Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira plans ‘exciting’ end to the season after frustrating Man City
- Seb Sternik
- 14 March 2022
Crystal Palace have thrown a spanner in the works of the Premier League title race after holding Manchester City to a goalless draw.
The Eagles were continuously under the pump as the league leaders enjoyed 74% possession and produced 18 goal attempts.
Nevertheless, Patrick Vieira's men kept the defending Premier League champions at bay and even came close to stealing all three points themselves.
Speaking to Sky Sports, the Frenchman said: "It was tense from the first minute. I think the players managed a difficult situation really well.
"We conceded a lot of chances but our performance as a team was really good. You need a bit of luck as well - and we were lucky."
Vieira underlined the important role of Conor Gallagher who continuously frustrated the visitors in the middle of the park.
The Palace boss said: "Conor is full of energy and loves defending going forward. We wanted to use his energy to close down in the second half. He is really strong and managed to win a couple of balls.
"We knew we weren't going to have the possession so it was important for the midfield to be compact and tight. At times we did it really well.
"We wanted to force the ball wide and put pressure on it. We had a good game plan and the players executed it very well."
The draw keeps Crystal Palace in 11th place, just two points away from 9th placed Aston Villa, but still a massive 14 points behind the top six.
Despite this, Vieira hopes to give fans an exciting finish to the season, citing the club's upcoming FA Cup quarter-final against Everton.
He added: "We want to make the end of the season really exciting, win more games and finish as high as we can. And we are still in the FA Cup, it will be a massive game against Everton and if we manage to win that one it will be exciting to see how the season ends."
Palace take on the Toffees on Sunday, Match 20, at Selhurst Park.
