Crystal Palace rubbed salt into Tottenham Hotspur’s gaping wound last time out in the Premier League as Oliver Glasner’s side thrashed Igor Tudor’s miserable hosts 3-1.
The soon-to-be-departing manager will appease many supporters with the overwhelming nature of the win in north London, although Glasner has been experiencing his own managerial difficulties at Selhurst Park in recent days as Eagles fans called for the Austrian’s premature exit.
Palace fans will be keeping a close eye on Ismaila Sarr at the moment, as the former Watford attacker continues to shine for the Eagles two seasons after his move from Ligue 1.
Sarr’s performance at Crystal Palace this season
Had it not been for Sarr’s fast-break double against a sparse Spurs defense after Micky van de Ven was sent off, the visitors might not have been able to earn an extra man advantage.
The 28-year-old’s magical two goals in 12 minutes of the first half sealed the match and gave the Eagles a deserved victory. Sarr has scored a massive seven goals in the Premier League this season, playing just 1,640 minutes.
The level-headed No. 7 continues to play with ice running through his veins for his south London employers, and the £12.5 million transfer fee paid by Palace to bring him back to England after a short stay at Marseille stood out as a great bargain.
After scoring up to 25 goals and 10 assists overall at Selhurst Park, and scoring twice against Tudor & Co., Sarr’s estimated transfer fee has now soared to £30m according to Transfermarkt, a significant increase of £17.5m from his bargain price in 2024.
But while Sarr has undergone such a wild transformation and has captivated Palace fans far and wide this season with his sublime attacking performances, there is another man in Glasner’s camp who is more highly rated than the £30m superstar and who is attracting just as much attention.
Crystal Palace star deserves more than Sarr
Sarr wasn’t the only Palace player Spurs found difficult to contain on Thursday night, as Adam Wharton delivered two assists in a dominant performance from the center of the park.
Alongside his impressive performances for England, Jorgen Strand Larsen continues to look unfettered in the red and blue of Palace, having left bottom side Wolverhampton Wanderers for a new opportunity in south London in January.
Strand Larsen, who scored 20 goals at Molineux and was branded a “tremendous” attacking talent by former Wolves manager Vitor Pereira, hasn’t looked back since moving to London from the West Midlands and his effort beat the erratic Guguilemo Vicario to give Palace a 2-1 lead against Spurs.
This takes the Norwegian to an impressive three goals in seven games for the Eagles, as he looks to make his club-record £48 million price tag worth every penny.
Ideally, Palace would have won the former Leeds United target’s services for a cheaper fee, given that Strand Larsen arrived in his new surroundings with just one goal this season.
In fact, this season has been particularly difficult for the centre-forward, but he is finally starting to find his form again, accumulating an impressive 14 goals in the 2024/25 season.
He hasn’t quite reached those heights in London yet, but there’s no doubt he’s proving every bit worth his fancy price tag, even if Transfermarkt suggests the Eagles overpaid for his services.
Crystal Palace – Top Rated Player | |
|---|---|
player | value |
Adam Wharton | £52m |
Jean-Philippe Mateta | £34m |
Jorgen Strand Larsen | £34m |
brennan johnson | £30 million |
ismail saar | £30 million |
Worth around £4m more than Sarr, it speaks volumes of Strand-Larsen’s qualities that the only player more valuable than the resurgent striker is the impressive Wharton, who could be on the move for a big fee in the summer.
It’s certainly fair to say he’s a better fit for Palace than Wolves, a fact the forward outlined after the win against Spurs.
Speaking on Full Time, he said he was “really happy” under Glasner and noted how the players around him have made a big difference.
A subtle dig at Wolves? Quite possible. Either way, Steve Parrish and others will be happy to have gotten this over the line.
Crystal Palace strike gold with £13m star player worth more than Munoz
Glasner founded a title-winning Crystal Palace team that featured a wide range of top talent.
