Oliver Glasner dismisses Crystal Palace theory ahead of Liverpool game at Anfield

The Eagles have a huge European semi-final on Thursday, but Glasner has insisted he will not let his side take their eye off the ball domestically despite having little to play for

Oliver Glasner has dismissed suggestions Crystal Palace will not be fully focused heading to Anfield

Oliver Glasner has dismissed claims that Crystal Palace will travel to Anfield lacking the same intensity it has in recent games.

The Eagles have enjoyed an impressive upturn in recent months, losing just one of their last six Premier League matches while advancing to the Conference League semi-finals.

Clear of the relegation picture and unlikely to secure a European place via its league position, many believe that Palace will not prioritize the league in the final weeks of the season. That Glasner rotated his squad against West Ham United on Monday only strengthened that view. However, the Palace head coach dismissed the suggestion that his side would not approach Saturday’s game with full focus.

“If we don't go to Liverpool and have the ambition to win there, I would say, ‘Hey, we could stay in London and enjoy the nice weather, having a coffee and maybe an after-work beer,’ because it makes no sense going to Liverpool, spending two days there, and saying ‘If we lose, it's fine,’” Glasner said in Friday’s pre-match press conference.

“It can happen, of course. You can lose every single game in sports. But the approach and the ambition has to be we go there to win.

“Even if we had lost the last three games, we would go there to win.

“But it's always a better feeling if you have done something before, because it shows you that you can.”

Glasner is hoping to end the season with more silverware(Image: Getty Images)

Remarkably, Palace travels to Liverpool looking to inflict a fourth defeat of the season on Arne Slot’s side, after successes in the reverse league fixture at Selhurst Park, and wins in the Community Shield and Carabao Cup.

Glasner claims these previous victories should help boost Palace’s belief heading into the weekend.

“If somebody asks you to do something you have never done in your life, then you have maybe a little bit of a concern and think, can I do it or not? You have doubts," he said.

“But we have shown and proven that we can. This gives us confidence, but it's also important for us that we stay humble, that we don't take it for granted.”

Palace has already beaten Liverpool three times this season(Image: Getty Images)

Reflecting on those previous wins, Glasner added: “I think when you talk before a season and say: ‘OK, we win once against Liverpool’, you would say ‘Yeah, it's good.’

“If you say we’d win twice against Liverpool, you would say, ‘Well, it would be very good’. And you say, 'We win three times against Liverpool, it's amazing.'

“And now we have the opportunity to win four times against Liverpool in one season. I think that's something unique.

“That's why we're really highly motivated, because maybe this will never happen again, and it's a massive chance. That’s why we are really looking forward to this game at Anfield.”