Crystal Palace battled to an excellent 2-2 draw at Manchester City yesterday, and goalkeeper Dean Henderson was outstanding.
Henderson made his first Premier League debut for the club after returning from a long-term injury, with Sam Johnstone also out, and delivered a stunning performance as he helped keep City at bay before Palace found a late equaliser through Michael Olise.
Palace were awarded a penalty in injury time after Jean-Phillippe Mateta was brought down by Phil Foden, and Olise kept his cool to score from the spot to rescue a point for the visitors.
Olise slotted his penalty into the bottom-left corner, and Henderson has now revealed how the winger had been practising his spot-kicks in training.
Dean Henderson praises Michael Olise after Man City draw
Speaking to Crystal Palace club media after the game, Henderson praised Olise for scoring his penalty, but admitted he was nervous before the Frenchman took it.
“I was nervous!” He stated.
“He went the other way in training yesterday against me… so I’m happy he switched it up and sent [Ederson] the wrong way!”
Crystal Palace’s penalty takers
Olise’s penalty goal was his first for Crystal Palace, and therefore his first in the Premier League.
This was Palace’s third penalty of the season, with Mateta scoring from the spot against Liverpool last week and Eberechi Eze scoring against Everton earlier this season.
It seems that Palace do not have a set taker right now, with Wilfried Zaha and Eze taking the spot kicks since Luka Milivojevic departed.
Olise’s calmness from the spot in such a high-pressure situation could mean he is a candidate to take penalties from now on, rather than distributing them around the team, and this was a moment which could help Palace turn their form around, after a run of just one win in the last nine games.
