Burnley supporters may have feared the worst when they first learned that their team bus had been stuck in traffic en route to Selhurst Park and that, as a result, their match against Crystal Palace would be delayed by ten minutes.
This wasn’t exactly the best preparation for a squad that is now in second place in the Premier League standings, 11 points outside of safety, and has lost their last 16 top-flight games.
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By the time Jorgen Strand Larsen’s double put Palace ahead 2-0 in the first half with 12 minutes left, the Clarets supporters will have accepted yet another crushing loss and their heartbreaking decline back towards the Championship.
However, they might have been making jokes about holding up the team bus themselves before their next Premier League trip to Chelsea by the time referee Farai Hallam blew his halftime whistle.
The encounter on Tuesday had been going according to a well-known pattern. In addition to giving up two goals with ease, Parker’s squad had not managed to muster a shot on goal during the first 39 minutes of play. To believe the next seven, one had to see them.
After Hannibal Mejbri’s season-opening strike put Burnley ahead 2-1, Jaidon Anthony equalized four minutes later with a low effort into the corner.
Goalie Dean Henderson completed Burnley’s incredible comeback in first-half stoppage time when he deflected Bashir Humphreys’ header onto Jefferson Lerma’s foot and into the net, igniting joyful, nearly incredulous celebrations in the away end.
In their fight to avoid relegation, the Clarets may find that this remarkable outcome comes too little, too late.
But that was simply the cherry on top for manager Scott Parker, who endured taunts from his own fans during last weekend’s loss to West Ham at Turf Moor, including “you don’t know what you’re doing” and “you’re getting sacked in the morning.”
After Tuesday’s stunning win, Parker appeared to be fighting to control his emotions after enduring one of the most difficult afternoons of his Burnley career on Saturday.
But when Parker talked about his players’ bravery in his post-match interview with TNT Sports, you could hear the intense pride in his voice.Few teams would return here after falling behind 2-0,” he remarked. For this bunch, it says a thousand words.
“If there was ever any question about how together this group is, how committed this group is, how resilient this group is – [tonight] said it all, really.”
With 12 games remaining in the 2025–26 season, Parker’s club is still nine points from safety.
However, neither Parker nor his team have given up on launching a last-ditch survival effort.The idea [that we can remain up] has always existed,” he added. “”We probably haven’t had the best results in the past few months, but tonight that was definitely the case,” he added.
“Coming off the back of an incredibly tough game for us at the weekend – for many reasons – that performance showed a group that is full of resilience, full of commitment.
“Standing up to certain situations and battles is necessary to get that outcome. The most important lesson for any organization is to constantly getting back up.
When he spoke to the media following the full-time whistle, Oliver Glasner appeared pale in sharp contrast to his opposite number, and the Palace fans booed him loudly.
After Strand Larsen’s double, Glasner appeared poised to record his 100th game as manager of the squad with another heart-boosting victory after watching his team snap a 12-match losing streak against bitter rivals Brighton last time out.
However, after Mejbri equalized for Burnley, who capitalized on the hosts’ lethargy to deliver one of the most agonizing losses during the Austrian’s time at Selhurst Park, Palace froze.
Glasner told TNT Sports, “It’s not acceptable,” as he prepares to leave the team in the summer. “I have no explanation. Perhaps [the opening 39 minutes] went too smoothly.It got off to a great start. We had complete control, but I’ve seen every goal come back, and our team’s defense—just pacing the field, not in duels or second balls—is simply unacceptable.”
Glasner says the Palace defense has a hole the size of Marc Guehi, which is another problem.
Glasner became enraged when the England defender moved for Manchester City last month for an initial £20 million, and he soon announced his own departure.
“Right now, we don’t have someone on the pitch who leads the team in these moments, who makes players calm and decides the meaning of the game,” he said.
“I frequently commend the boys for their hard work. You don’t deserve to win when you waste the game like we did.”
Palace has a big lead of eight points over the bottom three, but it is insufficient for a team that has only won once across all competitions since December 11.
A loss against Wolves at home in their upcoming league match would definitely raise concerns.
