Crystal Palace manager following Man City daw: ‘I thought they were excellent’

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Crystal Palace FC’s manager Roy Hodgeson was really pleased with his boys recently while speaking about their 2-2 draw with Manchester City at Etihad Stadium.

‘I was really pleased with the team, from the first minute to the last, for the way that the players stuck to a gameplan and tried to make it work, and cause at least Man City a few more problems in terms of creating chances than they are sometimes used to,’ he said to the club’s journalists following the match.

‘It wasn’t just a question of resilience – it was a question of spirit and determination as well. If we’d have wanted excuses for a defeat today, we had loads and loads of them.

‘When you’ve seven players injured and five of them are regulars in the attacking positions, we’ve got even more reason to say ‘well done today’ boys.

‘There were people playing in that game with no real Premier League experience at all, a bench of Academy players, no real seniors to put on to help us out apart from the XI who started the game – so it was excellent work from the players today. I can’t praise them enough. I thought they were excellent.’

Of the nineteen shots Manchester United fired on target, only two found their way home, thanks to the goalkeeper Dean Henderson.

Henderson later said the following while speaking to Premier League Productions: ‘It was an unbelievable result to come here and get a draw. It’s fantastic.

‘I loved every minute of it, being back on the pitch. I think it’s nearly been a year since I last played [in the Premier League] so I’m delighted.

‘Obviously you’re busy against these guys [City]. They’re a world-class team and you’ve just got to stay in the game as long as you can, and hopefully catch them on the break, which we did.

‘We stuck to the game plan. The manager [Roy Hodgson] was unbelievable with his messages through the week. We stuck to it and the boys deserve all the credit, because it’s hard work out there against them.

‘We’re all pulling in the right direction and there’s a great team spirit here. Obviously we’ve got injuries, but everyone’s pulling together, filling holes, and we’ve young lads coming onto the bench and that. Everyone to a man was unbelievable today.

‘It’s been emotional, but I’m delighted to be back.’