Evann Guessand expressed delight after making an immediate impact on his Crystal Palace debut during Sunday’s 1-0 victory over Brighton.
The on-loan Aston Villa forward came off the bench in the second half and played a key role in the decisive moment, setting up Ismaila Sarr’s winning goal.
The Ivorian explained that entering the game late allowed him to use his energy to influence proceedings, particularly against opponents who had already spent significant time on the pitch.
He emphasised the importance of contributions from substitutes, noting that squad depth often plays a crucial role in tight contests.
The forward said the team’s resilience paid off and expressed optimism about Palace’s prospects moving forward.
Guessand also suggested that the victory reflected the quality within the squad and indicated confidence that similar performances could deliver further positive results if the team maintains its current level of intensity and commitment.
“When the players fight for maybe 60 minutes or even more, they are more tired, and me, on the bench, (had) more fresh legs.
“I think we saw this today because as you said, after I came onto the pitch, we scored.
“The bench sometimes is important to the team, and today we saw the result. Hopefully in the future we’re going to have more victories, because I think we deserved it.”
“It was crazy. The game today was crazy! The two teams fought like animals.
“We saw the fans really excited for this game, because we know it’s a rivalry. In the end, Palace won, because I think we deserved this victory.
“It was a long time we haven’t won a game in the league and with the quality we have in the team, I think we deserve more. If we keep in this way, with the players we have, we can have more victories.”
