Glasner: Arsenal have great players and a great manager, they are at the top level in the world

October 28th Crystal Palace head coach Glasner was interviewed after losing 0-1 to Arsenal. He talked about the team's struggles, Arsenal's defense, Rice's performance and Eze's goal.

How do you evaluate the team's performance today? Why is it difficult to create opportunities?

I haven't seen many teams create many chances here. We had a couple of moments where we could have been more threatening, but we missed some opportunities to create more chances because we took too long. On the other hand, credit goes to Arsenal, who got back very quickly.

You mentioned Arsenal's tracking back. Is Rice's performance particularly outstanding?

We saw, in the second half alone, two or three times we found Sarr in space and Rice came back and stole the ball, and he didn't overload his side because he applied pressure. It just took us too long and that's why we couldn't create more chances.

What do you think is the reason for the team’s defeat?

We didn't give them many chances, but we gave them a little too much. In that situation where we conceded the ball, we made two mistakes and then we were punished. That's how we ended up losing the game. When you're at the Emirates Stadium against an Arsenal team that's in such good form, making two mistakes in one situation is fatal.

You seem to have a high opinion of Rice. How do you think this signing reflects Arsenal's strategy?

They have finished second in the league three times in a row, invested 300 million pounds, have excellent players, a great manager, and a clear structure. You can see them playing at the top level in the world and that's what they show: consistency, always analyzing what players to add to the squad to move to the next level.

They took a fancy to Rice two or three years ago, and they spent £120 million to buy him from West Ham United... always knowing exactly what kind of players they needed to take the next step, and then integrating them into their system. Defensively, they are compact, always relying on their structure on set pieces, and have an excellent balance in their play. Do a lot of things right over the years and then you can challenge for the Premier League title.

What do you think of Eze’s performance against his old club?

I don’t talk about players from other teams. Yes, he scored the winning goal, just like he did when we won the FA Cup final. I was very happy then. Today it's the opposite. What's the opposite of happy? I'm so sad.