Ismaïla Sarr’s decisive strike against Brighton delivered more than three points for Crystal Palace, ending a long winless run and marking a personal turning point for a forward urged to rediscover his scoring instinct.
The Senegal international scored the only goal of Sunday’s 1-0 Premier League victory, a result that brought Palace their first win in 12 matches in all competitions.
For Sarr, it was his first goal from open play since November, following a penalty against Nottingham Forest the previous week.
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner said the breakthrough was the result of a simple but repeated message to his player: shoot more often.
The Austrian coach suggested Sarr’s recent struggles in front of goal were not down to a lack of quality, but an excess of generosity in key moments.
Reflecting on previous matches, Glasner explained how similar situations had been identified during video analysis.
“It’s funny, because after the match against Forest, when we were analyzing an excellent move built by Dean Henderson, where he was passed to and found himself in a similar area in the first half, he tried to pass, but could have shot,” he said.
According to Glasner, the issue had surfaced repeatedly across several fixtures. “We experienced a similar situation against Chelsea, and reviewing the match against Brighton in November, we saw the same thing: he didn’t convert a golden opportunity, and I simply told him: ‘Shoot!’”
The message was reinforced on the training ground in the days leading up to the return meeting with Brighton. Glasner admitted his frustration boiled over during one particular session.
“Honestly, this week in training, it was the same thing and he made another pass. I was furious, I was almost on my knees on the pitch and I shouted at him: ‘Isma, please score!’”
Sarr responded in the best possible way on matchday. He tested the Brighton defence twice, missing his first chance before making the second count.
“Today, he tried his luck twice: once he missed, the second time he scored. He was rewarded, and so were we. We know he can and will help us score goals,” Glasner said.
The goal was Sarr’s tenth of the season in all competitions, underlining his importance to Palace’s attacking structure.
More significantly, it appeared to restore confidence to a player whose contributions had not always been reflected on the scoresheet in recent months.
With Palace finally back to winning ways, Glasner will hope Sarr’s return to form proves decisive as the season progresses.
