Sarr goal for Crystal Palace elates manager Glasner

Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has revealed how they planned in training to score the goal which Senegal forward Ismaïla Sarr did to help his side defeat Brighton in a Premier League fixture on Sunday.

The Senegal forward’s clinical finish after being picked out by debutant Evann Guessand, along with an outstanding defensive display from the Palace back line, proved enough to secure Palace’s first win of 2026, end a nine-game winless league run.

 

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Ivory Coast international Guessand seized onto a loose Brighton ball in midfield, drove forwards and – lifting his head – spotted Sarr making a run from the right, outside-to-in, straight through the heart of the Brighton defence.

Sarr hammered the ball high

Guessand produced a low pass which invited Sarr, running at full speed, to take two touches into the area and – head up – and hammered the ball high past the advancing Bart Verbruggen with his left foot.

That was Sarr’s third goal in two visits to the Amex Stadium as a Crystal Palace player.

Speaking on Sarr’s goal as quoted by Crystal Palace website, Glasner said: “It’s funny, because after Nottingham [Forest], when we were analysing with a great build-up from Dean Henderson, where we passed to him (Sarr), and he gets in a similar area in the first-half, he tries to pass, but could’ve shot.

‘We know Sarr can help us score goals’

“We had a similar situation against Chelsea, and when we watched the Brighton game [from November] back, we had a similar situation against Brighton, where he didn’t take the finish from a big chance and I just said to him: ‘shoot.”

 

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He added: “To be honest, this week in training it was similar and he passed again. I got mad and I was almost kneeling on the grass and said: ‘Isma, please take the finish!’ Today he took it twice – one he missed, the second one he scored. He got the reward, and we all got the reward.

“We know that he can and will help us to score goals. I think everybody who played today up front showed that he will contribute to score more goals when they know each other better, when they know the way, we are playing a little bit better – but I’ve seen huge effort from everyone and a huge win.”

Out of 15 Premier League matches so far this season, Sarr has scored five goals and provided one assist.