Crystal Palace, the club from South London known as “The Eagles,” are flying higher than ever before. For most of their history, Palace have been underdogs, a team fighting to stay in the Premier League rather than dreaming of trophies or European adventures. But everything has changed under their manager, Oliver Glasner.
Right now, Crystal Palace are on an 18-match unbeaten run, the longest in the club’s history, and they’re about to step into Europe for the first real time. On Thursday, they travel to Poland to face Dynamo Kyiv in the UEFA Conference League. It’s a huge deal — the club’s very first proper journey into European soccer. And they’re going into it full of confidence after beating Liverpool 2–1 last weekend, one of the biggest wins in their history.
From Struggling to Surging: The Glasner Revolution
Just one year ago, things looked very different. Palace were in trouble, stuck near the bottom of the Premier League. They had won only one of their first 13 league games, and many fans thought they might get relegated. That’s when the club decided to bring in Oliver Glasner, a 51-year-old Austrian coach who had previously led Eintracht Frankfurt to a Europa League title in 2022.
At first, some fans weren’t sure he was the right choice. But fast-forward to today, and he has transformed Crystal Palace into one of the toughest teams in England.
In 2024, Palace shocked the world by winning the FA Cup against Manchester City, their very first major trophy.
They followed that with another victory at Wembley, beating Liverpool to win the Community Shield.
Now, they’re sitting third in the Premier League table, only three points behind leaders Liverpool, and they have the joint-best defense in the league.
That’s a crazy turnaround for a team that just last year looked doomed to go down.
Key Transfers: Losing Stars but Building Strength
One of the most impressive things about Palace’s rise is that they’ve done it without their two biggest stars.
Michael Olise moved to Bayern Munich last season.
Eberechi Eze, another fan favorite, joined Arsenal in August.
Most teams would collapse after losing players like that. But Glasner made sure Palace stayed strong. The key was holding on to Marc Guehi, their captain and one of England’s best defenders. Liverpool tried to buy him, and rumors even said Glasner would quit if Guehi left. Glasner denied threatening to resign, but he did tell the Palace chairman Steve Parish the truth:
“If you want Crystal Palace to have a strong season, you cannot sell Marc Guehi.”
In the end, Guehi stayed, and Palace’s defense has been rock-solid. Alongside him, players like Chris Richards, Maxence Lacroix, and goalkeeper Dean Henderson are making it nearly impossible for opponents to score. Henderson, in particular, looks like the star Manchester United hoped he’d become years ago.
Smart Spending While Rivals Splash Billions
Another crazy fact? Crystal Palace didn’t even spend much money. While clubs like Liverpool spent nearly £450 million in the summer transfer window, Crystal Palace were one of the smallest spenders in the Premier League. Their main signing was Spanish winger Yeremy Pino from Villarreal for around £26 million.
In total, Palace actually made a net transfer profit, meaning they sold players for more money than they spent. Yet they’re still keeping pace with the biggest, richest clubs in the world.
Here’s a fun stat:
👉 In 2025, only Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester City have won more points than Crystal Palace.
Stars Stepping Up
Glasner has also helped turn some of Crystal Palace’s players into real stars:
Jean-Philippe Mateta has scored 29 goals in 56 league games since Glasner arrived.
Ismaila Sarr and Adam Wharton are thriving under the system.
Daniel Muñoz is showing incredible stamina, running tirelessly on the right wing.
When you add in the defensive wall of Guehi, Richards, and Lacroix, it’s no wonder Crystal Palace are unbeaten and shutting down some of the top Premier League teams.
Crystal Palace in Europe: History in the Making
Crystal Palace don’t have much history in European competition. Their only previous appearance was in the 1998 Intertoto Cup, a short-lived summer tournament. Back then, they played just one home-and-away tie before being knocked out.
This time is different. By winning the FA Cup last season, Palace qualified for the UEFA Europa League. But due to complicated rules about multi-club ownership (one of their partners was also involved in Europe), they were demoted to the Conference League after a legal battle. That was one of the few recent defeats off the field, but Glasner and his players don’t seem to care.
Now, as they head to Poland to face Dynamo Kyiv, Palace have the chance to make history again. If they avoid defeat, they’ll break their record unbeaten run of 18 games, which has stood since 1969.
Fun Soccer Facts & Combos
Fact 1: Crystal Palace were founded in 1905, but it took them 119 years to finally win their first major trophy (the FA Cup in 2024).
Fact 2: Their nickname, “The Eagles,” comes from their badge, which features a powerful eagle holding a soccer ball.
Fact 3: Palace’s home ground, Selhurst Park, has been their stadium since 1924, making it over 100 years old.
News Combo: In England right now, Palace aren’t the only underdogs impressing — Aston Villa and Fulham are also surprising the Premier League. But none of them are unbeaten like Palace.
Looking Ahead: Can Palace Compete for the Trophy?
In the Conference League, Palace are being viewed as one of the favorites to win the whole thing. Other contenders include Italian side Fiorentina and French club Strasbourg, but with their current form, Palace are a team nobody wants to face.
For Oliver Glasner, it’s another chance to prove himself. After all, his name is already being linked to one of the biggest jobs in the world: Manchester United. If United decide to fire Ruben Amorim, Glasner is rumored to be one of the top candidates to replace him.
But for now, Glasner’s focus is clear — keep Crystal Palace winning, keep them unbeaten, and maybe, just maybe, deliver a European trophy to South London.
Final Whistle
Crystal Palace’s story feels like a fairy tale. A year ago, they were stuck in the relegation zone. Today, they are FA Cup winners, Community Shield holders, unbeaten in 18 games, and about to play European football for real.
Whether they win the Conference League or not, Palace are already proving that smart management, clever spending, and a strong belief can beat even the richest clubs in soccer. And who knows? If they keep this up, maybe the Eagles really can soar all the way to a European trophy.
