Dean Henderson deserves the plaudits just as much as Ismaila Sarr after Palace enjoy Brighton away day

BY ALEX PEWTER

An Ismaila Sarr brace and Trevoh Chalobah goal gave Crystal Palace their third win of the season and delivered a 3-1 away victory for Oliver Glasner’s team at Brighton on Sunday.

Sarr may steal the headlines in an attacking sense but goalkeeper Dean Henderson delivered another excellent display for the Eagles. His low save on a curling Julio Enciso shot from outside the box was the highlight of his five saves.

After the game, Palace boss Oliver Glasner praised Henderson’s role in maintaining the team’s advantage in that critical period, as his team defended a 2-0 lead and Brighton dominated the flow of play, as well as his stop for the first chance of the match.

“He had a big save against Mitoma at the beginning of the game and two or three big saves after half-time,” said Glasner. “Very important saves if you only have a one-goal lead or find yourself 1-0 down at the beginning.

“If they score their first goal soon after half-time, it will be more difficult because they get belief, and the crowd gets belief. So, it was important for us to survive the first 15 minutes in the second half.

“With the new players, we got the game more in their half and the third goal decided it.”

Speaking to Palace TV, Henderson agreed with his manager’s assessment of the balance of the game in the second half.

“We knew they would come out [in the second half], and it would be hard,” said the former Manchester United stopper. “I knew I’d have to concentrate and I’d have things to do. Luckily, I helped the team today.

“The boys defended tirelessly in front of me – they were unbelievable. We fought like mad today for those three points.”

Denied a clean sheet, virtue of a freak Marc Guehi own goal, late in the game, Henderson would perhaps be disappointed not to gather the ball in the build-up, but it goes down as a very convincing performance for the England international.

PICTURE: ALAMY