Crystal Palace defeated Nottingham Forest 3-1 in the sixth round of the Premier League. After the match, Crystal Palace manager Sarr was interviewed and commented on the game. Here's what he had to say:

Reporter: You secured your first home Premier League win, and it was against a team managed by the club's former manager. That must be very satisfying, right?

Sarr: I'm very happy to have won our first home game in the Premier League, but not because the opposition was managed by the former manager. As I said, I have great respect for him and everything he did here. I think they showed the qualities of a good team today, and perhaps they deserved a better result.

Reporter: Your team didn't start well, but some fantastic saves from the goalkeeper changed the course of the game. Can you comment on Benitez's performance?

Sarr: Aside from that one error, our start was good, but in the following 20 minutes, we played very poorly. It was Benitez who made crucial saves with great courage. I think he kept us in the game, which was very important at that moment. As you saw, we were winning 2-1 at halftime. If it had been 0-2, the team's mentality and the situation would have been very difficult. His performance today was incredible, and I must praise him. It's never easy coming in as a backup goalkeeper. Currently, we're very satisfied with all our goalkeepers; they provide solid security for the team to win matches.

Reporter: You just mentioned that Nottingham Forest perhaps deserved a better result. Do you think your team played well today? Were you good in certain phases?

Sarr: I think shortly after we conceded, we had a great chance to equalize at 1-1, but our shot went over. At certain moments, after we scored the first goal, we controlled the game. We changed our initial formation, played more directly, competed harder for second balls, and the players performed exceptionally well in tight spaces when dealing with second balls. The first goal was very nice, and I think the third goal was scored in a similar fashion. That's the fighting spirit of this team, and we need to maintain that stability when we're ahead. Although our performance after taking the lead today wasn't as good as before, we won, so we must accept it and resolve these details.

Reporter: Nottingham Forest created many good chances and, as you said, the goalkeeper had an excellent performance, but they also squandered some opportunities. Does it concern you that the team is conceding so many chances to opponents?

Sarr: Yes, it's not normal to concede as many chances as we did today. We had problems in the first half, especially in the area where they drew Lerma into a deep position and then contested the second balls. In the second half, it was still difficult to manage; they opened up the game and created one-on-one situations through dribbling. We suffered defensively against that player today. His strengths lie in speed and skill, but we need to be more effective in one-on-one defending.

Reporter: Most importantly, you secured the victory. Do you feel relieved after this home win? And has this victory also boosted the players' confidence?

Sarr: As I said, winning always helps us work and improve our tactics, but we must be honest about what happened on the pitch. I think everyone understands that, and each player knows it. But I want to emphasize that they gave everything on the pitch, and sometimes that's a good way to win. We must do that and be more efficient in our play. With more matches, we can achieve that, because sometimes you can't show your full strength, but you must never lose it completely. We need to maintain stability, and I think getting such a good result after the international break will help us perform better in the coming games.

Reporter: You mentioned before the game that the team could gain confidence and team spirit, which would help influence the next three matches. Do you think the team demonstrated good team spirit today? How much do you think that will help in future games?

Sarr: It's difficult to quantify how much it helps, but you know, after a win, you always want to keep playing. We have an important match in Lyon on Thursday, and we must be ready. I think when your mentality is calmer and without doubts, you can improve quickly. But we know today's game wasn't perfect, and we must accept that, while also understanding that sometimes we have to win in this manner. If everyone had to choose between "playing perfectly today but losing before the Lyon match" and "winning today," I think our current situation is more favorable for preparing for that match and the subsequent ones. I don't like to speak this way because I want to see the best performance and results, but currently the team's performance is inconsistent, and we must continue working hard.

Reporter: You mentioned this match wasn't about the former manager, but much of the pre-match discussion focused on Glasner's return. How did you keep the players calm and focused before the game, free from such public discussion?

Sarr: I didn't discuss this topic. During preparation, I never mentioned the former manager to the players. They were aware, because as you said, there was plenty of external noise, but this match wasn't against Glasner; it was against Nottingham Forest, and that's what matters most. For any player, this isn't about revenge or proving something; it's just a game in a long season. We have a busy schedule in October and need to win many games because we have ambitions in all competitions. The former manager wasn't the key to this match. I believe we simply need to maintain respect for him and everything he did for this team. He helped me greatly, and this team knows his capabilities, and I must thank him for that.

Reporter: You mentioned that the team has ambitions in all competitions. Obviously, you've been in charge for a short time. How far do you think the team is from playing the style of football you want?

Sarr: We have the capability to do it, but now we need to do it in every match, in every minute of every match, and that's the hardest part when you start a project like this. But as I just said, although today wasn't perfect, you saw a glimpse of what we want to demonstrate. More importantly, it's about showing how we play, and when we can do that, I think that's a good sign. It's the same with set plays; our second goal was meticulously prepared that way. That's why I must mention the set-play coach; he does excellent work in set-play training and provides tremendous help to the players.

Traduzido por IA.

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