Crystal Palace attacker Wilfried Zaha has revealed they had to stop Manchester City from playing to stand a chance of winning at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
The Ivory Coast international was on target and contributed immensely to Conor Gallagher's goal, when he got into the final third, held the ball before passing to the unmarked Michael Olise, who provided an assist and ensured the team won 2-0 in the Premier League match.
"It was just about getting in their faces and not letting them play, we know how good they are, but today was about us not letting them play, and showing them what we can do. That’s what we did," Zaha said as quoted by the club's official portal.
"I feel like we’re a threat going forwards, but the difference you see now is that we keep the ball from the back. We keep the ball around the pitch and we make our chances. We’re now exploiting the talent we have up-front and all around the pitch.
"I scuffed it [for the opening goal] but a goal is a goal. I was just buzzing that I saw it go in, and that’s the way you want it to start. I was happy."
The 28-year-old has further commented on the influence of Gallagher as well as his manager Patrick Vieira.
"[Gallagher] brings a lot of energy, obviously, playing up top I needed people to link up with. He gets up and down which makes a lot of difference when he gets up and helps out," Zaha continued.
"Obviously [Vieira] knows what he’s talking about. We’ve all seen him do it. It’s a bit surreal because I’ve seen him and he’s an amazing player.
"The way he’s trying to play, because he’s done it himself, it’s easy to buy into it.
"The players are buying into it, and the performances are coming as well. Obviously, it’s coming bit by bit – it’s different, but slowly the results will come."
After Saturday's win, the Eagles moved to the 13th position on the table with 12 points from 10 matches.