Crystal Palace ready to fight amidst heated relegation battle
Crystal Palace head coach Leif Smerud says his side ‘want to fight’ as they stare down the possibility of relegation from the Women’s Super League (WSL).
The Eagles will face a mountainous challenge in Arsenal this weekend- as the Gunners return from the high of Wednesday evening’s UEFA Women’s Champions League triumph.
“We know they’re a strong side, and they showed that again,” Smerud said on Sunday’s opposition. “But we also know them well, and we’re looking forward to the challenge.”
“Football is the biggest sport in the world because the underdog always has a chance,” Smerud emphasised.
The Eagles return home to VBS Community Stadium after a tough away loss to Everton last Saturday in the WSL. “They [Everton] scored at key moments, just before and after the break, and then at the end. Apart from that, it was an even game, and there were plenty of positives to take forward,” the head coach reflected.
Palace currently occupy last place in the league standings, but just one point separates them and Aston Villa in the fight to stay up. Despite the threat of relegation, Smerud remained hopeful that his side can muster up the strength to remain in the top-flight.
“I believe in facing reality. Right now, we’re out of the league, but we have a great chance to fight our way back. We won’t shy away from it, we’ll face it head-on. You can either fight or give up, and I know what I prefer. This group is not defeated, they want to fight, and we’re going to give everything to stay in this league.
“Our job is to improve, perform, and embrace this challenge. It’s a privilege to play in these high-pressure games, and we’ll give everything to make sure we stay in this league.”
