patrick vieira manager
Two clean sheets against Manchester City – the only team to do it this season – how does it feel?
It’s a really good statistic but when you’re looking at both games that we played against them we defended well as a team, I think our team performance was excellent. When you play against those kinds of teams, those kinds of players, you need to be a little bit lucky at times and we forced that luck to be on our side so I’m really pleased with the team performance today. When we played over there the difference between the two games is that [tonight] there were a couple of situations and chances that we created but we didn’t take them. But we ran so much that when we got into a position it was really difficult to play with more justice on the final pass Our final pass was difficult because of the run we had to make.
Is that the hardest your team has worked in a game this season?
The Etihad was really difficult as well. We had to run because of the technical quality of City. Everything they do is without making mistakes. They move the ball really well, they can play short, they can play long. We needed those kinds of performances [from Crystal Palace] in order to get something from the game. When you’re looking at the majority of the players and the way they are in the dressing room, they are tired, but it is a really good feeling.
Vicente Guaita epitomises team performance?
He was fantastic I think his game managing was excellent. When you play against the quality of these teams you have to be really good in a lot of departments of the game and the way we managed the game I think was excellent as well. We managed to frustrate them and we needed a very good team performance from the goalkeeper to Jean-Philipe Mateta or Wilfried Zaha when he went as a number nine. Everybody worked hard and this is why we got the results that we did.
Does this throw open the title race?
I think there are still a lot of games left on the table. So obviously, we made it more exciting for the neutral but there are still a lot of games on the table to play.
Was Conor Gallagher above and beyond his usual self tonight? He and Cheikhou Kouyate set the tone.
I think Conor, Cheikhou and Jeffrey [Schlupp] – all three of the midfielders are going to need a couple more days off than anybody else because they ran a lot. They ran behind the ball and sometimes you have the feeling that you’re running but you can’t get there but they didn’t give up and this is a really good sign for us. Today I think we showed that as a team we are improving. One of the challenges was to accept that at times you will not have possession so you need to work hard to get the ball back. And if we manage to understand that and be consistent we will improve and we will do good things.
Conor was still charging up the pitch at the end chasing the win.
I can’t stop him. I can’t stop him and I don’t want to stop him because this is the energy that pushes the fans as well to be behind us. The fans were excellent. The last ten minutes were really difficult but the fans’ support made it really easy to manage those last ten minutes. Conor, this is his strength and this is why we love him.
Cheikhou Kouyate improved since AFCON?
Cheikhou will play for a long, long time because he looks after himself really well and he’s got the physique that I believe allows him to play for a couple more years. I believe that in the second half he was excellent. Coming out and putting pressure, winning free-kicks and he was really good with the ball as well.
Good to take momentum into the week with FA Cup on Sunday?
Yes, it’s a big week for us. When you’re looking at the result we had in the last couple of games it has been really positive. The FA Cup will be a massive, massive game for us. We want to go to the next round, we want to go to the semi-final and with the support that we have had at home so far it will be really exciting for us and it’ll be really good to go to the semi-finals.
How important is it that Wilfried Zaha wins fouls for you?
That’s really important, especially when you’re going through a difficult period. He managed to win free-kicks and to push the block a little bit higher. I think today he worked really hard. Coming to support and helping Tyrick, running behind Kyle Walker and being there to play the two vs two. He is in a really good period since he came back from AFCON – he has gone to a different level. Hopefully, it will be like that until the end of the season.
How much does he help Tyrick?
It’s massively important Tyrick is a young player who was come through the academy so he’s been watching Wilfried a lot. And Wilfried has this kind of experience and character to help him to grow as a player. I believe that this kind of relationship between them is getting better and better and that’s good for the future of the club.
No Luka Milivojevic or Will Hughes in the squad are they injured?
They weren’t feeling well.
How pleased were you with the animation of the players and their ability to play compact as well as spread wide when needed?
It was really difficult for us to play because they were putting us under pressure and it was really difficult for us to find the place that was free in the midfield. We didn’t use the ball really well today because of the pressure that they were putting up front. We didn’t use it as well as we wanted to but we knew how tough and difficult that was going to be. At times we managed to play long and find Mateta who managed to hold the ball and wait for the support. But yes, we didn’t use the ball as well as we wanted to because we weren’t allowed to do it really.
Odsonne Edouard and Jordan Ayew positive cameos off the bench?
They’ve been really good. We have a really good group of players who all want to do well for the football club. And of course, they all want to play and they will all want to start but they’ve been respecting the decision and every time they come on they bring the energy that the team needs and that is really important for us. If we manage to keep that until the end of the season it will be really good for the team.
