us moving forward.”
There’s your Palace. pic.twitter.com/j2dMJTt1US
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) September 17, 2026
Palace has managed to maintain clean sheets in four of their last five home fixtures in major European competitions, remaining unbeaten in their last seven European outings at Selhurst Park (5 wins and 2 draws).
They were three goals ahead by halftime in a home match for just the third time in the past decade, having previously achieved this against Norwich City in December 2021 and West Ham in April 2024, both in the Premier League.
However, domestically, the team has faced struggles, currently sitting in 16th place with only three points after last weekend’s 3-2 loss to promoted Ipswich Town.
Despite this, the win against Poznan boosted the confidence of Sage’s squad, particularly for Strand Larsen, who increased his total goals across all competitions to four in six matches. He also converted his first penalty since his time at Wolves, where he had missed his last two attempts for club and country.
“After missing two penalties, I knew I had to be decisive. I hit it harder than I intended, but it felt great,” Strand Larsen stated to TNT Sports. “Yeremy is like a brother to me and perhaps he deserved to take it, but I needed to redeem myself. We all want to impress the fans.”
“When things click, they really work well. We could have scored more tonight. We had last Sunday’s disappointing game weighing on our minds.”
Fan Take: This victory is crucial for Crystal Palace as it revitalizes their momentum in European competition and could signal a turning point in their season. For fans of soccer, it’s a reminder of how quickly fortunes can change in football, offering hope for domestic improvement in addition to their European successes.
Source: www.soccernews.com
